Capture the beauty of the cosmos for under $500 with this super-portable smart telescope Black Friday deal

Skywatching can be breathtaking, but what if you want to photograph the night sky’s stunning sights? That’s where this Dwarflab Dwarf 3 smart telescope comes in. It’s a brilliant telescope at full price, holding its own against pricier telescopes, but at $55 off for Amazon’s Black Friday sale, it’s an absolute steal.

You can get the Dwarflab Dwarf 3 on sale right now at Amazon for $494.

We reviewed the Dwarflab Dwarf 3 smart telescope recently and were seriously impressed by this scope’s image quality and wide field of view. Despite its compact size, it’s no slouch, and we found it captured excellent images of terrestrial objects, the moon and even deep space nebulas.

It’s easy to use, boasting excellent tracking and it doesn’t overwhelm you with buttons, so beginners should be able to get to grips with it. At this price (while stocks last), it’s a great little smart telescope.

Expert photographer who loves capturing the night sky

Expert photographer who loves capturing the night sky

Kimberley Lane

Kimberley is an expert photographer who has captured everything from landscapes to the night sky. She’s penned our best smart telescopes guide and has put a host of scopes, smart and otherwise, through their paces.

Image 1 of 2

Want to capture some awesome astrophotography images, without breaking the bank? That’s where the Dwarflab Dwarf 3 comes in as one of the cheapest smart telescopes around. Despite its compact size, it offers excellent image quality, even when capturing deep space nebulas.

Our expert Kimberley Lane, who reviewed the Dwarflab Dwarf 3, was surprised by just how well the images she took of the Andromeda Galaxy (M31) and the Triangulum Galaxy (M33) came out. They compared favourably to the Unistellar Odyssey Pro, when factoring in the latter’s $3k-4k price point.

There are other factors that can influence image quality, such as light pollution. However, thanks to the Dwarflab Dwarf 3’s compact size, you can easily take it to a location where skyglow is less of an issue. Alternatively, if astrophotography is less of a concern, or if you turn your nose up at technology-assisted telescopes, our guide to the best telescopes offers some alternatives.

Key features: 35mm aperture, 150mm focal length, Sony IMX 678 / Stravis 2 sensor, 1000mAh battery, 128 GB storage, 2.9 lbs / 1.3 kg weight.

Price history: This is the lowest price the Dwarf 3 has ever been but just make sure you tick the discount box to get it at this price.

Price comparison: Amazon: $494 | Dwarflab: $494

Reviews consensus: We were seriously impressed by this smart scope’s performance. In our Dwarflab Dwarf 3 review, we awarded it four stars, calling it “A great imaging tool for beginner astrophotographers.” Its Amazon reviews are just as positive, with purchasers praising its ease of use and image quality.

TechRadar: ★★★★½ | Space: ★★★★

✅ Buy it if: You want to capture stunning images of the night sky, and use the Dwarf 3’s portability to escape light pollution.

❌ Don’t buy it if: You want to view the cosmos in real-time. As gorgeous as the images can be, the detail is only really apparent in the final images.

Check out our other guides to the best telescopes, binoculars, cameras, star projectors, drones, lego and much more.