Modded DSLR filter help

[Astro_Ben]

Going to be getting my 700d modified soon, and I've got two options. (I'll be using it for daytime and astro, this is the important bit).

Option 1 - Get my 700d Baader modded and to retain autofocus (it's my understanding that the Baader bcf will also act as a UV/IR cut filter, but please correct me if I'm wrong) and then purchase a Skytech cls filter (I live in a Bortle 6). Total cost £195.

Option 2 - Get my 700d modded, without the Baader filter but with a re-shimmed sensor to retain autofocus, and then purchase a Skytech cls-ccd for the necessary UV/IR filter. Total cost £165. 

 

Now, I am your average skint student, so those extra few quid are reasonably important, but if the more expensive option will yield better results I can stretch to that amount. I'm not fussed about colour balancing, I've been dealing with RAW colours for years so that's not an issue. All I need to know is which will be the better option, which will give better star colour or better contrast etc etc, or is it just six and two threes?

Thanks.

[catburglar]

I don’t think there’ll be much difference between the two options. It really comes down to whether you want to pay £30 so that you don’t always need to colour balance your daylight shots- if that doesn’t bother you then go with option 2- it’s what I did, but I don’t do that much daytime stuff

[FaDG]

Hang on, the two options are not at all the same in the end. Long post ahead... 

With the Baader BCF, you'll actually be able to use the camera for daytime shots just with white balance, AND you'll be able to use your kit EF-S 18-55 LENS (you don't mention any lenses, so just my assumption).

It will also be OK for astro from dark skies, both nebula e and galaxies, + you can add the light suppression for use under light polluted conditions. BUT, the refiltering with Baader might induce some light halos from reflection around bright stars. 

On the opposite, the full spectrum mod will NOT be usable for daytime without an UV-IR cut, forget the CLS-CCD (colours are cut out, not only a matter of balancing). As you'll need a clip for daytime use, no EF-S lenses, do you have any EF? 

For astro use, unless you have a newton, you'll need either the UV-IR cut or the CLS-CCD, otherwise IR bloat is guaranteed. 

For your info: I have a Baader modded 600d, which will be converted to full spectrum shortly as I'm fed up of the small halos. 

So, it boils down to: how much is daytime use important? If quite a bit, then go Baader, else full spectrum + CLS, and later UV-IR for galaxies. 

Fabio

 

P. S. CLS filters tend to suppress green and yellow, it's A pity on galaxies and clusters, and unusable for daytime.