Pink Planets - LP or something else...

[John78]

Finally after what seems like months of cloudfest 2016, I got out and had a go at Mars and Saturn.  I have a 130P, microsoft lifecam and a 2.25x revelation barlow, the results are coming out pink and I don't know why - is it the camera or just the light pollution, I live about 20 miles due north of London so imaging these due south targets low on the horizon is mushy, will putting a light pollution filter into the image train give me some more realistic colour or is something else at issue??

As an aside, what sort of % improvement should I expect if I swap from the lifecam to something more specialist like a ASI120MC or similar??

 

Thanks for any pointers  

[Cornelius Varley]

Are you using an IR blocking filter with your modified webcam ? If you aren't, then fitting one should remove the colour.

[D4N]

Yep looks like you removed the IR filter when you took the lens off.  If your LP filter has IR cut then it will work.

The ASI 120mc has IR cut so does not suffer from this.  The biggest advantage of this camera would be the frame rate, I have been able to get my ASI120mm up to 250fps when in crop mode.

[John78]

Ah I see, thanks - the IR filter was attached to the long gone lens assembly as per this... 

 

I'll try the LP filter tonight and see if it helps any but that at least justifies buying a new camera, this one can be resigned to guiding.

[Cornelius Varley]

The LP filter probably won't help you. The sensor is sensitive to IR light, which is beyond the visible spectrum, and gives the pink cast to the pictures and this has to be filtered out using an IR filter. IR light also focuses at a different point to the visible spectrum and if unfiltered might give a slightly fuzzy image.

[D4N]

It does depend on which LP filter it is, I found my Baader UHC-S filter was essential for my DSLR after the full spectrum mod as otherwise I would get massive IR bloat.