Astrophotography is where telescopes stop being viewing instruments and become cameras — and it’s a hobby with two very different front doors. One is the all-in-one smart telescope that does everything for you. The other is the traditional rig: a tracking mount, an imaging scope, and a camera you assemble and learn. We cover both below so you can pick the path that fits your patience and budget. New to telescope basics? Start with our main guide.
Best astrophotography setups at a glance
| Setup | Best for | Type | Price | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZWO Seestar S50 | Best beginner / easiest | Smart scope | ~$499 | ★★★★★ |
| DwarfLab Dwarf 3 | Best smart-scope alternative | Smart scope | ~$599 | ★★★★½ |
| William Optics RedCat 51 + Star Adventurer GTi | Best starter rig | Apo refractor + mount | ~$1,400 | ★★★★½ |
| Celestron NexStar 8SE / EdgeHD 8 | Best for planets & bright targets | SCT | ~$1,499+ | ★★★★☆ |
| Unistellar eVscope 2 | Best premium smart scope | Smart scope | ~$2,499 | ★★★★☆ |
1. ZWO Seestar S50 — Best Beginner Astrophotography Telescope
ZWO Seestar S50
- Finds, tracks, and live-stacks images of nebulae and galaxies to your phone automatically.
- No mount, no polar alignment, no separate camera — it's all built in.
- Exports raw frames (FITS) if you later want to process them yourself.
- Fixed 50mm aperture and focal length limit how far you can push resolution and framing.
The Seestar S50 collapsed the astrophotography learning curve from months to minutes. Set it on its little tripod, pick a target in the app, and watch a nebula brighten on your screen as it stacks exposures. It’s the single easiest way to get a genuinely impressive deep-sky image, and the reason we recommend it to almost every beginner. Compare it against the Dwarf 3 in our smart telescope guide.
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2. DwarfLab Dwarf 3 — Best Smart-Scope Alternative
DwarfLab Dwarf 3
- Dual-lens smart scope with a wide field that frames large nebulae beautifully.
- Excellent app with strong daytime and wildlife modes too.
- Very portable and quick to set up.
- Wide field means less reach on small galaxies than a longer scope.
The Dwarf 3 is the Seestar’s main rival, and the choice between them comes down to framing: the Dwarf’s wide field is superb for big targets like the North America Nebula, while the Seestar reaches a bit tighter on compact objects. Both are excellent; the Dwarf earns points for its versatile app and dual-purpose daytime use.
3. William Optics RedCat 51 + Star Adventurer GTi — Best Starter Rig
William Optics RedCat 51 + Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer GTi
- The classic grow-into-it path: a sharp wide-field apo refractor on a proper GoTo tracking mount.
- Add your own camera and you can process images to any level you like.
- Upgradable — keep the mount, swap scopes and cameras as you learn.
- A real learning curve: polar alignment, guiding, and processing software.
If you want astrophotography as a craft — full control over framing, exposure, and processing — this is the sweet-spot starter rig. The RedCat 51 is a famously sharp, forgiving wide-field apo, and the Star Adventurer GTi is a compact GoTo tracking mount that punches above its price. It’s more to learn than a smart scope, but the ceiling is far higher. Remember: with imaging rigs, spend on the mount first — it matters more than the optics.
4. Celestron NexStar 8SE / EdgeHD 8 — Best for Planets & Bright Targets
Celestron NexStar 8SE (or EdgeHD 8 OTA)
- Long focal length excels at planetary and lunar imaging (lucky-imaging video stacks).
- Big aperture also captures smaller, brighter deep-sky objects with the right setup.
- Huge, upgradable ecosystem of accessories.
- The alt-az fork mount limits long-exposure deep-sky work without a wedge or EQ mount.
For photographing the Moon and planets — Jupiter’s storms, Saturn’s rings, lunar craters — a long-focal-length SCT like the 8SE is a superb and versatile tool, especially using video “lucky imaging.” For serious deep-sky long exposures you’ll eventually want it on an equatorial mount, but as a do-both visual-and-imaging scope it’s a long-term keeper. See our Saturn viewing guide for its planetary strengths.
5. Unistellar eVscope 2 — Best Premium Smart Scope
Unistellar eVscope 2
- Larger optics and a built-in Nikon electronic eyepiece for a shared "live" view.
- Powerful light-pollution reduction brings deep-sky objects out of city skies.
- Citizen-science campaigns (occultations, comets) built into the app.
- Expensive, and still a fixed-optics system like other smart scopes.
If budget is no object and you want the most polished smart-scope experience, the Unistellar eVscope 2 adds a genuine electronic eyepiece so several people can share the view, plus strong light-pollution handling and a citizen-science program. It’s far pricier than a Seestar for results that aren’t dramatically better image-for-image, but the experience and ecosystem are a cut above.
How to choose an astrophotography setup
- Decide your path first. Smart scope = easiest, most automated, fixed optics. Traditional rig = more work, far higher ceiling, fully upgradable.
- Mount before optics (for rigs). A precise tracking mount is the foundation of long-exposure imaging. Buy the best mount you can afford.
- Match the scope to the target. Wide-field refractors and smart scopes frame big nebulae; long SCTs excel on planets and small bright objects.
- Budget for extras. Rigs need a camera, guiding, power, and processing software; even smart scopes benefit from a power bank and a dark-sky trip.
The bottom line
For the easiest route to a stunning first image, buy the ZWO Seestar S50 (or the wide-field Dwarf 3). If you want astrophotography as a lifelong craft, start a traditional rig with the RedCat 51 on a Star Adventurer GTi and spend on the mount first. And if planets are your passion, an 8-inch SCT like the NexStar 8SE is the versatile long-term choice.