Used Vaonis Vespera Observation Station with Tripod

2023-12-28T05:20:11

I love Vespera. Here's why: I have enjoyed visual astronomy for over 20 years. I've owned a half-dozen telescopes, from small refractors to a 12.5" dobsonian, most of which did not use computer go-to. Over that time the stars all but vanished from my backyard sky, chased away by city lights. The opportunities for astronomy have decreased to a few nights a year during vacation. I never tried astrophotography, put off by the incredibly complex and expensive equipment. It just didn't look like fun. When I read about Vespera, however, I became curious. Had astrophotography really become easy? The example photographs taken by Vespera from light polluted backyards convinced me to give it a try, and I bought one from Adorama. My first target was the Andromeda Galaxy on a below average night of visibility. After 10 seconds the first capture appeared on my iPad screen. I stared in amazement and said to my wife "Is that coming from my Vespera?" Over the next hour more and more details emerged: twisting dust lanes and even nebulously! On a whim, I switched to an object I could never see visually; the Bubble Nebula. The image appeared. Wow! Vespera has opened up a new world of astronomy to me. I've opened up my star atlases and charts to look for things that were always beyond the reach of my visual telescopes. I spend more time learning about what I am observing and I enjoy sharing my Vespera images with others.

Laura A.

2023-03-13T00:38:43

The experience with the Vespera is incredible... As soon as I opened the box, I discovered a beautiful product. The experience continues during installation : everything is simple and intuitive. I invited friends to inaugurate the first observations. We had a very nice time with sharing and emotions. I have done more observation thanks to this high quality product with a remarkable precision. Thanks !

Patrick C.

2023-02-27T21:22:25

The Vaonis Vespera is amazing. I have been an amateur astronomer for years and have had many telescopes, from small refractors to big dobsonians, but I have never had one this easy to use. I keep it in my closet set up on the tripod and carry it outside and set it on the patio and connect it the Singularity App by pushing one button on my phone and then pushing initialize and within a few minutes it is ready to find any object in the night sky that is visible at that time. It tells you in the App if the objects are good or bad for viewing at that time. The software is superb. When I chose the Orion Nebulae, and it produced an image on my phone, I couldn't believe how good it was. It was much better than even my 10" dobsonian telescope ever was! There is no focusing or alignment to do. Absolutely nothing to do, and you are observing from your easy chair in the warm house! A fantastic telescope. Here is a picture of the Orion Nebula and the Whirlpool Galaxy and the Twin Spiral Galaxy I took from Bortle 6 or city skies with no editing. It was straight from the Vespera.

Dennis M.

2023-02-23T06:09:32

Super easy to set up, it's amazing how quickly you get great results !

Mael S.

2023-02-23T01:41:45

As a photographer fascinated by the universe, I can say that Vespera combines both of my passions! It's crazy to see what amazing pictures we can create, and how easy it is. The app is really easy to use and when I start, I can't stop exploring the sky.

Mathilda P.

2023-01-10T01:38:31

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Masaru i.

2022-12-17T04:12:17

Could not believe the quality and ease of taking incredible deep space photos. Just as technology in smart phone photography has changed the way we take great photos, this new breed of telescopes allows the rookie in astronomy to take deep space photos beyond anything he thought possible. If you want to open your eyes perhaps for the first time to the incredible beauty of the heavens above you this is your portal. Can?t wait to excite the grandkids with this new revelation a billion years in the making. Nothing in TikTok can even come close.

John K.

2022-11-28T07:57:10

I had been debating pros and cons between a few different brands of "Smart Telescopes" for several months. I was aware of the Vaonis Stellina, but became aware of the Vaonis Vespera, the little sister to Stellina. I purchased from Amazon, fulfilled by Adorama. Because I primarily shoot still photography and have shot some deep space objects using a star tracker and mirrorless camera, I was interested in a telescope that would be a good travel companion to find, track and shoot space objects and that would be quick and easy to set up and use. At less that 11#, the Vespera is perfectly packable. I'll describe set up and use below. I've posted some of my deep space shots since purchasing Vespera last month, and a solar image using the optional solar filter. Here are my thoughts on Vespera? Pros?. 1. Ease of use....you can't get any easier than Vespera. Really?.you just can?t. Turn it on and connect a phone or tablet to the Vaonis Singularity App via Vespera's internal WIFI. Once connected, the Vespera will go through an initialization procedure (takes about 5-10 minutes) where it locates starfields and obtains focus. Once initialization is complete, you can find the object you wish to visualize and photograph.....say, the Andromeda Galaxy. Vespera will locate and focus on the object and begin capturing images. You can watch it "develop" on your screen. I've included a video showing how it looks on my phone screen. 2. Remote operation and observation......I typically set up my Vespera on my deck and then retreat inside to my warm family room (about 30 feet away) and watch my phone or tablet screen as the image develops. No more standing in the cold capturing images for hours (it is necessary to shoot hours of data for some deep space objects when shooting traditional camera gear). 3. Image format options......during shooting, Vespera "stacks" the images internally which optimizes and defines deep space objects. When you complete shooting, Vespera outputs a stacked TIFF image as well as JPGs if those are selected in the profile. 4. Vespera allows simplicity if desired, but options are available to process images to your own criteria. You can save pictures of objects as Vespera is shooting, but I prefer to save the JPGs and then to process the TIFF image to fully develop nebulosity and details. 5. Vaonis added a "Mosaic" feature in a software update which allows a "widefield" view and image. Smart telescopes by nature have a very narrow angle of view and photographic capture. Many folks have worked around this by creating "mosaics" which are kind of panoramic images....necessitating shooting of many additional areas adjacent to the object. Vaonis has now added the exemplary ability to automate the mosaic process. When you chose mosaic imaging, the Vespera lets you select the area you wish to image, then begins the imaging process. Of course, a mosaic will take longer that a single object, but the process is amazing and works flawlessly. This feature alone makes Vaonis smart scopes stand out from other brands. 6. The Singularity App is easy and straight forward. Lots of information about each object is great for educational use. The app allows you to ?share? your viewing with up to 5 additional viewers...making it easy to share what you?re seeing with others. Kids are fascinated with this and I?m looking forward to viewing with my grandkids. 7. Solar Filter?.I purchased the optional solar filter and it is easy and effective. This will add much functionality to using Vespera for the full Solar Eclipse heading our way in 2024! 8. Price?.I feel like Vespera is a bargain for what I gain from it. A typical deep space photography setup can run $3-$10 thousand dollars. While I acknowledge that more detailed images can be obtained by shooting (hours worth of data), stacking and processing traditional photos, I?m more than happy with the output from Vespera. Cons?. 1. Price...but I?ve already noted that I feel the price is validated by ease of use and functionality. 2. Downloading images. You can click to save images while shooting, an additional step is necessary to download the TIFF images. You?ll need to connect to Vespera?s WIFI and go to the FTP site set up by Vespera. There?s all of the images are available in folders organized by date and Messier number. Detailed steps are listed on the Vaonis site. 3. Image resolution. The Vespera sensor is a Sony IMX462 Sensor (1920x1080)?.a 2 megapixel file size. If the Mosaic Mode is selected, the image will be at the higher resolution of up to 8.2 megapixels. Thus far, I?ve been satisfied with the file size and quality. 4. Hygrometer. Although a lens warmer is built into Vespera...an optional hygrometer must be purchase and installed in order to use the heater. Vespera is simply amazing. Easy enough for a novice to set up and use, but with options making it a great tool for astrophotography. I am enjoying mine and highly recommend it!

Terri N.

2022-11-28T07:46:08

I am new to astrophotography and Vespera makes it very approachable at a low entry price point. I have been using this since July 2022 and can say that it is a high quality product and the images are magical. In addition, the ?Singularity? app is top notch, particularly with the new Covalens enhancement (Vaonis? take on inbuilt mosaic mode). Above all, the customer service by Vaonis cannot be beat. I will highly recommend.

Ashutosh S.