Photo Comparison Vaonis Vespera Pro versus Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ZWO ASI676 - Part 2
Introduction | Photos: Comparison Vaonis Vespera Pro versus Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ZWO ASI676 | First Conclusions | Links
On this page I compare photos of the same DSOs, which I took with my Vaonis Vespera Pro and my star friend Oliver with a combination of Sky-Watcher EvoGuide 50ED and ZWO ASI676. In addition, I will show photos that I took with the original Vespera, where available... This time, the comparison of the photos was meant to be carried out more systematically and as a longer-term project, but was stopped unfinished. More about this in the introduction!
See also page Photo Comparison Vaonis Vespera Pro versus Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ZWO ASI676.
Introduction
A comparison of the Vespera Pro with the ZWO ASI676 is interesting because both use the same Sony IMX676 sensor. If you then use the Sky-Watcher EvoGuide 50ED as a telescope, as my starfriend does, you have almost identical technical conditions:
- SkyWatcher EvoGuide 50ED: 242 mm focal length, f/4.8 (3532 x 3532 pixels, pixel size 2 µm)
- Vaonis Vespera Pro: 250 mm focal length, f/5 (3536 x 3536 pixels, pixel size 2 µm)
Comparison of FOVs
The Evoguide 50ED with ASI676 and the Vespera Pro have nearly identical FOVs; Vespera Pro in yellow (Custom Scope)
Conditions
However, a real comparison would require the photos to be taken under similar conditions, which was absolutely not the case in our first "quick comparison". That is why we were making a second attempt with somewhat more controlled conditions:
- No mosaics with the Vespera Pro, just normal exposures (about 1.6° x 1.6° FOV on both telescopes)
- No filters on the Vespera Pro (at most, additionally...)
- Even if I will expose longer overall with the Vespera Pro, I will check what comes out with comparable exposure times.
- No complex post-processing with the Vespera Pro (except brightening the image and darkening the sky a little); possibly more complex processing as "additional information"
Where available, I will also include pictures that I took with the original Vespera; however, these were not taken under "controlled conditions".
Setups
I will briefly introduce the two setups below.
Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ZWO ASI676
The Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED is mounted on the finder shoe of my star friend Oliver's telescope, so it observes exactly the same target as the main telescope, but with a different camera, the ASI676, and therefore with a different field of view. However, it is not used for guiding, which would of course also be possible, but for independent photos. The telescopes are mounted on an iOptron HAE29 mount, which in turn is mounted on an iOptron carbon tripod. This is an equatorial mount (which can also be used in AZ mode), so Oliver can and will take longer single exposures than is possible with AZ mounts - up to 60s, depending on the object. This is not possible with the Vespera Pro, which sits on an AZ mount.
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Photos: Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ASI676 (mounted to C8 and Olifractor)
Photo: Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ASI676 "stand-alone"
Apart from UV/IR blocking filters, Oliver did not use any filters for his photos (as far as I know), especially no nebula filters (e.g. dual band filters, LEnhance filters).
Oliver uses SharpCap 4.1 as his control software which offers the option of setting the gain and offset individually for each object (and he will do so). So there are no comparable standard parameters. In addition, he can directly influence the recording process and the histogram and thus very well control and influence the rendering of the object during live stacking. His images are therefore not post-processed by him.
Vaonis Vespera Pro
The Vespera Pro is described in more detail on this page. It sits fix on an AZ mount and this in turn on a small tripod or on a Gitzo carbon tripod. The software used is the Singularity app, which allows you to set the exposure time and gain individually, but I do not use this feature (defaults are: exposure time 10s, gain 20 dB). Initially, I will photograph all objects without a filter; in cases where the use of a filter is recommended, I will also photograph with a filter.
I typically use the JPG stacks that Vespera Pro saves to post-process the photos (brighten up, move black point). Lately, I have also been trying to use the "final" TIFF and practicing "stretching". I also denoise many images, especially those of galactic nebulae.
Photo: Vaonis Vespera Pro - equipment in action (simulation...)
Conclusion
Each of us tried to achieve the best with our setup and present the results here. Apart from the same aperture and the use of the same camera chip, however, there were no established parameters that allow an objective technical comparison of the two systems. Nevertheless, a comparison looked interesting. However, the project remained unfinished...
Object List
Initially, we agreed on a list of a maximum of 10 objects, but grew a little afterwards:
| Number | Name, Further Catalogue Numbers | Constellation |
| IC 1396 | Elephant Trunk | CEP |
| M 31 | Andromeda Galaxy | AND |
| M 33 | Triangulum Galaxy, NGC 0598 | TRI |
| M 42 | Orion Nebula, NGC 1976 | ORI |
| M 45 | Pleiades, Mel 22 | TAU |
| NGC 869/884 | Chi Persei Double Cluster, C014, Mel 13 | PER |
| NGC 2024 & B 33 | Flame Nebula with Horse Head Nebula | ORI |
| NGC 2174 | Monkey Head Nebula, Sh2-252 | ORI |
| NGC 2237/44 | Rosette Nebula | MON |
| NGC 6960 | Western Veil/Cirrus Nebula | CYG |
| NGC 6992/5 | Eastern Veil/Cirrus Nebula | CYG |
| NGC 7000 | North America Nebula | CYG |
Photos: Comparison Vaonis Vespera Pro versus Sky-Watcher Evoguide 50ED with ZWO ASI676
IC 1396 - Elephant Trunk
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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IC 1396, Nov 1, 2022 - 10 min |
IC 1396, Oct 11, 2024 - 10 min |
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IC 1396, Nov 1, 2022 - 10 min, made brighter |
IC 1396, Oct 11, 2024 - 10 min, made brighter |
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IC 1396, Nov 1, 2022 - 30 min |
IC 1396, Oct 11, 2024 - 30 min |
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IC 1396, Nov 1, 2022 - 30 min, made brighter |
IC 1396, Oct 11, 2024 - 30 min, processed |
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IC 1396, Oct 11, 2024 - 62 min, made brighter |
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Current Best... |
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IC 1396, Nov 1, 2022 - 30 min, made brighter (for comparison) |
IC 1396, Oct 11, 2024 - 62 min, section, processed (TIFF), denoised (DN) |
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M 31 - Andromeda Galaxy
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 10 min, mosaic, CLS filter |
M 31, Aug 24 - 2024, 30 min |
M 31 - 8 min |
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 10 min, mosaic, CLS filter, made brighter |
M 31, Aug 24, 2024 - 30 min, made brighter |
M 31 - 8 min, slightly processed |
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 30 min, mosaic, CLS filter |
M 31, Aug 24, 2024 - 30 min |
M 31, Oct 27, 2024 - 10 min | ||
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 30 min, mosaic, CLS filter, made brighter |
M 31, Aug 24, 2024 - 30 min, made brighter |
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 57 min, mosaic, CLS filter |
M 31/32/110, Feb 4, 2025 - 1 h |
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 57 min, mosaic, CLS filter, made brighter |
M 31/32/110, Feb 4, 2025 - 1 h, processed, denoised (PAI), white balance |
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Current Best... |
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M 31, Jan 28, 2024 - 57 min, mosaic, CLS filter, made brighter |
M 31, Aug 24, 2024 - 30 min, processed (TIFF), denoised, color corrected |
M 31, Oct 27, 2024 - 10 min | ||
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M 31/32/110, Feb 4, 2025 - 1 h, processed, denoised (PAI), white balance |
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M 33 - Triangulum Galaxy (NGC 0598)
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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M 33, 30.10.2022 - 10 min |
M 33, Nov 3, 2024 - 10 min |
M 33, Oct 5, 2024 - gain 200, UV/IR filter, 19 frames a 32s = 608s, resized |
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M 33, 30.10.2022 - 10 min, processed |
M 33, Nov 3, 2024 - 10 min, made brighter |
M 33, Oct 27, 2024 - UV/IR filter, 10 frames a 32s = 320s, resized |
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M 33, 30.10.2022 - 30 min |
M 33, Nov 3, 2024 - 30 min |
M 33, Oct 27, 2024 - UV/IR filter, 10 frames a 32s = 320s, resized, processed |
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M 33, 30.10.2022 - 30 min, processed |
M 33, Nov 3, 2024 - 30 min, made brighter |
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M 33, 30.10.2022 - about 45 min |
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| M 33, 30.10.2022 - about 45 min, processed and denoised | ||||
Current Best... |
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| M 33, 30.10.2022 - about 45 min, processed and denoised (for comparison) | M 33, Nov 3, 2024 - 1 h, processed (Siril, AP) and denoised (DN), white balance (section) |
M 33, Oct 27, 2024 - UV/IR filter, 10 frames a 32s = 320s, resized, processed |
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M 42 - Orion Nebula (NGC 1976)
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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M 42/43 - 60 frames = 10 min |
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M 42 - 640s (about 10 min) |
M 42/43 - 121 frames = 20 min |
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M 42 - 640s, made brighter |
M 42/43 - 121 Frames = 20 min, made brighter |
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Current Best... |
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M 42 - 640s, made brighter |
M 42/43 - 121 Frames = 20 min, made brighter, whitebalace |
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M 45 - Pleiades
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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M 45, Feb 6, 2023 - 10 min, mosaic |
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M 45, Feb 6, 2023 - 40 min, mosaic |
M 45, Nov 4, 2024 - 30 min |
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M 45, Feb 6, 2023 - 40 min, mosaic |
M 45, Nov 4, 2024 - 40 min |
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M 45, Feb 6, 2023 - 40 min, mosaic, made brighter |
M 45, Nov 4, 2024 - 40 min, made brighter |
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Current Best... |
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M 45, Feb 6, 2023 - 40 min, mosaic, made brighter, denoised |
M 45, Nov 4, 2024 - 40 min, made brighter, denoised, and color corrected |
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NGC 869/884 - Perseus Double Cluster
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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NGC 884/869, 12.8.2022 - 7:20 min |
NGC 884/869, Nov 4, 2024 - 10 min |
NGC 869/884, Oct 5, 2024 - gain 200, UV/IR filter, 19 frames à 32 s = 608s, resized |
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NGC 884/869, Nov 4, 2024 - 21 min |
NGC 869/884, Oct 27, 2024 - gain 200, UV/IR filter, 19 frames à 32 s = 608s, resized |
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NGC 884/869, Nov 4, 2024 - 21 min, made brighter, color slightly corrected |
No details for Vespera Pro
NGC 2024 & B 33 - Flame and Horsehead Nebulae
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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NGC 2024, B 33 - 32 min, Dual Band Filter |
NGC 2024 und B 33 - 45 min |
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NGC 2024 und B 33 - 45 min, processed and denoised |
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Current Best... |
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NGC 2024 und B 33 - 45 min, TIFF processed and denoised (DN), color corrected |
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NGC 2174 - Monkey Head Nebula
NGC 2237/2244 - Rosette Nebula
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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NGC 2244 and Rosette Nebula, Feb 8, 2023 - 33 min, mosaic |
NGC 2237/44, Feb 2.2025 - 15 min, Dual Band Filter |
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NGC 2244 + Rosette Nebula, Apr 3, 2023 - mosaic, 31 min, CLS Filter |
NGC 2237/44, Feb 2.2025 - 30 min, Dual Band Filter |
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NGC 2244 + Rosette Nebula, Apr 3, 2023 - mosaic, 2520s, Dual Band Filter |
NGC 2237/44, Feb 2.2025 - 60 min, Dual Band Filter |
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Current Best... |
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NGC 2237/44 - 42 min, Dual Band Filter, processed and denoised (DN) |
NGC 2237/44 - 60min, Dual Band Filter, processed and denoised (PAI) | |||
NGC 6960 - Western Cirrus/Veil Nebula
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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NGC 6960, Aug 28, 2022 - 650s |
NGC 6960, Nov 4, 2024 - 23 min |
NGC 6960, Sep 4, 2024 - 18 F, 540s (9 min) |
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NGC 6960, Nov 4, 2024 - 23 min, made brighter |
NGC 6960, Sep 4, 2024 - 18 F, 540s (9 min), made brighter |
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NGC 6960, Dec 26, 2024 - 241 frames = 40 min, DB Filter, TIFF processed |
NGC 6960, Oct 27, 2024 - 23 F, 736s (12 min) |
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NGC 6960, Dec 26, 2024 - 241 frames = 40 min, DB Filter, TIFF processed and denoised |
Details for Vespera Pro in preparation
NGC 6992/5 - Eastern Cirrus/Veil Nebula
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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NGC 6992/5, Oct 5, 2024 - 12 min |
NGC 6992/5, Oct 11, 2024 - 40 min |
NGC6992, Oct 27, 2024 - UV/IR filter, 23 F, 736s (12 min), resized |
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NGC 6992/5, Oct 11, 2024 - 40 min, made brighter |
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NGC 6992/5, Dec 26, 2024 - 241 frames = 40 min, DB Filter, TIFF processed |
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NGC 6992/5, Dec 26, 2024 - 241 frames = 40 min, DB Filter, TIFF processed and denoised |
Details for Vespera Pro in preparation
NGC 7000 - North America Nebula
Vespera |
Vespera Pro |
Evoguide 50ED & ASI676 |
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NGC 7000, Jan 11, 2024 - 1 h, mosaic, Dual Band Filter |
NGC 7000, Oct 11, 2024 - 39 min |
NGC 7000, Sep 4, 2024 - 18 F, 540s (9 min) |
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NGC 7000, Jan 11, 2024 - 1 h, mosaic, Dual Band Filter, made brighter |
NGC 7000, Oct 11, 2024 - 39 min, made brighter |
NGC 7000, Sep 4, 2024 - 18 F, 540s (9 min), made brighter |
First Conclusions
But a few comments on this unfinished project! The "unprocessed" versions of Vespera Pro and Vespera are as they come out of the respective telescope and are usually quite dark, especially if the integration times are short. The EvoGuide/ASI676 photos, on the other hand, have always been stretched in SharpCap by my starfriend so that he can see anything at all of the objects during his EAA observations. In this respect, his photos have to be compared with the processed Vespera (Pro) photos, whereby the processing can of course also be very different for the same photo. Ultimately, however, this is not intended to be "research", but merely done to get a first impression...
My first impression is that the Vespera Pro requires roughly twice the integration time (net exposure time) as the EvoGuide/ASI676 combination (and also the Vespera); sometimes it is even three to four times as much. This is of course quite disappointing, and it is not clear to me why this is the case. I can only make a few assumptions.
One reason for longer integration times is certainly the fact that the Vespera Pro dithers, but this should perhaps lead to one and a half times the integration time. Compared to the Vespera, the smaller pixel size also has an impact, but this is the same for the ASI676.
An important difference between the Vesperas and the EvoGuide/ASI676 combination is that the former are operated on an AZ mount with an exposure time of 10 seconds, whereas the latter are operated on an EQ mount with individual exposure times of between 30 and 32 seconds. This means that the individual frames obviously provide brighter images than with the Vesperas. Unfortunately, I am not at all familiar with this, but I see time and again that the topic of short vs. long single exposure times is controversially discussed and that the total exposure time is possibly of less importance.
Links
- Vaonis: vaonis.com/fr/ (FR), vaonis.com (EN)
- See also my page offering Astronomy Links.
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| 25.04.2025 |  |