New Baader Filters

[Grant_FLO]

Baader have announced two new filter ranges - a set of highspeed narrowband filters and a set of enforced 3.5nm H-alpha filters.

The f/2 highspeed narrowband filters are available in 1.25" and 2" (mounted) sizes, H-alpha, OIII and SII. You can buy them individually or as complete sets.

Using these filters when imaging between f/1.8 and f/3.5 shows an improvement compared to any regular set of narrowband filters.

These are particularly suited to Hyperstar setups or the new Celestron Rowe-Ackermann Astrograph (RASA).

More information and pricing can be found on our website: Baader f/2 Highspeed Narrowband Filters.

The enforced 3.5nm H-alpha filters are available in 2" Mounted, 50.4mm round unmounted or 50x50mm square unmounted sizes. Designed for imaging the extremely narrow 3.5nm H-alpha band. The enforced contrast results in much fainter stars providing more signal in the fainter nebula details.

These are precision grade filters for f/3.5 to f/10 optical systems.

More information and pricing can be found on our website: Baader Narrowband Enforced 3.5nm H-alpha Filter.

[RikM]

Do you know if they will add 1.25" size to the 3.5nm Ha filter range?

[Gina]

£295 for a 2" mounted 3.5nm Ha filter certainly knocks Astrodon into a cocked hat!    I wonder how good they are   I was considering getting a 3nm Ha Astrodon at several tines the price - amazing!

Now we need OIII and SII to match    If they were to do 1.25" filters they should be even cheaper.

[ChrisLX200]

Price is good but, advertising claims aside, I would want to see results first. It is difficult to make such filters without reflections or star bloating being a problem.

ChrisH

[Ikonnikov]

Re the F/2 high speed filters, is there any info about bandwidth? I am finding the Baader 7nm Ha is working quite well at F/2.7; am I likely to trade increased transmission/decreased sub lengths for reduced image contrast if I swap to these?

Paul

[Gina]

I'd be very interested in a review of the 3.5nm Ha filter - I think I have had enough of being among the first to buy new kit   Rather tempted though, I have to say

[Steve 1962]

Yup - a couple of reviews and a 1.25" version would be appreciated.

[laser_jock99]

Re the F/2 high speed filters, is there any info about bandwidth? I am finding the Baader 7nm Ha is working quite well at F/2.7; am I likely to trade increased transmission/decreased sub lengths for reduced image contrast if I swap to these?

Paul

I'm not sure how to interpret the 'blurb' from Baader either? It doesn't make a huge amount of sense to me- and I have been working in optics for 20+ years!

The only thing I can think of is that the acceptance angle of the very narrow band "enforced 3.5nm" filter is unsuitable for use with very fast optical systems. In other words the incident angles of some of the incoming light may be too wide to allow the interefence layers of the filter stack to work properly? A 3.5nm bandwidth coating is highly incident angle specific.

The so called "highspeed" filter probably just has a much wider bandwidth (e.g. rather like the old 7nm filter). It's unlikely that the coating stack has been significantly modified to widen the acceptance angle of the incident light? Quite what Baader mean by a 'centre wavelength pre-shift' is altogether unclear. I take it to mean just wider FWHM? 

The Baader 7nm Ha will indeed work at very wide acceptance angles- I used the 2" filter on front of a 50mm F1.4 camera lens for this shot of Cygnus/Cephius

[riklaunim]

It seems like there is no 1,25" version of the narrow ones but their site says:

The initial production did center on the most necessary sizes (2" / 50.4 mm round and 50x50 mm square - other sizes to follow).

So 1,25" may show up later on. For faster imaging bigger pixels would be handy instead of faster f-ratio.

[Earl]

£295 for a 2" mounted 3.5nm Ha filter certainly knocks Astrodon into a cocked hat!    I wonder how good they are   I was considering getting a 3nm Ha Astrodon at several tines the price - amazing!

Now we need OIII and SII to match    If they were to do 1.25" filters they should be even cheaper.

I have a feeling Astrodon have nothing to worry about, we are talking Ford vs Rolls here.

ID be interested to see how well these perform with a bright star in the fov to test out the reflections as the normal Baaders reflect lots.

[ChrisLX200]

I have a feeling Astrodon have nothing to worry about, we are talking Ford vs Rolls here.

ID be interested to see how well these perform with a bright star in the fov to test out the reflections as the normal Baaders reflect lots.

and that is the key test right there, star bloat is is the reason I've swapped from Baader to Astrodon.

ChrisH

[Sp@ce_d]

and that is the key test right there, star bloat is is the reason I've swapped from Baader to Astrodon.

ChrisH

Is that just the NB ones Chris or LRGB too?

[RikM]

Interesting that I don't see problems with star bloat or reflections with my coma corrected Newtonian and Baader filters?

[ChrisLX200]

Is that just the NB ones Chris or LRGB too?

My Baader LRGB seem OK, it's the NB fitlers (particularly the OIII) that has star bloat/reflection issues. Not every owner has reported problems but the difference is clear to me now I have Astrodons for comparison (it would have been sad had there been NO improvement given the cost of the latter!). Another possibility - maybe these issues only affected a small number of them. perhaps a single production run or something and I was just unlucky.

ChrisH

[Sp@ce_d]

My Baader LRGB seem OK, it's the NB fitlers (particularly the OIII) that has star bloat/reflection issues. Not every owner has reported problems but the difference is clear to me now I have Astrodons for comparison (it would have been sad had there been NO improvement given the cost of the latter!). Another possibility - maybe these issues only affected a small number of them. perhaps a single production run or something and I was just unlucky.

ChrisH

Interesting. I have 2 full sets of Baaders & haven't noticed this. Any bloat I have I put down to the optics. Certainly getting the Esprit improved this a lot over the doublets. I haven't yet been able to get enough subs with the recently added GT81.

Edit: I had intended to add the 3nm Astrodon NB's to the collection though

[Davey-T]

I have big bloat with Baader O111, makes processing annoying getting rid of it.

Dave

[Gina]

There's certainly no doubt that the Astrodon NB filters are the bee's knees   I really can't see these much cheaper Baaders being anywhere near

[Dave In Vermont]

As a confessed Filter-Nut, I have many, many filters on my cases. Never had a problem with the Baader NB's. In fact Baader has another new H-a filter: H-alpha Interline camera 35nm. Available in both 1.25" and 2" format. I just got one in. 

Clear & Dark Skies,

Dave

[FLO]

Historically some filter manufacturers and their retailers made some daft claims when discussing filters, claims that have often been repeated on forums (not thinking of anyone in particular). With this in mind, back when I was considering which filters FLO should stock I spoke with filter manufacturers and imaging camera manufacturers but based my decision almost entirely on the opinion of the latter. They were generally using the same brand of filters because "that is what retailers were recommending!". But, they added, if buying again they would choose Baader (Baader had released a range of filters with anti-reflection coatings that almost entirely solved a problem most retailers denied existed).

Baader Planetarium is a mature and capable company with a professionalism and integrity that serves them, and us, well. They are also consistent. The quality, performance and dimensions of Baader's imaging filters rarely change batch-to-batch, unlike some other brands. We are pleased we chose Baader and will continue to recommend them with confidence. 

HTH, 

Steve

[FLO]

Do you know if they will add 1.25" size to the 3.5nm Ha filter range?

It's in the pipeline  

[DaveS]

Would 3.5 nm be enough to separate the Ha and N[iI] lines? A pairing of those from Baader would be a heck of a lot cheaper than Astrodon.

[ollypenrice]

I like Baader filters. I think this is an interesting launch and deserves a decent hearing. I use the Baader 7nm Ha and the Astrodon 3 at n times the price. The main advantage of the Astrodon is the tiny stars it produces. On some targets the contrast is better but most of the advantage is in star size. So far as RGB goes, I have used the Astronon set on two images, not enough to make me an expert, but I preferred the Baaders I know well. As Steve says, Baader are a highly expert company so far as optics are concerned and are heavyweight players.

Olly

[Gina]

I would like a set of NB filters for my widefield triple imaging rig to save swapping them with the filter wheel for telescopes but Astrodon are too expensive.  I do like the tight stars and clean images I get with Astrodon though and this I believe is down to bandwidth.  I have had good results with Baader LRGB filters so if they produce Ha, OIII and SII filters in narrower bandwidths I shall definitely be interested.  I do have Baader 36mm unmounted NB filters which I'm going to use with my debayered DSLR.   Astrodon don't seem to do this size and the 2" ones are both far too expensive and bigger than necessary making for a bulky filter wheel.

Thought...  I might try the Baader NB filters with my widefield triple imaging rig.  The aluminium tube I'm using for making the lens to camera adapters is 34mm ID so I could easily turn a 36mm ledge inside to take 36mm unmounted filters and hold in place with a plastic ring.

[Ibbo!]

I certainly would be interested in the 3.5 ha @ 1 1/4"

[Tim]

I certainly would be interested in the 3.5 ha @ 1 1/4"

Me too

Interesting the varying opinions on reflections from Baader OIII versus the Astrodons. I've never experienced real problems with any of my 14 Baader filters, whether at f3.9 or f7 or f10, either NB or LRGB, but any anecdotal "evidence" is not really helpful, or useful, only a properly conducted side by side, same scope, same conditions, same target trial would yield reliable results.