Seestar S30 Pro vs S50
The S30 Pro trades 20 mm of aperture for a 4K sensor, a wide-angle camera and a field almost three times wider. Which matters more depends on what you point it at.
Short answer
Buy the S30 Pro for wide nebulae, travel and Milky Way; it is also the one you can actually buy new. Choose an S50 only if you find it discounted and mostly image small galaxies. If budget allows, the S50 Pro combines both strengths.
Key differences
- Light grasp: the S50's 50 mm lens collects 2.8× more light than the S30 Pro's 30 mm, so faint galaxies build up signal faster.
- Field of view: the S30 Pro covers 3.99° × 2.24° against 1.29° × 0.73°. That is 9.5× the sky area, enough for the whole Orion Nebula region, the Pleiades and most of Andromeda in one frame.
- Detail: the S50 samples 2.39″ per pixel and the S30 Pro 3.74″. On small targets (M51, M57) the S50 shows more structure; on large ones the S30 Pro's 8.3 MP frame wins.
- Portability: 1.65 kg vs 2.5 kg, and the S30 Pro adds a 63° wide-angle camera for Milky Way shots.
- Availability: the S50 is out of stock at seestar.com; the S30 Pro is in stock at $699 list.
Specs side by side
| S30 Pro | S50 | |
|---|---|---|
| List price | $699 | $499 |
| Aperture | 30 mm | 50 mm |
| Focal length | 160 mm | 250 mm |
| Focal ratio | f/5.3 | f/5 |
| Sensor | Sony IMX585 (1/1.2-inch) | Sony IMX462 |
| Resolution | 8.3 MP | 2.1 MP |
| Field of view | 3.99° × 2.24° | 1.29° × 0.73° |
| Image scale | 3.74″/px | 2.39″/px |
| Wide-angle camera | 63° wide-angle camera (IMX586, 8.3 MP) | No |
| Weight | 1.65 kg | 2.5 kg |
| Battery | 6 h | 6 h |
| Storage | 128 GB | 64 GB |
| EQ mode | Yes, with a compatible head such as the TH10 (60 s subs only in EQ mode) | Yes (TC20 tripod recommended) |
| Filters | UV/IR-cut, duo-band (OIII 30 nm / Hα 20 nm), dark field filter; solar filter included | UV/IR-cut, duo-band (OIII 30 nm / Hα 20 nm), dark filter; magnetic solar filter included |
| Tripod included | Yes | Yes |
| Eyepiece | No | No |
Highlighted cells are better on that line (price, focal ratio, image scale and weight: lower is better). Field of view is compared by area; whether wider is better depends on your targets.
Field of view to scale
Gold solid frame: S30 Pro. Teal dashed frame: S50.
S30 Pro · S50
| Object | S30 Pro | S50 |
|---|---|---|
| Full Moon | Fits (13% of the frame width) | Fits (40% of the frame width) |
| Andromeda Galaxy (M31) | Fits (80% of the frame width) | Needs a mosaic (about 3×2 frames) |
| Orion Nebula (M42) | Fits (28% of the frame width) | Needs a mosaic (about 2×2 frames) |
| Pleiades (M45) | Fits (45% of the frame width) | Needs a mosaic (about 2×3 frames) |
| North America Nebula | Fits (50% of the frame width) | Needs a mosaic (about 2×3 frames) |
| Whirlpool Galaxy (M51) | Fits, but small: about 173 px across | Fits (14% of the frame width) |
| Ring Nebula (M57) | Fits, but small: about 22 px across | Fits, but small: about 35 px across |
| Jupiter | Fits, but small: about 12 px across | Fits, but small: about 19 px across |
Numbers in charts
Full reviews
Frequently asked questions
Which is better, the Seestar S30 Pro or the Seestar S50?
Buy the S30 Pro for wide nebulae, travel and Milky Way; it is also the one you can actually buy new. Choose an S50 only if you find it discounted and mostly image small galaxies. If budget allows, the S50 Pro combines both strengths.
Which has the wider field of view?
Seestar S30 Pro: 3.99° × 2.24°. Seestar S50: 1.29° × 0.73°.
Which gathers more light?
Seestar S50 (50 mm vs 30 mm aperture, 2.8× the collecting area).
More comparisons
Sources
- www.adorama.com/zwseestar.html
- www.seestar.com/products/seestar-s30-pro
- www.seestar.com/products/seestar-s50
Specs and prices checked on 11 Nov 2026.