Filters for OSC camera...opinions?

Hi Folks,

I have been reviewing my first full season of deep sky images from my back garden observatory. Broadly speaking I'm very happy, but as my skills grow I am more aware of light pollution gradients. They are becoming a bigger issue for me. I live in North Kildare and have 2 x sodium street lamps within 30m of my setup, so this should be no surprise .

I have invested heavily in learning PIXINSIGHT and this has helped up to a point. As moving is not an option, I need to try something else! I have an SBIG 8300 colour camera so narrow band imaging is not an option because of the presence of a permanent colour filter array. So I have 3 x questions;

* Can I use an LPR filter with an OSC camera?
* Can you recommend a good 2" LPR filter?
* If planetary cameras have IR cut filters...should I use one of those too with the LPR?


Clear skies everyone


Dave

Dave, when I looked up you camera - one of the sites (OPT) showed this page:
www.optcorp.com/sb-stf-8300c-stf-8300c-ccd-camera-color.html

What I thought interesting was that they showed the Astronomik CLS CCD filter on the same page.

On the Astronomik site: www.astronomik.com/en/photographic-filters/cls-ccd-filter.html

They give this info:

Suitability
•Visual observation (dark skies): Good, to reduce light pollution by mercury-vapour lamps (streetlight)
•Visual observation (urban skies): Reasonable, an UHC-E or UHC filter is more suitable
•Film photography: Very good, colour balance is near perfect
•CCD photography: Very good, optimized rejection of light pollution
•DSLR photography (original): Good, colour balance shifted but contrast enhanced
•DSLR photography (astro modified): Very good, colour balance is near perfect
•DSLR photography (MC modified): Very good, colour balance is near perfect
•Webcam / Video (Planets): Unsuitable
•Webcam / Video (Deep Sky): Very good, if light pollution is a big problem

Personally, I have never used a OSC camera - so cannot advise you (other than to take the hit - sell the camera - and buy mono that you can use NB filters with).

Hope the links & info are useful.

Many thanks for getting back to me Brendan (is it?)

That filter recommendation looks like a good option for an interim measure. I did look at replacing the OSC camera for NB imaging, but I spent the money instead on building an observatory...I can't complain really!

I've been following your FLICKR account for sometime now and I can see the benefit of NB imaging, so it is definitely the plan for the future. But it will take tough negotiations with HQ before I can go there, that might be sometime down the road yet! :gramps:

Clear skies and thanks for the advice...Dave

Offer of the Month :woohoo:

Dave,
I'll be in Ireland in May - if you would like to borrow a 2" CLS CCD filter (for a week or so) - see if that does the job for you - I'd be happy to bring one with me. PM me if interested.

Brendan.

Hi Brendan,

That is very decent of you, many thanks for that. I've dropped you a PM!

Clear skies


Dave

I can honestly say that when I used to image with my DSLR, I has the CLS-CCD Filter and it worked great