Celestron Origin vs Dwarf II: Side-By-Side Comparison

Celestron Origin vs Dwarf II: 10 Second Summary

The Celestron Origin is a far superior astrophotography telescope than the Dwarf 2, but is much heavier and significantly more expensive.
The Celestron Origin is the most advanced of any smart telescope on the market in terms of telescope specifications, featuring a 6-inch aperture RASA telescope tube.
However it is the biggest and heaviest of any smart telescope, as well as being in the premium price bracket.
The Dwarf 2 is a compact, budget smart telescope. It is the lightest and most portable of any smart telescope and one of the most affordable. Naturally, given the price difference, it cannot compete with the Celestron Origin in terms of telescope specifications.

Check Celestron Origin Price

Check DWARF II Price

Read the Celestron Origin review

Read the DWARF II review

Why choose the Celestron Origin over the Dwarf II?

The Celestron Origin is a premium smart telescope from American astronomy manufacturer Celestron.

It is Celestron’s first smart telescope and offers the highest specification Optical Tube Assembly (OTA – the telecope) of any smart telescope on the market.

In comparison to the Dwarf 2:

The Origin telescope type is a specialist astrophotography type called a Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) that is well-loved and proven by experienced astrophotographers.
The telescope has 6-inch aperture and an f/2.2 focal ratio – this is far above that of the Dwarf 2 and so the views and images are superior.
The Origin comes with a full-height tripod and mount is a single fork-arm alt-azimuth mount that is used on the Celestron Nexstar Evolution telescope range. Unlike the Dwarf 2 (or any other smart telescope), the mount and camera can be replaced and upgraded in the future.
The Origin is the best smart telescope for actual astrophotography and is effectively an off-the-shelf astrophotography setup with telescope, mount, camera and necessary accessories in an easy to use package.

The main downside is the size and weight of the package. At 40+ lbs it is significantly heavier than the Dwarf 2 (or any other smart telescope).

In addition, it is in the premium price bracket comparable to other premium smart telescopes and costs roughly eight times that of the Dwarf 2.

The Celestron Origin is right for you if you are looking for the best option in terms of actual astrophotography and are ok with the larger size and weight.

Why choose the Dwarf II over the Celestron Origin?

The Dwarf 2 is a compact, budget smart telescope from Chinese manufacturer Dwarflab:

It is small and light and comes with a perfect-fit carry case, and so is perfect for travel and convenient storage.
For a smart telescope it is cheap and much less expensive than the Celestron Origin or any of the premium options.
On the downside the telescope specifications are naturally lower than the Celestron Origin and the user experience is not as slick and seamless as with the premium smart telescope options.

The Dwarf 2 is right for you if you want:

A relatively inexpensive option as a first smart telescope
A very portable option to easily move around with and store conveniently at home
Both of these

Telescope Specifications

The Celestron Origin has:

152 mm (6 inch) aperture
335 mm focal length
f/2.2 focal ratio
1.27° x 0.85° field of view

The Dwarf II has:

24 mm (1 inch) aperture
100 mm focal length
f/4.2 focal ratio
3.2° × 1.6° field of view

Camera Specifications

The Celestron Origin has a 6.4 MP resolution camera of 3096 x 2080 size using a Sony IMX178 sensor and a pixel size of 2.4 μm.

The Dwarf II has a 8 MP resolution camera of 3840 x 2160 size using a Sony IMX415 sensor and a pixel size of 1.45 μm.

Size and Weight

The Celestron Origin weighs 18.9 kg (41.6 lb) and has dimensions of 122 x 66 x 61 ((H x W x L in cm).

The Dwarf II weighs 1.2 kg (2.6 lb) and has dimensions of 20 x 6 x 13 ((H x W x L in cm).

Price and Value for Money

The Celestron Origin costs $3,999, and the Dwarf II costs $459 to $595, depending on the package.

Note, these may vary so check the links to compare retailers if thinking about buying.

Specifications

	Celestron Origin	Dwarf II
Year	2024	2023
Aperture	152mm (6 inch)	24mm (1 inch)
Focal Length	335mm	100mm
Focal Ratio	f/2.2	f/4.2
Limiting Magnitude	13.61	9.6
OTA type	Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph	Refractor
Eyepiece	No	No
Field of View	1.27° x 0.85°	3.2° × 1.6°
Resolution	6.4 MP	8 MP
Sensor Size	3096 x 2080	3840 x 2160
Sensor	Sony IMX178	Sony IMX415
Pixel Size	2.4μm	1.45μm
Image Formats	Raw	TIFF, FITS
Mosaic Mode	No	No
Size (H x W x L) cm	122 x 66 x 61	20 x 6 x 13
Weight	18.9 kg (41.6 lb)	1.2 kg (2.6 lb)
Mount	Included	Included
Tripod	Included	Included
Battery Life	6 hrs	3 hrs
Internal Storage	unknown	64 GB
Dew Control	Built-in	Built-in
Retail Price*	$3,999	$459

*Price may be subject to change, so please use the links on this page to check at various retailers

Celestron Origin vs Dwarf II Verdict

Overall, the Celestron Origin is a genuinely advanced astrophotography setup with all the ease-of-use perks in a smart telescope package. However it is heavy and expensive.

The Dwarf 2 is a budget-friendly alternative that cannot compete in terms of specifications but wins in terms of portability and price.