Dwarf II vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro: Budget vs Luxury

Dwarf II vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro: 10 Second Summary

The Unistellar Odyssey Pro was released in 2024 and is a premium smart telescope and one of the few models that features an eyepiece for real-time viewing.
It is relatively small and light, user experience is ultra-slick, and with it you can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives. However, it is one of the most expensive smart telescope options.
The Dwarf II is smaller and lighter than the Unistellar Odyssey Pro, and way cheaper.
On the downside, the key specifications are lower, it lacks the eyepiece, and requires more work to operate.

Check Dwarf II Price

Check Unistellar Odyssey Pro Price

Read the Dwarf II review

Read the Unistellar Odyssey Pro review

Why choose the Dwarf II over the Unistellar Odyssey Pro?

The Dwarf II is a compact, budget smart telescope from Chinese manufacturer Dwarflab.

You might consider it over the Unistellar Odyssey Pro because:

It is much cheaper.
It is small and light and comes with a perfect-fit carry case, and so is ideal for travel and convenient storage.

Why choose the Unistellar Odyssey Pro over the Dwarf II?

The Unistellar Odyssey Pro is a premium smart telescope from French manufacturer Unistellar that is brand new in 2024.

The main reasons to consider it over the Dwarf 2 are:

The Odyssey Pro’s real-time viewing eyepiece means you can look through the telescope, rather than just view images on your smartphone or other screen. This is particularly good if using with friends or family as you have a more shared experience in taking turns to look through.
It is designed to be extremely easy to use, with no knowledge of telescopes or astrophotography required. The target audience is the user that wants a premium model that they know they can pull out at any time without having to think too much about it. The Dwarf 2 is much cheaper but does require a bit more work to use and to get great images.
With all Unistellar models you can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives and join missions to track asteroids and hunt exoplanets.
The telescope specifications are higher, with 3.3 inch aperture, versus just 1 inch for the Dwarf 2, and 320mm focal length, versus 100mm.
Whilst bigger than the Dwarf 2, it is still very small and light.
It is beautifully designed and looks appealing if on display at home.

Telescope Specifications

The Dwarf II has 24mm (1 inch) aperture, 100mm focal length, f/4.2 focal ratio, and 3.2° × 1.6° field of view.

The Unistellar Odyssey Pro has 85mm (3.3 inch) aperture, 320mm focal length, f/3.7 focal ratio, and 0.56° x 0.75° field of view.

Camera Specifications

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

The Unistellar Odyssey Pro has a 4.1MP resolution camera using a Sony IMX615 sensor and a pixel size of 1.45μm.

Size and Weight

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

The Unistellar Odyssey Pro weighs 4kg (8.8 lb) and has dimensions of 13 x 20 x 43 ((H x W x L in cm).

Price and Value for Money

The Dwarflab DWARF II costs $459 to $595. The Unistellar Odyssey Pro costs $3,999.

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

Specifications

	Dwarflab DWARF II	Unistellar Odyssey Pro
Year	2023	2024
Aperture	24mm (1 inch)	85mm (3.3 inch)
Focal Length	100mm	320mm
Focal Ratio	f/4.2	f/3.7
Limiting Magnitude	9.6	12.35
OTA type	Refractor	Reflector
Eyepiece	No	Yes
Field of View	3.2° × 1.6°	0.56° x 0.75°
Resolution	8MP	4.1MP
Sensor Size	3840 x 2160
Sensor	Sony IMX415	Sony IMX615
Pixel Size	1.45μm	1.45μm
Image Formats	TIFF, FITS	FITS, TIFF, PNG, JPEG
Mosaic Mode	No	No
Size (H x W x L) cm	20 x 6 x 13	13 x 20 x 43
Weight	1.2kg (2.6 lb)	4kg (8.8 lb)
Mount	Included	Included
Tripod	Included	Included
Battery Life	3 hrs	5 hrs
Internal Storage	64GB	64GB
Dew Control	Built-in	None
Retail Price*	$459	$3,999

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

Unistellar Odyssey Pro vs Dwarf II: Verdict

The Dwarf 2 and Unistellar Odyssey Pro will appeal to quite different audiences based on the large difference in price.

The Dwarf 2 is right for you if you want an inexpensive option as a first smart telescope and you don’t mind getting stuck in to learn how to make the best of it.

The Unistellar Odyssey Pro will appeal to more casual users that want a top-of-the-range smart telescope that is ultra slick, can be used at any time without having to think too much about it, and has all the premium features like the eyepiece.