Comparison
Unistellar vs Vaonis Vespera: Mirrors or Lenses for $2,500 to $5,000?
The two French premium smart-telescope brands compared: Unistellar's 85 mm and 114 mm reflectors with optional Nikon eyepieces against Vaonis's 50 mm apochromatic Vesperas. Aperture, sensors, battery, weight, warranty and price.
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Unistellar
Unistellar eQuinox 2
6.4/10 research score114 mm mirror at 450 mm and an 11-hour battery, for $2,899.
Vaonis
Vaonis Vespera 3
6.9/10 research score50 mm apochromat, 11-hour battery, anti-fog and a 5-year warranty, for $2,490.
Unistellar
Unistellar Odyssey
6.3/10 research score85 mm mirror at 320 mm in an 8.8 lb body, for $2,599.
The short answer
Unistellar gives you more aperture (85–114 mm vs 50 mm), a longer focal length for the Moon and planets and the only eyepiece option. Vaonis gives you lighter, maintenance-free refractors with RAW files, longer battery life on the newer models and a 5-year warranty. For pure imaging per dollar, the eQuinox 2 vs Vespera 3 matchup favors Unistellar on aperture; for build and warranty, Vaonis.
Unistellar and Vaonis are both French, both sell smart telescopes from about $1,600 to $5,000, and both have been in the market since the late 2010s. They chose opposite optics: Unistellar uses mirrors for more aperture, Vaonis uses small, high-quality lenses. We compared the makers' specs and help pages; we have not tested them ourselves. See how we research.
Specs side by side
| Spec | Odyssey | eQuinox 2 | eVscope 2 | Vespera 3 | Vespera Pro 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Optics | 85 mm mirror | 114 mm mirror | 114 mm mirror | 50 mm apochromat | 50 mm apochromat |
| Focal length | 320 mm (f/3.9) | 450 mm (f/4) | 450 mm (f/4) | 245 mm (f/4.9) | 245 mm (f/4.9) |
| Image output | Not published | 6.2 MP | 7.7 MP | 8.3 MP | 12.5 MP |
| Eyepiece | No (Pro: yes) | No | Nikon electronic | No | No |
| RAW files | Not published | Not published | Not published | 16-bit FITS | 16-bit FITS |
| Battery | 5 h | 11 h | 9 h | 11 h | 11 h |
| Storage | 64 GB | 64 GB | 64 GB | 115 GB | 225 GB |
| Weight | 4 kg | 7 kg | 7 kg | 5 kg | 5 kg |
| Warranty | 2 years (battery 6 months) | 2 years (battery 6 months) | 2 years (battery 6 months) | 5 years | 5 years |
| Price | $2,599 ($4,599 Pro) | $2,899 | $4,999 | $2,490 | $2,990 |
From unistellar.com and vaonis.com, checked October 17, 2026.
Aperture vs refinement
The eQuinox 2's 114 mm mirror collects about five times the light of a Vespera's 50 mm lens, and its 450 mm focal length nearly doubles the image scale for the Moon and planets. The Vesperas answer with modern sensors (the Pro 2's 12.5 MP square chip has the finest sampling at 1.6 arcsec per pixel), RAW FITS output for processing on a computer, and refractor optics that never need collimation.
Eyepieces
Only Unistellar offers one. The Odyssey Pro and eVscope 2 have an electronic eyepiece developed with Nikon, which suits outreach and anyone who misses looking into a telescope. It costs $2,000 more than the matching non-eyepiece model.
Weight and setup
The Odyssey (4 kg) and the Vesperas (5 kg) are similar to carry; the eQuinox 2 and eVscope 2 weigh 7 kg. All set up automatically. Unistellar's eQuinox 2 and eVscope 2 have a manual focus wheel; Unistellar recommends letting the Odyssey cool for 30 minutes before orienting.
Which should you buy?
- Unistellar eQuinox 2 for the most aperture under $3,000 and the best planetary scale.
- Unistellar Odyssey Pro or eVscope 2 if you want an eyepiece.
- Vaonis Vespera 3 for a lighter, low-maintenance refractor with a 5-year warranty. Read the review.
- Neither, if value matters most: the Seestar S50 Pro matches a Vespera's aperture and sensor for $999. See Seestar vs Vespera.
Common Unistellar problems and fixes: Unistellar troubleshooting.
| Spec | Unistellar Unistellar eQuinox 2 | Vaonis Vaonis Vespera 3 | Unistellar Unistellar Odyssey | Vaonis Vaonis Vespera Pro 2 | Unistellar Unistellar eVscope 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Research score | 6.4/10 research score | 6.9/10 research score | 6.3/10 research score | 7.2/10 research score | 6.6/10 research score |
| List price | $2,899 | $2,490 | $2,599 | $2,990 | $4,999 |
| Optics | |||||
| Aperture | 114 mm (best) | 50 mm | 85 mm | 50 mm | 114 mm (best) |
| Focal length | 450 mm (best) | 245 mm | 320 mm | 245 mm | 450 mm (best) |
| Focal ratio | f/4 | f/4.9 | f/3.9 (best) | f/4.9 | f/4 |
| Optics | 114 mm mirror | Apochromatic quadruplet with refined field corrector | 85 mm mirror | Apochromatic quadruplet (S-FPL52 lanthanum glass) with refined field corrector | 114 mm mirror |
| Field of view | 34.2 × 45.6 arcmin | 2.5° × 1.4° (up to 4.33° × 2.43° in mosaic) | 33.6 × 45 arcmin | 1.6° × 1.6° (up to 4.18° × 2.45° in mosaic) | 34.2 × 45.6 arcmin |
| Camera | |||||
| Image sensor | Not published | Sony IMX585, 1/1.2 in | Not published | Sony IMX676, 1/1.6 in (square) | Not published |
| Sensor resolution | 6.2 MP | 8.3 MP | Not published | 12.5 MP (best) | 7.7 MP |
| Pixel size | Not published | 2.9 µm | 1.45 µm | 2 µm | Not published |
| Wide-angle camera | Not published | No | Not published | No | Not published |
| RAW / FITS files | Not published | Yes | Not published | Yes | Not published |
| Filters and imaging | |||||
| Light-pollution filter | No | No | No | No | No |
| Solar filter included | No | No | No | No | No |
| Mount and tracking | |||||
| Equatorial mode | No | Not published | No | Not published | No |
| Dew heater | Not published | Yes | Not published | Yes | Not published |
| Eyepiece | No | No | No | No | Yes |
| Power and storage | |||||
| Battery life | 11 h (best) | 11 h (best) | 5 h | 11 h (best) | 9 h |
| Built-in storage | 64 GB | 115 GB | 64 GB | 225 GB (best) | 64 GB |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi | Not published | Wi-Fi | Not published | Wi-Fi |
| Size and warranty | |||||
| Weight | 15.5 lb | 11.02 lb | 8.82 lb (best) | 11.02 lb | 15.5 lb |
| Dimensions | Not published | 48 × 20 × 9 cm | Not published | 48 × 20 × 9 cm | Not published |
| Warranty | 2 years | 5 years (best) | 2 years | 5 years (best) | 2 years |
| Where to buy | Check price at Unistellar (opens in a new tab) | Check price at Vaonis (opens in a new tab) | Check price at Unistellar (opens in a new tab) | Check price at Vaonis (opens in a new tab) | Check price at Unistellar (opens in a new tab) |
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, Unistellar or Vaonis?
Do Unistellar telescopes need collimation?
Which has a better warranty?
Sources
Specs, prices and claims in this article come from these sources.
- Unistellar Odyssey range specifications · Unistellar · accessed Oct 17, 2026
- Unistellar Expert range specifications · Unistellar · accessed Oct 17, 2026
- About Unistellar warranty · Unistellar · accessed Oct 18, 2026
- Vespera 3 technical specifications · Vaonis · accessed Oct 17, 2026
- Vespera Pro 2 technical specifications · Vaonis · accessed Oct 17, 2026
- EVSCOPE and EQUINOX: the image is blurred · Unistellar · accessed Oct 18, 2026
Written by
SmartTelescopes editorial team
Research and editing
The SmartTelescopes editorial team researches smart telescopes from manufacturer documents, published measurements and owner reports.
