What Optolong Filter to choose against light Pollution for broadband Imaging - Forums

Topic starter

Jan 13, 2023

I'm currently looking to upgrade my Astrophotography kit. I got a new mount and (for portability) a canon 600D which I will modify to a fullspectrum camera, So i'll just remove the IR Filter.
I have a Zenithstar 61 with the Startracker Skyadventurer GTI (I know quite basic).

I'm looking for a Lightpollution Filter for Galaxies and Nebulae and am quite frankly completely Overwhelmed by all the options there are out there.
I stumbled across the Optolong Filter Series and from reviews feel like they are quite good. But even looking at Optolong Filters they have an overwhelming amount of options to go for.
The Filter should go into my Field Flattener 61.

Which filter is ideal for starting out? I live in a small town not directly in Light pollution , about a Bortle 4 to 5 and I want to Photograph Galaxies and nebulas.

Engaging

Freddy Meiresonne

Jan 13, 2023 · Edited: Jan 13, 2023

Hi,

With that bortle scale i just would not use an LP filter at all. I would try to longer integration times.

I shoot at bortle 5, with a unmodded Canon 800D for broadband . I never use an LP filter.

One example :
M45 - Pleiades ( Freddy Meiresonne ) - AstroBin

CS
Freddy

Jens

Topic starter

Jan 13, 2023

That's a fair point, I got some good images as well, when they're overhead. When they are a little bit close to the horizon it does get harder.
I'm just wondering if I get better details out of emission nebulas. I haven't really been able to get them on camera yet because I was only using a non modified camera.

Die Launische Diva

Jan 13, 2023 · Edited: Jan 13, 2023

Hi! I also think you don't need any filter at that Bortle scale, and judging from your gallery, I think you should first reconsider your processing workflow. If not doing so, adding a filter will only complicate things even more. And like Freddy, I also work from Bortle 5 with an unmodified Canon 550D and occasionally with a Canon 6D. I am not thinking modding my cameras or using any filter as I believe the next sane step is to upgrade to a dedicated CMOS astro camera (and to a better mount).

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Jens

Topic starter

Jan 13, 2023

I thought about upgrading to a Dedicated astronomy camera but since I want to keep it portable that isn't really a option since I'd need a power Supply to keep it cooled. That's why opted for the Star adventurer GTI and a APS-C dslr to get more zoom than my fullframe camera.

It just feels like with my unmodified camera I can only really shoot the same targets over and over again, with modifying the camera It would open up the possibility to photograph more deepsky Objects than before.

dkamen

Jan 13, 2023

Jens:
That's a fair point, I got some good images as well, when they're overhead. When they are a little bit close to the horizon it does get harder.
I'm just wondering if I get better details out of emission nebulas. I haven't really been able to get them on camera yet because I was only using a non modified camera.

The blue and red stuff in this picture
https://www.astrobin.com/rp1wtc/

are O-III and Hα emissions and pretty faint at that. And you got them with less than two hours of integration at f/6! You are very lucky to live in such a place and in my opinion do not need a light pollution filter. What you may need is more integration time which will allow you to stretch your images better (by the looks of it you are raising the black point too much in order to kill noise and then compensate by reducing contrast which makes stars look somewhat "flat").

Imaging near the horizon is always more difficult or even impossible (even with targets such as the Sun and the moon), not so much because of light pollution but because you have 2-3 times more atmosphere between you and the target.

Cheers,
D.

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Joe Linington

Jan 13, 2023

Unmodified you likely don't need a filter but once you full spectrum modify your camera you will always need a filter. When buying a broadband light pollution filter for a full spectrum camera, be careful as many don't block the IR range above 700nm which will cause issues. The Optolong L-Pro seems to be a popular choice and works with full spectrum cameras but I don't have one. I use an Astronomik L3 for UV/IR blocking (required only for full spectrum cameras) and have also used the very inexpensive SVBony UV/IR and it wasn't bad. For dual narrowband I use an IDAS NBZ dual 5nm filter but in darkish skies you don't need as narrow a filter. Even an L-Enhance can give you a similar effect as a much narrower filter in dark skies. I have made some HOO images with a 2x48nm Optolong UHC filter.

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