What a night with it looks like
DWARFLAB pairs a 150 mm telephoto (737 mm equivalent) with a 45 mm-equivalent wide camera. The telephoto field is 3.38° on the diagonal, wide enough for big nebulae and the Andromeda Galaxy, and the 2×2 mosaic mode quadruples the area. You pick a target in the star chart, and it finds and tracks it; NFC pairing gets the phone connected with a tap.
The extras are what set it apart. You can schedule a shoot for later, stack across several nights, and switch to Equatorial Mount Mode to remove field rotation on long sessions. In daytime, the same unit tracks birds and builds very large panoramas, which DWARFLAB describes in detail on its page. IP54 dust and dew resistance is rare in this class.
The catch
Aperture. At 35 mm, the DWARF 3 collects about half the light of a 50 mm telescope, so faint galaxies need more time. The tripod is not in the box: the package lists the telescope, a magnetic solar filter, a bag, a USB-C cable and a cloth. Plan $89 for DWARFLAB's mini hydraulic tripod, or use a sturdy photo tripod with a 1/4-inch screw.
The 5.5-hour figure is DWARFLAB's measured average at room temperature, not a cold-night promise. Returns are accepted within 30 days in new, resellable condition, shipping excluded, and need prior approval by email.
How it scores
DWARF 3 gets 8.6/10 (very good) with our overall weights. Each criterion below is scored out of 10 from DWARFLAB's published figures; a criterion without a figure is left out and the other weights are rescaled. The scales are on the methodology page.
| Criterion | Weight | Score /10 | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aperture | 25% | 3.8 | |
| Sensor resolution | 10% | 8.0 | |
| Image scale (detail) | 10% | 6.0 | |
| Light pollution filter | 10% | 10.0 | |
| Battery life | 10% | 5.5 | |
| Portability (weight) | 10% | 9.3 | |
| Tracking mode | 5% | 10.0 | |
| Warranty | 5% | 7.0 | |
| Price | 15% | 8.6 |
By use, with the same figures and different weights: for beginners 8.8/10 (No. 3), for astrophotography 8.6/10 (No. 5), portable smart telescope 8.9/10 (No. 4), under $1,000 8.6/10 (No. 3).
Full specifications
As published by DWARFLAB on its US pages, read on November 9, 2026.
| Optical design | 6-element apochromatic dual-camera lens group |
|---|---|
| Aperture | 35 mm (1.4 in) |
| Focal length | 150 mm, f/4.3 |
| Main sensor | Sony IMX678 Starvis 2, 1/1.8" |
| Resolution | 8 MP (telephoto) |
| Pixel size | 2 µm |
| Field of view | 3.38° diagonal (telephoto) |
| Image scale | 2.75″ per pixel (computed from the stated 2 µm native pixels and 150 mm focal length) |
| Wide-angle camera | Yes |
| Filters | VIS, Astro and dual-narrowband (OIII 500.7 nm / Hα 656.3 nm) filters built in; magnetic solar filter in the box |
| Mount and tracking | Equatorial Mount Mode |
| Longest single exposure | 60 s |
| Focus | Autofocus |
| Eyepiece | No, view on phone or tablet |
| Battery | 10,000 mAh; DWARFLAB states an average of up to 5.5 h of astrophotography at room temperature |
| Storage | 128 GB |
| Weight | 1.35 kg (3 lb), telescope |
| Weather protection | IP54 |
| Tripod in the box | No |
| In the box | DWARF 3, Magnetic solar filter, Storage bag, USB-C cable, Lens cloth |
| Warranty | 2 years (DWARFLAB warranty page) |
| Checked price | $549 on November 9, 2026 |
| Availability | In stock at the official US store |
Buying advice
Checked at $549 and available on the DWARFLAB US store on November 9, 2026, with a 2-year warranty. Add a tripod if you do not own one.
- Telephoto with a Sony IMX678 Starvis 2 sensor (737 mm equivalent) plus a 45 mm-equivalent wide camera
- Three filters built in, including a dual-narrowband filter for city skies
- Up to 60 s exposures, Equatorial Mount Mode and IP54 protection, at 1.35 kg
Alternatives to consider
ZWO Seestar S508.6Very good · out of 1050 mm for the same $549, when in stock.
ZWO Seestar S30 Pro8.5Very good · out of 104K cameras and a wider field for $699.
DWARFLAB DWARF mini8.2Good · out of 10$130 less and 510 g lighter.
Head-to-heads
Questions about the DWARF 3
DWARF 3 or Seestar S50?
Same $549 price. The S50 has more aperture (50 vs 35 mm) and a finer image scale; the DWARF 3 has a higher-resolution sensor (8 vs 2.1 MP), a wide camera, a stated 5.5-hour battery, IP54 and weighs 1.35 kg instead of 2.5. Our DWARF 3 vs Seestar S50 head-to-head has the full table.
Does the DWARF 3 come with a tripod?
No. DWARFLAB lists the telescope, a magnetic solar filter, a storage bag, a USB-C cable and a lens cloth. Its mini hydraulic tripod costs $89 on the US store.
Sources
Official pages read on November 9, 2026: www.dwarflab.com/us/products/dwarf-3-smart-telescope · www.dwarflab.com/us/pages/warranty-and-return. Product images: DWARFLAB.