Filters topic again

[TareqPhoto]

Finally i ordered Ha filter and i am just waiting to receive it, can't wait to give it a try, i also ordered ZWO 60mm finder/guide scope as i wasn't sure what to get so i can connect my ASI camera to it for guiding, so i thought nothing better than ZWO finder itself for their own cameras, hope it will do the job just fine with ST80.

Now my question is, which filter to get next after Ha? i am planning to have them all, but i can't go with them all just at once, immediately, so that i buy them slowly, and definitely i started with Ha which i ordered, now which is next, LRGB or OIII? 

I don't have a filter wheel yet, but if i buy the filter wheel from same brand of my imaging camera [QHY] then most likely the only site i will buy from are showing the filter wheel with 3 options, none with 1.25", so the only option of 3 is going with 7x36mm and then buying 8x1.25" disk for replacement. I went with 1.25" Ha filter, so if i go with 36mm filter wheel and adding that of 1.25" disk what is the best option you recommend, buying LRGB [only] at 36mm or 1.25"? OIII and SII i will buy at 1.25" of same brand of Ha [Astrodon], and LRGB from Astrodon is pricey so i will buy it later maybe 2-3 months later, but i wanted to add LRGB as soon as possible or maybe OIII, but OIII is pricey from Astrodon, while 36mm LRGB from other brand is so cheap, and i must buy a filter wheel if i i go with 36mm, so what is your opinion, 36mm temporary cheap LRGB or 1.25" OIII or 1.25" LRGB cheap brand and pass that OIII filter for now?

I am also looking for to do solar imaging, it got me seeing so many sun and moon shots out there so i told myself why not give the sun a try as long it is in our sky everyday burning us, but in this case i want this solar filter to be in glass material rather than film or whatever material it is, can you link me where i can buy that "glass" solar filter to fit my ST80?

Thanks!

[ronin]

OIII is the usual one and often the first. Ha is for imaging I understand not visual.

LRGB is 4 filters, 1 at L (Luminesence), 1 Red, (Ha), 1 Green (?), 1 Blue (maybe OIII or line next to it, cannot recall which it is). Basically LRGB is the set of mono filters that people use.

Cannot recall a glass filter for the scope, have seen a glass one mentioned but it was a fair time back and no details, except it was expensive by comparison to the one I got hold of. Mine is a Meade however and was made by Astro Engineering - 2 problems they made Meade items and they closed down about 5 years ago. I do have the idea that my glass one is denser then the Baader film, so I see less in a way.

If you start on filters then get the "same" ones and make sure they have the same glass/substaright thickness. This thickness is what alters the focus. Usually it means the same make and same "set" of filters - they could make 2 sets of RGB is my thinking and the difference will be in the bandwidth and the material thickness.

From what you have said about a filter wheel it could be an idea to hold off getting additional filters until you know the filter wheel and waht it accepts. Little use ending up with all bits imcompatible with each other. OIII is useful for visual as it can increase contrast in the context of what it transmits.

[TareqPhoto]

13 hours ago, ronin said:

OIII is the usual one and often the first. Ha is for imaging I understand not visual.

LRGB is 4 filters, 1 at L (Luminesence), 1 Red, (Ha), 1 Green (?), 1 Blue (maybe OIII or line next to it, cannot recall which it is). Basically LRGB is the set of mono filters that people use.

Cannot recall a glass filter for the scope, have seen a glass one mentioned but it was a fair time back and no details, except it was expensive by comparison to the one I got hold of. Mine is a Meade however and was made by Astro Engineering - 2 problems they made Meade items and they closed down about 5 years ago. I do have the idea that my glass one is denser then the Baader film, so I see less in a way.

If you start on filters then get the "same" ones and make sure they have the same glass/substaright thickness. This thickness is what alters the focus. Usually it means the same make and same "set" of filters - they could make 2 sets of RGB is my thinking and the difference will be in the bandwidth and the material thickness.

From what you have said about a filter wheel it could be an idea to hold off getting additional filters until you know the filter wheel and waht it accepts. Little use ending up with all bits imcompatible with each other. OIII is useful for visual as it can increase contrast in the context of what it transmits.

I made my decision already, my next plan will be definitely LRGB, OIII is nice but LRGB will have more use than OIII, and i do imaging, DSO imaging, even if i will do planetary imaging i see many using LRGB filters as well with mono cameras, so it is clear the next buy after Ha should be LRGB, then later when i have again another budget then i can add OIII.

Now i have visual OIII filter, it is no match to NB OIII, but i can always give it a try and see, i also have UHC for visual, but those 2 filters i bought very very cheap and many told me they are useless for imaging, so i won't try to waste time with those many times, maybe one time or two at most, but Ha filter is definitely will give me a busy time until i can afford another filters.

I saw a brand with cheap price for LRGB, but the quality is very very nice, i saw one member using this brand and he had images that i drool and dream about, so not sure if getting that brand different than my Ha filter maker will be a wise decision or better stay with same maker as you said, after all price is the only factor, sometimes i can buy many filters now for a cheaper maker, or wait long and buy high end maker one by one, and i know that LRGB is a set filters, and they are coming as one package, so the price is likely for 4 filters as one.

About solar filter, someone told me that film filter will yield more details than a glass filter, well, in fact i can go with film filter easily, but i just worry about the quality or durability and how resistance is that film against glass, if it is long lasting then there is no point to go for higher option and not having better performance, i just thought glass will be stronger for most impacts except dropping and it will give better resolution due to being a glass, but i could be wrong here, in all cases if that film filter damaged then i will buy another and still have less price than 1 glass or almost the same [2 films filters = 1 glass filter ?].

The filter wheel topic became like a headache, on another forum it is like a long debate and no clear or straight forward answer, i don't know what to get, most likely there are 3 options as top, my camera brand QHY, ZWO and Atik, many swear by ZWO, Atik is very expensive, QHY is less than ZWO but some members stated they don't have issues so far with it, so that put me in really difficult confusing situation about what to choose, i have to choose only one, and that will be like one time investment, unless i buy one now and next month i can buy another easily, i try to have some items this year, and next year i can add more and upgrade or replace, but i try to buy something as one time for much longer, my mount and camera sounds will live with me for at least 2 years before i think about something else, and the filter maker i chose is a top line that i think i won't look for anything else for really long time.