NGC 7023
Comparing two devices
DWARF 3 or DWARF Mini: which to choose in 2026
Let it be said before anything is compared: the evidence here exists on one side only. 34 shots, 23 objects and 98h 04m with the DwarfLab DWARF 3. Nothing with the DwarfLab DWARF Mini, which has never been in my hands. Everything that follows about the DwarfLab DWARF Mini comes from published sources, listed at the foot of the page.
recorded first hand DwarfLab DWARF 3
98h 04m
0 towards 165h · hours I have logged with this device, this is not a rating
not tested DwarfLab DWARF Mini
0 · aucune donnée de première main
0 towards 165h · hours I have logged with this device, this is not a rating
Line by line
What the two datasheets do not say the same way
Every value comes from the entry for that device, where it carries its source. The difference column is worked out here, from those two values. It gives the size of the gap, never its direction: the two columns before it already say that. It stays empty on lines with no number. It stays empty too wherever a percentage would mean nothing.
Rapport d'ouverture : the focal length divided by the diameter, written f/, and the smaller that number, the faster the image forms. Monture azimutale : it moves in altitude and in rotation, but the field turns during the night. Monture équatoriale : one axis set on that of the Earth, so that the field no longer turns.
| Specification | DwarfLab DWARF 3 | DwarfLab DWARF Mini | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aperture | 35 mm (télé) · 3,4 mm (grand angle) | 30 mm | 17 % |
| Focal length | 150 mm (télé) · 6,7 mm (grand angle) | 150 mm | identiques |
| Focal ratio | f/4,3 | f/5 | |
| Sensor | Sony IMX678 STARVIS 2 | Sony IMX662 | |
| Resolution | 3 840 × 2 160 px | 1 920 × 1 080 px | |
| Mount | Azimutale et équatoriale | Azimutale, inclinable en mode équatorial | |
| Weight | 1,3 kg | 0,84 kg | 55 % |
| Software | DWARFLAB (iOS, Android) | DWARFLAB (iOS, Android) | |
| Indicative price | ≈ 529 € | ≈ 429 € | 23 % |
Prices recorded in 2026, excluding promotions and accessories. The DwarfLab DWARF 3 and DwarfLab DWARF Mini entries each carry their own sources, one per specification.
What the data settles
Four differences, and nothing more
-
01
The price. The cheaper is the DwarfLab DWARF Mini, at ≈ 429 €. The DwarfLab DWARF 3 asks ≈ 529 €, which is 23 % more. These are market prices, recorded in 2026 from the sources cited at the foot of the page. They are not my selling prices.
-
02
The diameter. The DwarfLab DWARF Mini opens at 30 mm. The DwarfLab DWARF 3 opens at 35 mm, which is 17 % more. Diameter commands resolution, the finest detail that can come out of the exposure, whatever its length.
-
03
The time it takes. DwarfLab DWARF 3 is the faster of the two, f/4,3 against f/5. Le DWARF 3 makes in 1h an image that takes 1h 21m au DWARF Mini.
-
04
The weight. The DwarfLab DWARF Mini weighs 0,84 kg. The DwarfLab DWARF 3 weighs 1,3 kg, which is 55 % more. Weight says nothing about image quality: it says what you can carry.
These lines read published specifications and hours actually logged. They do not rank the two devices and do not rate their quality. An empty track is a device that was not tested, not a bad device. The exposure equivalence compares nothing but the published focal ratios, with sensor, sky and target held identical. It says nothing about resolution, about the field, or about optical quality.
The two devices
Their strong points, and their weak points
DwarfLab · ≈ 529 €
DwarfLab DWARF 3
35 mm of aperture, a STARVIS 2 sensor, a built-in dual-band filter, an equatorial mode. It is the best result per euro of the devices compared here.
Strong points
- Built-in hydrogen and oxygen dual-band filter. The nebulae come out in one night.
- Equatorial mode and 60 s exposures, rare at this price.
- The field is wide: the North America or the Heart fit whole in the frame.
- 1.3 kg: it goes hiking without a second thought.
Weak points
- 35 mm only: small galaxies stay tiny.
- The software moves fast. It remains less accomplished than Vaonis's.
- The battery drops quickly in cold weather.
- Polar alignment, setting the axis on that of the Earth, takes real learning.
DwarfLab · ≈ 429 €
DwarfLab DWARF Mini
The smallest smart telescope on the market. 30 mm in a body of 840 g, filters included.
Strong points
- The lowest entry price of the devices compared here.
- Built-in filter wheel, dual-band filter included.
- 840 g: it fits in a pocket of a camera bag.
- ED glass optics and multi-coating, despite the price. That glass scatters colours very little.
Weak points
- 2.1 Mpx only: little room to crop.
- Beyond 30 s of exposure, equatorial polar alignment becomes compulsory. That asks more of you than simply setting it down and switching it on.
- 30 mm: it is made for large objects, not for galaxies.
The images, from each side
What each one has really produced here
No manufacturer image, no stock image. Each thumbnail keeps the aspect ratio of its sensor, and carries the exposure time read off the caption the device burns in.
DwarfLab DWARF 3
DwarfLab DWARF Mini
None of my images was made with this device. Nothing is borrowed from a stock library or a press release to fill the space. Its entry rests on the published sources, listed at the foot of this page. Its scale stays at zero.
Getting hold of one
These two devices, you can order them here
There is no basket and no online payment. You say which one interests you. You can also describe what you want to photograph, and from what sky. The answer comes in writing: a price, a lead time, and what the device can and cannot do. If neither of the two suits, it will say so, and it will say which one suits better.
The prices shown on this page are market prices recorded in 2026 from the sources below. They are not selling prices, and they do not constitute an offer. Your price, your lead time and availability appear in the written reply.
Sources
Where these figures come from
- Astronomy.com, review du DWARF 3 · DwarfLab DWARF 3
- BBC Sky at Night Magazine · DwarfLab DWARF 3
- DWARFLAB, fiche technique DWARF 3 · DwarfLab DWARF 3
- DWARFLAB, tableau de caractéristiques comparées de la gamme · DwarfLab DWARF Mini
- DWARFLAB, fiche produit · DwarfLab DWARF Mini
- Galactic Hunter, review DWARF Mini · DwarfLab DWARF Mini
No value on this page is estimated. The differences are worked out from the values above. The focal ratio, for its part, is recalculated from the published aperture and focal length. A specification wrong or out of date? Report it.