ZWO Seestar S50 vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro: 30 Second Summary
- The Unistellar Odyssey Pro is a premium smart telescope and its major selling point is that it is one of only two models (alongside the eVscope 2) that has an eyepiece that you can look through, rather than just view images on a screen. This is a great feature, but adds cost.
- The Odyssey Pro consists of a better telescope and camera than the ZWO Seestar S50. It is also relatively small and light, the user experience is ultra-slick, and with it you can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives, however it is significantly more expensive.
- The ZWO Seestar S50 is a great budget smart telescope. It is smaller, lighter, and much cheaper than the Unistellar Odyssey Pro, but it lacks the eyepiece for realtime viewing and the key specifications are lower.
Why choose the Unistellar Odyssey Pro over the ZWO Seestar S50?
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 ZWO Seestar S50 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.
- The telescope specifications are higher, with 3.3 inch aperture, versus 2 inch inch for the Seestar S50, 320 mm focal length versus 250 mm, and f/3.7 focal ratio versus f/4.9.
- The camera is better with a higher resolution of over four megapixels, versus 2 megapixels for the Seestar S50.
- 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.
- With all Unistellar models you can take part in Citizen Astronomy initiatives and join missions to track asteroids and hunt exoplanets.
- Whilst bigger than the Seestar S50, it is still very small and light.
- It is beautifully designed and looks great if on display at home.
Why choose the ZWO Seestar S50 over the Unistellar Odyssey Pro?
The Seestar S50 is a compact, budget smart telescope from Chinese manufacturer ZWO that was released in 2023.
The two reasons to consider it over the Unistellar Odyssey Pro are:
- It is substantially less expensive. The retail price is about eight times cheaper than the Odyssey Pro.
- It is smaller and lighter at just 2.5 kg, compared to 4 kg for the Odyssey Pro.
Telescope Specifications
The Unistellar Odyssey Pro has 85 mm (3.3 inch) aperture, 320 mm focal length, f/3.7 focal ratio, and 0.56° x 0.75° field of view.
The ZWO Seestar S50 has 50 mm (2 inch) aperture, 250 mm focal length, f/4.9 focal ratio, and 1.29º x 0.73º field of view.
Camera Specifications
The Unistellar Odyssey Pro has a 4.1 MP resolution camera using a Sony IMX615 sensor and a pixel size of 1.45 μm.
The ZWO Seestar S50 has a 2 MP resolution camera of 1920 x 1080 size using a Sony IMX462 sensor and a pixel size of 2.9 µm.
Size and Weight
The Unistellar Odyssey Pro weighs 4 kg (8.8 lb) and has dimensions of 13 x 20 x 43 ((H x W x L in cm).
The ZWO Seestar S50 weighs 2.5 kg (5.5 lb) and has dimensions of 14 x 13 x 26 ((H x W x L in cm).
Price and Value for Money
The Unistellar Odyssey Pro costs $3,999, and the ZWO Seestar S50 costs $499.
Note, these may vary so check the links to compare retailers if thinking about buying.
Specifications
| Unistellar Odyssey Pro | ZWO Seestar S50 | |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 2024 | 2023 |
| Aperture | 85mm (3.3 inch) | 50mm (2 inch) |
| Focal Length | 320mm | 250mm |
| Focal Ratio | f/3.7 | f/4.9 |
| Limiting Magnitude | 12.35 | 11.19 |
| OTA type | Reflector | Refractor |
| Eyepiece | Yes | No |
| Field of View | 0.56° x 0.75° | 1.29º x 0.73º |
| Resolution | 4.1MP | 2MP |
| Sensor Size | ? | 1920 x 1080 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX615 | Sony IMX462 |
| Pixel Size | 1.45μm | 2.9 µm |
| Image Formats | FITS, TIFF, PNG, JPEG | MP4/AVI/TIFF |
| Mosaic Mode | No | No |
| Size (H x W x L) cm | 13 x 20 x 43 | 14 x 13 x 26 |
| Weight | 4kg (8.8 lb) | 2.5kg (5.5 lb) |
| Mount | Included | Included |
| Tripod | Included | Included |
| Battery Life | 5 hrs | 6 hrs |
| Internal Storage | 64GB | 64GB |
| Dew Control | None | Built-in |
| Retail Price* | $3,999 | $499 |
Unistellar Odyssey Pro vs ZWO Seestar S50: Verdict
These are two great models at the opposite end of the pricing spectrum for smart telescopes.
If you have the budget and want the eyepiece and the higher performance, then the Unistellar Odyssey Pro is for you. The Unistellar eVscope 2 also has an eyepiece, but it more expensive and requires collimation, which the Odyssey Pro does not. No other smart telescopes have an eyepiece.
If, however, the Odyssey Pro is out of your price range, then the Seestar S50 is an excellent option and one of the best budget smart telescopes available.
If you want a more premium experience and can live without the eyepiece, but can’t stretch to the Odyssey Pro, then the Unistellar Odyssey (the same as the Pro, just without the eyepiece) or the Vaonis Vespera II may also be worth looking at.
Ultra-Premium Pick  | Budget Option  |
$3,999.00 | $499.00 |
Related content and more information
- Best Smart Telescope Comparisons
- ZWO/Seestar website
- ZWO Seestar S50 review
- Unistellar website: Odyssey Pro
- Unistellar Odyssey Pro review
Other Unistellar Odyssey Pro comparisons:
- Celestron Origin vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Dwarf II vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Vaonis Vespera 2 vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Vaonis Vespera Pro vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Unistellar Odyssey vs Unistellar Odyssey Pro
- Unistellar eVscope 2 vs Odyssey Pro
Other Seestar S50 comparisons: