Best LRGB Filters?

[Allinthehead]

Hi all. As the title states i'm looking for the best filters i can get for my asi 1600mm. I have the Zwo filters. Would it be worth going for the more expensive filters, as in something like the astrodon set seeing as i have the astrodon narrowband filters. Do the best quality filters offer a big advantage over the cheaper sets?

Richard.

[Juicy6]

Biggest advantage would be expensive filters might be par-focal so you dont have to refocus.

[DaveS]

Beyond the filter, how apo is your 'scope? Personally I've found Baader to be fine and reasonably parfocal with no inclination to buy the Astrodon set, even though I have a full set of Astrodon 3nm filters.

Myself I wouldn't worry about whether the LRGB are parfocal with the NB, only with themselves.

[ollypenrice]

3 hours ago, Juicy6 said:

Biggest advantage would be expensive filters might be par-focal so you dont have to refocus.

When people report non-parfocality I think that what they are finding is usually imperfect colour correction in their optics. I strongly suspect that the good filters, Baader and Astrodon for example, are parfocal and when this doesn't translate into parfocality in practice it's because of the optics.

In NB the Astrodons are fabulous because of their tight bandpass. I've processed data from their LRGB set as well and didn't, in that one case, find myself happier than with Baader. A chance to test them further would be welcome but I only know one person using the Astrodon RGB set.

Olly

[DaveS]

One reason for going with the same manufacturer is that all the filters would be the same thickness, to avoid spacing issues, eg the Astronomik filters are 1mm thick while Astrodons are 3mm. That could be enough to upset some of the more finicky reducers or flatteners. That doesn't apply to the Star 71 in your case fortunately.

[Allinthehead]

Thanks for all the replies. This is exactly the information i'm after. I suppose what i'm looking for are incremental changes to my gear and processes that add up to the best image i can get. Looking at my gear i have a set of lrbg filters that are bottom of the market price wise. Would adding the astrodons or baaders give me any noticeable improvement in image quality i wonder? 

[ollypenrice]

3 hours ago, Allinthehead said:

Thanks for all the replies. This is exactly the information i'm after. I suppose what i'm looking for are incremental changes to my gear and processes that add up to the best image i can get. Looking at my gear i have a set of lrbg filters that are bottom of the market price wise. Would adding the astrodons or baaders give me any noticeable improvement in image quality i wonder? 

In NB, certainly, yes. The Astrodons take you to a new level.

Olly

[DaveS]

Agree. The Astrodons are expensive but on another level, especially the 3nm ones. Make sure you're sitting down first

http://www.iankingimaging.com/show_product.php?id=1014

 

[Allinthehead]

Ya i have the astrodon ha and oiii. The 3nm are saucy. Luckily i can use the 1.25.

[Gina]

I use Astrodon 3nm NB filters and Baader LRGB and very happy with them.  I don't do LRGB and NB in one session anyway so refocussing between Astrodon and Baader isn't an issue.  I now have auto-focussing anyway which I need for widefield with non-APO lenses.

[ollypenrice]

23 hours ago, Gina said:

I use Astrodon 3nm NB filters and Baader LRGB and very happy with them.  I don't do LRGB and NB in one session anyway so refocussing between Astrodon and Baader isn't an issue.  I now have auto-focussing anyway which I need for widefield with non-APO lenses.

Agreed. A narrowband run is a thing unto itself for me. It takes a long time and occupies at least one full session. You might, I suppose, shoot Ha while waiting for the moon to clear off but a refocus would be needed anyway. I don't, surprizingly, find my 3nm Astronodon Ha to be a million miles away from my Baader LRGBs at F5 anyway. Different, yes, but far closer than I was expecting. My home made microfucuser has limited travel but copes easily.

Olly