Dual Band Filter Discussion

I am looking at getting into nebula imaging more and want to get a good Dual Band filter. I am using 2 different OSC cameras the asi533mc and as asi2600mc duo.

I am basically in a bortle 7

I have a ZWO dual band filter but it gets halos on all my scopes (seems to be more pronounced the faster the scope/reducer combo) but I cant say for sure.

I also have an IDAS GNB that I have not yet tried, but I have concerns about it letting in IR light that will wreck my images. On that topic…

1. With the 2600 having a built in ir/cut maybe it will cut out the IR anyway?
2. Is dual band performance any good on the IDAS GNB?
3. My guess is that using the IDAS GNB on the 533 will pass IR light to that camera that the 533 cant handle, but does anyone have an experience with this? Should I just stack the GNB and my Astronomiks L3 IR/Cut?

Is that a bad idea?

Any recommendations on a good dual band filter for OSC that wont break the bank and does will at avoiding halos?

I seem to see info about how wide of a bandpass the filters have, and I get the concept that wider bandpass is more light, but also more LiPo, should I be looking for as narrow as possible ? Seems like the 3mm narrow pass filters start getting pricey.

I have read good things about the Askar, Antlia, IDAS NBZ-II, but is the NBZ just the same as the GNB?

I dont want to start the Mono vs OSC debate, I just want a good filter for OSC, I have 2 cameras one has a built in ir/cut window, one does not.

Sorry to drop a million questions in here, I really want to buy once and cry once on a dual band filter,

Any experience or suggestions are welcome. Thanks

I have a 2600MC and I also started with a ZWO duo band filter, and like you I wasn't satisfied with it. I updated to the 2", 3nm L-Ultimate, and even though it was very expensive I believe it is worth it. Here's an image I recently took using it: https://www.astrobin.com/1o26f7/

and yes, the 2600 has a built-in IR/UV filter

Regards
Neil

I have a 2600MC and I also started with a ZWO duo band filter, and like you I wasn't satisfied with it. I updated to the 2", 3nm L-Ultimate, and even though it was very expensive I believe it is worth it. Here's an image I recently took using it: 7 https://www.astrobin.com/1o26f/

and yes, the 2600 has a built-in IR/UV filter

Regards
Neil

What made you go with the Ultimate over the Extreme? Thats an amazing image.

I tried several, Antlia ALP-T 3.5nm version was my choice. I do have both 5nm and 3.5nm versions. Botha are good, no halos . Which version to take? The narrower , the better in B7. Everything that needs to pass will pass, narrower version will just block more of that that should not pass. This is of course simplified view , but the valid one.

Clayton Ostler:
I have a 2600MC and I also started with a ZWO duo band filter, and like you I wasn't satisfied with it. I updated to the 2", 3nm L-Ultimate, and even though it was very expensive I believe it is worth it. Here's an image I recently took using it: 7 https://www.astrobin.com/1o26f/

and yes, the 2600 has a built-in IR/UV filter

Regards
Neil

What made you go with the Ultimate over the Extreme? Thats an amazing image.

Thanks Clayton! I don't think that the L-Extreme is a bad choice. I looked up some comparisons online. If I remember correctly this post was one that helped me choose: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/401843-optolong-l-extreme-vs-optolong-l-ultimate-vs-askar-colour-magic-6nm/

Regards
Neil

I use the AltAir 4nm 2" dual band filters, although on a ASI294MC but bortle 6. No issues with halos on any of my scopes (Askar FRA300 F5, Astra 120APO F7). I followed Cuiv the lazy geek who tested it some time ago. Both Ha+OIII and SII+OIII are halo free.

Clayton Ostler:
I have a 2600MC and I also started with a ZWO duo band filter, and like you I wasn't satisfied with it. I updated to the 2", 3nm L-Ultimate, and even though it was very expensive I believe it is worth it. Here's an image I recently took using it: 7 https://www.astrobin.com/1o26f/

and yes, the 2600 has a built-in IR/UV filter

Regards
Neil

What made you go with the Ultimate over the Extreme? Thats an amazing image.

Thanks Clayton! I don't think that the L-Extreme is a bad choice. I looked up some comparisons online. If I remember correctly this post was one that helped me choose: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/401843-optolong-l-extreme-vs-optolong-l-ultimate-vs-askar-colour-magic-6nm/

Regards
Neil

The L-extreme is known to produce troublesome halos, and is wider bandwidth than the Ultimate. I have an extreme (and halos with it), and have now all but replaced it with the Antlia ALP-T 3nm duo-band.

Clayton Ostler:
I am looking at getting into nebula imaging more and want to get a good Dual Band filter. I am using 2 different OSC cameras the asi533mc and as asi2600mc duo.

I am basically in a bortle 7

I have a ZWO dual band filter but it gets halos on all my scopes (seems to be more pronounced the faster the scope/reducer combo) but I cant say for sure.

I also have an IDAS GNB that I have not yet tried, but I have concerns about it letting in IR light that will wreck my images. On that topic...

1. With the 2600 having a built in ir/cut maybe it will cut out the IR anyway?
2. Is dual band performance any good on the IDAS GNB?
3. My guess is that using the IDAS GNB on the 533 will pass IR light to that camera that the 533 cant handle, but does anyone have an experience with this? Should I just stack the GNB and my Astronomiks L3 IR/Cut?

Is that a bad idea?

Any recommendations on a good dual band filter for OSC that wont break the bank and does will at avoiding halos?

I seem to see info about how wide of a bandpass the filters have, and I get the concept that wider bandpass is more light, but also more LiPo, should I be looking for as narrow as possible ? Seems like the 3mm narrow pass filters start getting pricey.

I have read good things about the Askar, Antlia, IDAS NBZ-II, but is the NBZ just the same as the GNB?

I dont want to start the Mono vs OSC debate, I just want a good filter for OSC, I have 2 cameras one has a built in ir/cut window, one does not.

Sorry to drop a million questions in here, I really want to buy once and cry once on a dual band filter,

Any experience or suggestions are welcome. Thanks

I personally use the Antlia alpt 5nm dualband filter (in b7 as well) and it has made my images 1000x cleaner. The only halos i get are caused by internal reflections on bright stars now.

I use the Askar D1 and D2 filters with my 2600mc and really like them. I am, however, only in Bortle 5, so with a nominal 6 nm bandwidth they might not be tight enough for you…

Lucius:
Clayton Ostler:
I am looking at getting into nebula imaging more and want to get a good Dual Band filter. I am using 2 different OSC cameras the asi533mc and as asi2600mc duo.

I am basically in a bortle 7

I have a ZWO dual band filter but it gets halos on all my scopes (seems to be more pronounced the faster the scope/reducer combo) but I cant say for sure.

I also have an IDAS GNB that I have not yet tried, but I have concerns about it letting in IR light that will wreck my images. On that topic...

1. With the 2600 having a built in ir/cut maybe it will cut out the IR anyway?
2. Is dual band performance any good on the IDAS GNB?
3. My guess is that using the IDAS GNB on the 533 will pass IR light to that camera that the 533 cant handle, but does anyone have an experience with this? Should I just stack the GNB and my Astronomiks L3 IR/Cut?

Is that a bad idea?

Any recommendations on a good dual band filter for OSC that wont break the bank and does will at avoiding halos?

I seem to see info about how wide of a bandpass the filters have, and I get the concept that wider bandpass is more light, but also more LiPo, should I be looking for as narrow as possible ? Seems like the 3mm narrow pass filters start getting pricey.

I have read good things about the Askar, Antlia, IDAS NBZ-II, but is the NBZ just the same as the GNB?

I dont want to start the Mono vs OSC debate, I just want a good filter for OSC, I have 2 cameras one has a built in ir/cut window, one does not.

Sorry to drop a million questions in here, I really want to buy once and cry once on a dual band filter,

Any experience or suggestions are welcome. Thanks

I personally use the Antlia alpt 5nm dualband filter (in b7 as well) and it has made my images 1000x cleaner. The only halos i get are caused by internal reflections on bright stars now.

I am also in Bortle 7/8 zone and am looking for a suitable Dual Band Filter. I have a ASI 533 MC Pro and have already got a UV/IR - cut filter attached separately. Have not yet decided between Optolong L-Extreme Dual and Optoloing L-Enhance Dual. Thanks for a good discussion

Aloke Palsikar:
Lucius:
Clayton Ostler:
I am looking at getting into nebula imaging more and want to get a good Dual Band filter. I am using 2 different OSC cameras the asi533mc and as asi2600mc duo.

I am basically in a bortle 7

I have a ZWO dual band filter but it gets halos on all my scopes (seems to be more pronounced the faster the scope/reducer combo) but I cant say for sure.

I also have an IDAS GNB that I have not yet tried, but I have concerns about it letting in IR light that will wreck my images. On that topic...

1. With the 2600 having a built in ir/cut maybe it will cut out the IR anyway?
2. Is dual band performance any good on the IDAS GNB?
3. My guess is that using the IDAS GNB on the 533 will pass IR light to that camera that the 533 cant handle, but does anyone have an experience with this? Should I just stack the GNB and my Astronomiks L3 IR/Cut?

Is that a bad idea?

Any recommendations on a good dual band filter for OSC that wont break the bank and does will at avoiding halos?

I seem to see info about how wide of a bandpass the filters have, and I get the concept that wider bandpass is more light, but also more LiPo, should I be looking for as narrow as possible ? Seems like the 3mm narrow pass filters start getting pricey.

I have read good things about the Askar, Antlia, IDAS NBZ-II, but is the NBZ just the same as the GNB?

I dont want to start the Mono vs OSC debate, I just want a good filter for OSC, I have 2 cameras one has a built in ir/cut window, one does not.

Sorry to drop a million questions in here, I really want to buy once and cry once on a dual band filter,

Any experience or suggestions are welcome. Thanks

I personally use the Antlia alpt 5nm dualband filter (in b7 as well) and it has made my images 1000x cleaner. The only halos i get are caused by internal reflections on bright stars now.

I am also in Bortle 7/8 zone and am looking for a suitable Dual Band Filter. I have a ASI 533 MC Pro and have already got a UV/IR - cut filter attached separately. Have not yet decided between Optolong L-Extreme Dual and Optoloing L-Enhance Dual. Thanks for a good discussion

If possible, I would highly recommend to save up for an antlia alpt filter. I fully understand this may not be possible for all, but if you are able to wait a few weeks/ months, it is fully worth it.
Note: I also use the ASI 533MC pro.

Askar C1+C2 or D1+D2 filters are the way to go for narrowband with an OSC camera.

I've also used the ZWO and Svbony duo-band filters without issues with my 585MC and Quattro 150P, but the Askar filters are better. The cheaper C1+C2 are very nice allready, but the D1+D2 have narrower bandpasses ofc and are optimized for fast scopes aswell.

Askar C1+C2 or D1+D2 filters are the way to go for narrowband with an OSC camera.

I've also used the ZWO and Svbony duo-band filters without issues with my 585MC and Quattro 150P, but the Askar filters are better. The cheaper C1+C2 are very nice allready, but the D1+D2 have narrower bandpasses ofc and are optimized for fast scopes aswell.

Robert can you share any info on using 2 filters as you suggest? Are you stacking these or taking images with both and combining? I've really only ever used 1 filter per image.

Clayton Ostler:
Askar C1+C2 or D1+D2 filters are the way to go for narrowband with an OSC camera.

I've also used the ZWO and Svbony duo-band filters without issues with my 585MC and Quattro 150P, but the Askar filters are better. The cheaper C1+C2 are very nice allready, but the D1+D2 have narrower bandpasses ofc and are optimized for fast scopes aswell.

Robert can you share any info on using 2 filters as you suggest? Are you stacking these or taking images with both and combining? I've really only ever used 1 filter per image.

Not Robert, but I use the D1/D2 combination. You stack images D1 and D2 separately. You can then extract Ha, SII, and OIII images from the D1 and D2 stacks. I use the DBXtract script to do this (https://pixinsight.com/forum/index.php?threads/new-script-dbxtract.23344/). With Ha, SII, and OIII images your now off to the races in building SHO, HOO, Foraxx, etc. images...

Clayton Ostler:
Askar C1+C2 or D1+D2 filters are the way to go for narrowband with an OSC camera.

I've also used the ZWO and Svbony duo-band filters without issues with my 585MC and Quattro 150P, but the Askar filters are better. The cheaper C1+C2 are very nice allready, but the D1+D2 have narrower bandpasses ofc and are optimized for fast scopes aswell.

Robert can you share any info on using 2 filters as you suggest? Are you stacking these or taking images with both and combining? I've really only ever used 1 filter per image.

What @Tom Boyd said is the process for those Ha+Oiii and Sh+Oiii filters form Askar. These are the only filters that I know of, that allow you to produce decent SHO-imgaes with a OSC camera.

You shoot both filters for the same amount of time, then you stack them seperately, extract the Ha, Oiii and Sh channels from both stacked images and then recombine the three extracted channels into an SHO image. This gives you twice the amount of Oiii basically, which is notoriously hard to capture with a OSC camera.
And if you want to, you can ofcourse shoot a normal RGB image with an UV/IR filter and combine it with the SHO-data into a full RGBSHO image. I'll advise to do this anyways, as you'll want RGB stars for they are much prettier than the narrowband stars.

I only did test the filters for an hour so far, as I ran out of clear nightskies to shoot, but the C1+C2 filters do exactly as advertised by Askar. In the future I plan to use these two filters in combination with my newly aquired Sharpstar 15028HNT-AL and Player One Poseidon-C, to capture widefield images of milky way objects like the Heart Nebula (IC1805).

Thanks for the reply. I can see how this kind of thing leads to the mono vs OSC topic really quickly. I'll need to do some reading. I understand the value but can't say I'm willing to do the work yet.

Clayton Ostler:
Thanks for the reply. I can see how this kind of thing leads to the mono vs OSC topic really quickly. I'll need to do some reading. I understand the value but can't say I'm willing to do the work yet.

You don't need to, it was just a suggestion, as these Askar filters come in a set if you wanted to go there. You can get the Askar D1 Ha+Oiii filter seperately. It's made with faster scopes in mind, so it should give you no troubles.

I'm using the ZWO and the Svbony duoband filters on my F3.45 netwonian without problems, so I don't really know why it's not working for you.

I use the Anti-Halo PRO from Player One. Very good quality filter, one of the best controling halos. I don't care much about SHO, just never liked it to much lol. So I usually do HOO or add Ha and Oiii to RGB data.

https://player-one-astronomy.com/product/anti-halo-pro-dual-band-2-haoiii-filter/

Clayton Ostler:
Thanks for the reply. I can see how this kind of thing leads to the mono vs OSC topic really quickly. I'll need to do some reading. I understand the value but can't say I'm willing to do the work yet.

You don't need to, it was just a suggestion, as these Askar filters come in a set if you wanted to go there. You can get the Askar D1 Ha+Oiii filter seperately. It's made with faster scopes in mind, so it should give you no troubles.

I'm using the ZWO and the Svbony duoband filters on my F3.45 netwonian without problems, so I don't really know why it's not working for you.

I have terrible halos on any bright star with my ZWO filter, I have tried reducing my exposure to 60 thinking it might be due to saturation, but I still get them. Maybe the difference between our experiences is that I am only using refractors and it sounds like you are newtonians.

Stjepan Prugovečki:
I tried several, Antlia ALP-T 3.5nm version was my choice. I do have both 5nm and 3.5nm versions. Botha are good, no halos . Which version to take? The narrower , the better in B7. Everything that needs to pass will pass, narrower version will just block more of that that should not pass. This is of course simplified view , but the valid one.

I agree. I also have the ZWO, LeXtreme and ALP-T. Antlia for the win! 3.5nm version would be best choice for B6/7/8 skies. I have the 533 and 2600mcPro's. No halos or issues with the stock ASI camera window....

CS Tim

Tim Ray:
Stjepan Prugovečki:
I tried several, Antlia ALP-T 3.5nm version was my choice. I do have both 5nm and 3.5nm versions. Botha are good, no halos . Which version to take? The narrower , the better in B7. Everything that needs to pass will pass, narrower version will just block more of that that should not pass. This is of course simplified view , but the valid one.

I agree. I also have the ZWO, LeXtreme and ALP-T. Antlia for the win! 3.5nm version would be best choice for B6/7/8 skies. I have the 533 and 2600mcPro's. No halos or issues with the stock ASI camera window....

CS Tim

Sounds like I need to start saving or sell of some unused gear to get the Antlia

Lucius:
If possible, I would highly recommend to save up for an antlia alpt filter. I fully understand this may not be possible for all, but if you are able to wait a few weeks/ months, it is fully worth it.
Note: I also use the ASI 533MC pro.

+1 for this statement.

I started with the ZWO 183 MCPro, using a L- Enhance and Astronomik CLS filter. After upgrading to the 2600 MCPro, I purchased an Antlia ALT-P, 5nm. Just based on build quality alone, IMHO, the Antlia is a more substantial filter with better coatings. However, I'm fairly new at this stuff.

I've never used the other filters you mentioned, but I've read a lot about and researched the topic until I came to the conclusion that what may work well for some isn't a guarantee that it will work for me. My setup and sky conditions are unique, as are yours.

For me, buying astrophotography equipment has been a balance of cost vs performance. It's definitely a " you get what you pay for " type of thing. That being said, if I didn't already own the 5nm, I would definitely spring for the 3nm, if possible. Because why not, its better at doing what it was purchased for in the first place.

Besides, technology advances so fast that as soon as you buy it, they will come out with a 2nm or something better, if they haven't already.

Bottom line, pick the brand or tech you feel is appropriate for you, get the best version of said product you can afford, and if possible, be somewhat future proof.

Good luck, Clayton.

I have Optolong Pro, Enhance, Extreme and Ultimate. But the Antlia ALP-T 3 and 3,5 nm is another world, excellent filters, superiors to Optolong.

I'm in Bortle 9 and I use the Antlia 5nm dualbands and the Altair 6nm dualbands and am v happy with both of those. I use the Antlia for my full frame wide field as they are 2", and I use the Altair in 1.25" size for my long focal length imaging rig. The Antlia super narrows came out way after I'd got my 5nm but tbh I don't see any need to upgrade. If you want to see example images, you can look at my collections on my profile. Cheers

Be warned that the performance of nearly all of the mentioned filters has a strong correlation with the imaging cone angle, that is how fast the system is. In this Antlia is (far) superior to the others. Do not assume that the larger the pass-band is the less the filter is affected by the imaging angle, because they do not behave like that. Starting at f/4, but visible even at f/5.

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