Meet the new Dwarf Mini smart telescope!!!
The last month or so has been a tough one as I have had to keep this quiet and under wraps, but I can now officially talk about the new Dwarf Mini smart telescope. I have been one of the lucky people who have been testing the latest line in the Dwarf smart telescope range.....and it is awesome.
The telescope may be small, but it is mighty!
Weighing in at a feather light 840g, it pretty much fits into my jacket pocket. This is the ultimate, portable smart telescope, ideal to take on hikes, holiday's, or just around town.
The team at DwarfLabs have managed to pack it full of the features that the Dwarf 2 and 3 already have, along with more. The main big inclusion being a built in darks filter. The Dwarf Mini will automatically take dark frames throughout the session, ensuring that you always have relevant, temperature specific darks for that imaging session.
Alongside the usual photo, astro, burst and video modes, there is now a dedicated solar system mode, which will help you to image the Sun and Moon.
The form factor of the Dwarf Mini is completely different to its predecessors in that it now has a 360 degree rotational base and a more traditional looking telescope arm that swings out with a rotation of 225 degrees. Both the wide and tele lenses are set on this arm, and it folds in to look like a smooth pebble when closed. It really is a stunning looking object and feels solid and extremely well made to hold.
Here are the specifics of the Dwarf Mini:
Weight: 840g
Tele sensor: IMX662 (1/2.8)
Wide sensor: OS02K10 (1/2.8)
Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (both lenses)
Filters: Dark, Dual Band, Astro
Modes: Photo, Video, Astro, Burst, Timelapse
Exposure times: Currently up to 90 seconds (provision for longer in the future)
Upon opening the lovely box you are presented with the Dwarf Mini, a USB cable, an ND solar filter and a user manual.
Powering on and connecting is the same process as the Dwarf 2 & 3. Just press the big button and you're in. You can also use NFC to make connecting much quicker.
The app has been redesigned and is a lot more sleek and user friendly.
The images that us testers have been taking have not let us down in quality. The IMX662 sensor really holds up well with deep sky imaging, and the results have been mind blowing.
There is also access to Mega Stack and Stellar Studio so that you can stack multiple sessions and edit them.
Here are some images that I have taken so far. I wish it could have been more, but the weather has been so bad here in the UK. Hopefully DwarfLabs invent a cloud filter sometime soon.
Overall, using the Dwarf Mini has been an absolute pleasure, and I am very grateful for the DwarfLab team for giving me the opportunity to test this amazing little device.
The Dwarf Mini is still in its testing phase, but pre-orders are live on the DwarfLab website, with an expected release in December.
