Celestron Origin vs Vaonis Vespera: 10 Second Summary
- The Celestron Origin is the best smart telescope for astrophotography. It is effectively an off-the-shelf imaging setup with telescope, mount, camera and necessary accessories in an easy to use package.
- However, it is more expensive, much heavier, and less portable than the Vaonis Vespera.
- The Vaonis Vespera is compact, lightweight, and portable. It weighs just 5 kg, compared to the 19 kg of the Celestron Origin.
- It is simple, quick and easy to use. Whilst the telescope and camera specs are below that of the Origin, it is well-loved for its imaging capabilities and it features a mosaic mode that allows the capture of widefield images.
- In 2024 it has been succeeded by the Vespera II and Vespera Pro, although is still an excellent option if you find it for the right price.
Why choose the Celestron Origin over the Vaonis Vespera?
The Celestron Origin is a premium smart telescope from American astronomy manufacturer Celestron that was released in 2024.
The advantages over the Vaonis Vespera are:
- The Origin telescope has 6-inch aperture which is far above the 2-inches of the Vaonis Vespera and it is a specialist astrophotography type called a Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph (RASA) that is well-loved and proven by experienced astrophotographers.
- Thererfore, the Celestron 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 Celestron Origin is brand new, whereas the Vespera has been succeeded by the newer Vespera II and Vespera Pro from Vaonis.
In terms of downsides versus the Vaonis Vespera:
- The Celestron Origin package is much larger and heavier and so cannot compete in terms of the portability and ease of storage of the Vespera.
- The Celestron Origin is more than twice as expensive as the Vespera.
Why choose the Vaonis Vespera over the Celestron Origin?
The Vaonis Vespera is a compact, premium smart telescope from French manufacturer Vaonis that was released in 2022.
The main reasons to consider it over the Celestron Origin are:
- Size and weight – it is much more portable and easier to store.
- Ease of use – the Vaonis app and user experience is excellent.
- Price – it is substantially cheaper.
The main downside is that with the much smaller telescope, it will struggle to capture the same standard of images of the Celestron Origin.
Telescope Specifications
The Celestron Origin has:
- 152mm (6 inch) aperture
- 335mm focal length
- f/2.2 focal ratio
- 1.27° x 0.85° field of view
The Vaonis Vespera has:
- 50mm (2 inch) aperture
- 200mm focal length
- f/4 focal ratio
- 1.6° x 0.9° field of view
Camera Specifications
The Celestron Origin has a 6.4MP resolution camera of 3096 x 2080 size using a Sony IMX178 sensor and a pixel size of 2.4μm.
The Vaonis Vespera has a 2MP resolution camera of 1920 x 1080 size using a Sony IMX462 sensor and a pixel size of 2.9 µm.
Size and Weight
The Celestron Origin weighs 18.9kg (41.6 lb) and has dimensions of 122 x 66 x 61 ((H x W x L in cm).
The Vaonis Vespera weighs 5kg (11 lb) and has dimensions of 48 x 20 x 9 ((H x W x L in cm).
Price and Value for Money
The Celestron Origin costs $3,999, and the Vaonis Vespera costs $1,499.
Note, these may vary so check the links to compare retailers if thinking about buying.
Specifications
| Celestron Origin | Vaonis Vespera | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2024 | 2022 |
| Aperture | 152mm (6 inch) | 50mm (2 inch) |
| Focal Length | 335mm | 200mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/2.2 | f/4 |
| Limiting Magnitude | 13.61 | 11.19 |
| OTA type | Rowe-Ackermann Schmidt Astrograph | Refractor |
| Eyepiece | No | No |
| Field of View | 1.27° x 0.85° | 1.6° x 0.9° |
| Resolution | 6.4MP | 2MP |
| Sensor Size | 3096 x 2080 | 1920 x 1080 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX178 | Sony IMX462 |
| Pixel Size | 2.4μm | 2.9 µm |
| Image Formats | Raw | TIFF, FITS |
| Mosaic Mode | No | Yes |
| Size (H x W x L) cm | 122 x 66 x 61 | 48 x 20 x 9 |
| Weight | 18.9kg (41.6 lb) | 5kg (11 lb) |
| Mount | Included | Included |
| Tripod | Included | Included |
| Battery Life | 6 hrs | 8 hrs |
| Internal Storage | unknown | 10GB |
| Dew Control | Built-in | None |
| Retail Price* | $3,999 | $1,499 |
Celestron Origin vs Vaonis Vespera Verdict
The Celestron Origin has the best astrophotography capabilities of any smart telescope currently available.
This is the option for you if you would value the better imaging capacity over the greater convenience of a smaller and more portable option (and have a bigger budget).
The Vaonis Vespera is a slick portable option that would suit you if you would place more value on ease of use and storage and travel convenience.
It is also much cheaper, but be sure to also consider the Vespera II, which is very similar but with some upgrades.
Premium Portability  | Astrophotography Pick  |
$1,590.00 | $4,299.00 |
Related content and more information
- Best Smart Telescopes Comparison
- Vaonis website
- Vespera review
- Vespera II review
- Vespera Pro review
- Celestron Origin website
- Celestron Origin review
- Celestron Origin vs Dwarflab DWARF II
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar eQuinox
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar eQuinox 2
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar eVscope 2
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar Odyssey
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Celestron Origin vs Stellina & eVscope