Smart Telescope Guide
| Key Specifications — DwarfLab Dwarf 3 | |
|---|---|
| Telephoto Aperture | 50mm |
| Telephoto Focal Length | 250mm (f/5) |
| Main Sensor | Sony IMX678 — 8.3MP, 1/1.8" BSI CMOS |
| Wide-Angle Lens | 13.5mm aperture, 24mm focal length, f/1.75 |
| Wide-Angle Sensor | Sony IMX462 — 2.1MP, 1/2.8" CMOS |
| Dual Capture | Both lenses shoot simultaneously |
| Mount | Built-in motorised alt-azimuth with tracking |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi (2.4GHz + 5GHz), DWARF app (iOS & Android) |
| Battery | Built-in, ~9 hours per charge |
| Weight | ~1.87 kg |
| Warranty | 2 years (via First Light Optics) |
| Best For | Deep-sky imaging, nebulae, galaxies, planets, the Moon, all-sky timelapse |
The Dwarf 3 is for people who want the best results a smart telescope can offer — without the complexity (or cost) of a traditional astrophotography setup. It's the right choice if:
The Dwarf 3 is not ideal if you want eyepiece views (it has none — everything is on your phone screen), or if maximum astrophotography quality is the goal (a dedicated imaging setup at the same price point will outperform it, but will require far more skill and time to use).
The Dwarf 3's biggest differentiator is its two-lens design. Most smart telescopes — and the Dwarf Mini — have a single optical system. The Dwarf 3 has two: a 250mm telephoto for deep-sky targets and a 24mm wide-angle for all-sky capture. Both shoot independently, simultaneously, via the app.
The practical uses are more varied than you might expect. During a session you can: shoot a deep-sky target through the telephoto while recording a whole-night wide-angle timelapse; use the wide-angle to confirm your target is visible before committing to a long telephoto session; capture a broader context frame of a nebula while the telephoto zooms in on the core; or monitor for cloud coverage while imaging.
The wide-angle lens (f/1.75, 13.5mm aperture) is also genuinely fast for bright targets like star clusters and wide nebula fields — the Milky Way core, the Pleiades, and large emission nebulae respond well to the wider field of view.
Smart telescopes shine on objects that benefit from stacked exposures — the category that's hardest to get right with traditional gear. The Dwarf 3 is capable on all of these:
The Orion Nebula (M42), Lagoon Nebula, and Eagle Nebula are accessible even from suburban skies. The Rosette and California Nebulae benefit from the darker skies but reward patience.
Andromeda (M31) is a showpiece target — you can see its core and dust lanes with enough stacking. The Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) shows its spiral structure from dark sites.
The Pleiades, Double Cluster in Perseus, Beehive Cluster (M44), and Hercules Cluster (M13) all image beautifully. These are the quickest wins on a clear night.
The Dwarf 3 captures detailed lunar images showing craters, mountain ranges, and mare boundaries. The large image scale makes lunar photography genuinely satisfying.
Saturn's rings and Jupiter's cloud bands are clearly visible. Planetary performance is limited by the 50mm aperture rather than the sensor — this isn't a planetary specialist.
The wide-angle lens opens up Milky Way panoramas, comet hunts, and all-night sky timelapses — targets completely outside the telephoto's reach.
23 reviews at First Light Optics with a strong positive trend. Common themes from verified buyers:
First-night results. Multiple buyers report imaging their first nebulae within an hour of unboxing. The auto-alignment and DWARF app are consistently praised for making the experience frictionless.
The dual-lens is a genuine differentiator. Buyers who came from the Dwarf II or Dwarf Mini specifically mention the wide-angle capability as the feature that sealed the upgrade decision.
Battery life is excellent. The ~9 hour battery is called out repeatedly as a real advantage over smart telescopes that require external power.
App improvements are ongoing. DwarfLab push regular firmware and app updates. Some features (including certain capture modes) have been added post-launch — if a specific feature matters to you, check the current app version before buying.
A compact aluminium tripod built for the Dwarf 3 (and the Dwarf Mini). Adjusts from 25cm to 53cm via 5 twist-lock leg sections. Fluid head gives smooth repositioning. At 790g and 25cm folded, it's genuinely portable. Note: lock each leg section individually — don't just twist the foot and assume the upper sections are secure.
£73 View at FLO →A 3D-printed Bahtinov mask that snaps onto the Dwarf 3's lens housing via concealed rotating magnets — even when the telescope is closed. Creates the distinctive spike pattern that makes precise focus visually obvious, useful when you want to manually verify the autofocus result. Dwarf 3 only; not compatible with the Dwarf Mini.
£22 View at FLO →The Dwarf 3 and Dwarf Mini share the same 50mm f/5 telephoto optical system. The differences: the Dwarf 3 has a higher-resolution main sensor (8.3MP vs 2.1MP), a second wide-angle lens for all-sky capture, and an £86 higher price tag. If you're unsure whether you'll use a smart telescope enough to justify the cost, start with the Dwarf Mini.
The main alternative from a different brand is the ZWO Seestar S50 (£539). The S50 has a built-in dual-band narrowband filter — a significant advantage for nebula imaging from light-polluted skies — but its sensor is 2.1MP, so the Dwarf 3 has a meaningful resolution edge. If you're primarily imaging nebulae from a city garden, the S50's filter is worth serious consideration. If you want the highest sensor resolution in the class or the dual-lens wide-angle capability, the Dwarf 3 is the one.
Read our full Dwarf Mini guide → Read our full Seestar S50 guide →