There has never been an easier way to capture stunning astro images: The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro Smart Telescope AP30/160 builds on the celebrated Seestar lineage with a bold step forward. Weighing just 1.65 kg, it is just as compact and travel-friendly as its predecessor – but now packs an entirely new dual-camera optical system that takes astrophotography to a whole new level. Calibration, object acquisition, capture, stacking – the S30 Pro handles the lot, automatically. Whether you're settled on the sofa, stretched out in the garden, or perched at your favourite dark-sky spot, all you need to do is sit back and drink in the universe.
Dual-camera with 4K – a genuine leap forward
ZWO has raised the bar significantly with the S30 Pro. The telephoto camera is built around the Sony IMX585 sensor in the large 1/1.2″ format, covering a 4.6° field of view, while the wide-angle camera pairs the IMX586 sensor with a sweeping 63° field of view. The telephoto sensor alone is four times the size of the one found in the original S30 – which translates directly into more gathered light, cleaner images, and finer detail on even the faintest, most remote objects.
A 4-element apochromatic lens with a 160 mm focal length and ED (Extra-low Dispersion) glass renders colours more faithfully and images more crisply than the 3-element design of the previous model. The autofocus takes care of itself, and an integrated triple filter system – dark-field filter, UV/IR cut filter, and a light pollution filter optimised for OIII and H-Alpha – means you can get outstanding results even from the middle of a city. A built-in dew heater keeps the optics clear on damp nights, so nothing stands between you and the stars.
Four capture modes – perfectly tuned for every subject
The S30 Pro offers four dedicated capture modes, each of which automatically dials in the right settings for the job:
In Stargazing mode, galaxies, nebulae, star clusters and more are yours to explore.
Solar System mode is fine-tuned for planets and the Sun – always used with the included solar filter, of course.
The brand-new Milky Way & Star Trails mode lets you create breathtaking Milky Way panoramas, star trails, time-lapses, and Milky Way mosaics at the press of a button.
Scenery mode turns the S30 Pro into a capable ultra-telephoto camera during the day.
For newcomers, it really is as simple as picking a mode and letting the telescope do the rest.
Smart app control with over 80,000 celestial objects at your fingertips
The Seestar app (iOS/Android) is clean, intuitive, and puts complete control of the telescope in the palm of your hand. One tap is all it takes for the GoTo system to swing the optics precisely onto your chosen target – drawn from a database of over 80,000 deep-sky objects and 600,000 stars, complete with recommendations via the "Tonight's Best" feature. The smart constellation recognition identifies star patterns in your field of view in real time, or navigates straight to a constellation of your choosing. The Plan mode lets you schedule an entire imaging session in advance: the S30 Pro will search, track, and photograph all by itself – even long after you've turned in for the night. Cloud cover forecasts, moon phase data and visibility information all help you pick the best possible moment to observe.
8K mosaics, advanced image processing and 128 GB of onboard storage
The Seestar S30 Pro can automatically assemble 8K Milky Way mosaics – portrait or landscape orientation, triggered with a single tap. The telescope works through a pre-calculated grid of frames and stitches everything together seamlessly.
The new Freeze the Ground feature cleverly separates the foreground from the sky: your landscape stays crisp and natural while the stars are stacked without any trailing – with no manual effort whatsoever.
Automatic noise reduction and Dynamic Background Extraction (DBE) work together to smooth out uneven backgrounds and draw out fine detail, entirely without any input from you.
Images are saved in JPEG or FITS format; videos in MP4 or AVI. With 128 GB of internal storage, there is plenty of headroom for even the longest of nights.
Something for everyone – from first-timers to seasoned imagers
The Seestar S30 Pro is built so that anyone can achieve great results straight out of the box – no prior knowledge required. The automatic modes and guided app walk you through everything. For those who want to go deeper, the S30 Pro is equally at home as a serious imaging tool: individual frames can be saved in FITS format and taken into your post-processing software of choice.
The S30 Pro also supports the open ASCOM Alpaca protocol and works with popular astrophotography platforms such as NINA. With optional accessories, an equatorial mode is available too, compensating for the Earth's rotation and opening the door to longer exposures.
Equally impressive in broad daylight
The S30 Pro is no one-trick pony. By day, it doubles as a versatile camera with both wide-angle and telephoto capability in a single, compact body – perfect for birdwatching, landscape photography, and time-lapse work. Moving subjects – wildlife, trains, aircraft – are tracked automatically and captured in sharp detail. Photo, video, and time-lapse are all on offer in 4K Ultra HD.
The ZWO Seestar S30 Pro AP30/160 is quite simply one of the finest smart telescopes on the market today – and the most enjoyable way to make breathtaking astro images your new normal.
FEATURES
- Fully automatic smart telescope for night-sky & solar observation
- Telephoto lens: Sony IMX585 sensor (1/1.2″), 4.6° field of view
- Wide-angle lens: Sony IMX586 sensor (1/2″), 63° field of view
- Resolution: 2,160 x 3,840 px (8.3 MP)
- Large field of view & smart mosaic mode for the Milky Way & wide-field targets
- Optics type: 4-element apochromatic refractor
- Lens diameter: 30 mm
- Focal length: 160 mm
- Automatic image stacking for sharper, more detailed results – no PC post-processing needed
- Live-view observation & real-time imaging
- 4 capture modes covering deep-sky, solar system, Milky Way & scenery
(wide-angle, close-up, time-lapse & star trail shooting)
- Solar filter included for safe solar observation
- Controlled via intuitive app (iOS/Android)
- Smart noise reduction
- Integrated filters – ideal for astrophotography from light-polluted areas
- Ultra-compact & lightweight for effortless portability
- Built-in Wi-Fi
- High optical resolution for crisp, detail-rich astrophotography
- Share images directly to social media
- 128 GB internal storage
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
- Built-in battery, 6,000 mAh, up to 6 hours' runtime
