L-eNhance or L-eXtreme for Full Moon?

[Budgie1]

I'm on the look out for a filter to assist when clear skies coincide with the full Moon, which seems to happen regularly here. New Moon = cloudy, Full Moon = clear, you know the drill.

Anyway, research to date hasn't come up with any conclusive answers so I thought I'd ask the good folks on SGL.

I'm lucky to live in a Bortle 2 area, so LP isn't an issue and normally I only use a UV/IR cut filter on my ASI294MC Pro Cooled camera. I mainly image nebula and the full Moon makes that difficult so I want increase my useful imaging time on these targets so I can combine with subs taken when the Moon is less prominent.

I've looked at Quad & Tri band filters but their FWHM are too wide and I don't think they will do what I want. So it's come down to the L-eNhance or L-eXtreme, but which to go for to get the most benefit for the price?

L-eNhance would be great because it's cheaper, but how does it deal with a full Moon? It's hard to find the FWHM figures for this filter but I assume they are wider than the 7nm of the L-eXtreme because it covers Hb as well as Ha & Oiii.

So any experiences/opinions gratefully received.

Thanks.

[paulbromley9]

More or less exactly the question I wanted to post ..... will watch with interest.

Paul.

[Space Oddities]

I haven't had a chance to use my L-eNhance a lot since I got it last year, as I was using my mono camera more. But I remember taking this picture during (or very close to) full Moon last year, and was pretty impressed by the result I could get out of it. 

This is about 1,5 hours of data with a stock camera (Fujifilm X-T3), from a Bortle 3/4. 

I would expect even better results from a Bortle 2, with an astro camera, more integration time, and probably better processing skills!  

 

 

[alacant]

20 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

L-eNhance or L-eXtreme

Hi

I'm not at all convinced by the l-enhance, which to our eyes shows little if any advantage over a UHC, but costs €significant more. I've put a little evidence here. Of course, YMMV but I'd certainly recommend borrowing and trying before committing. 

If you've already narrowed you choices between the two however, I'd go with the l-extreme. The evidence I've seen with the latest generation OSCs paired with the l-extreme or other dual narrow band filters seems to suggest that may be this is the way forward for high end imaging.

But try soon of course as suitable targets are sinking rapidly west after an alarmingly -at this time of year- later and later sunset.

Cheers

Edited March 3, 2021 by alacant

[smashing]

21 hours ago, Budgie1 said:

I'm on the look out for a filter to assist when clear skies coincide with the full Moon, which seems to happen regularly here. New Moon = cloudy, Full Moon = clear, you know the drill.

Anyway, research to date hasn't come up with any conclusive answers so I thought I'd ask the good folks on SGL.

I'm lucky to live in a Bortle 2 area, so LP isn't an issue and normally I only use a UV/IR cut filter on my ASI294MC Pro Cooled camera. I mainly image nebula and the full Moon makes that difficult so I want increase my useful imaging time on these targets so I can combine with subs taken when the Moon is less prominent.

I've looked at Quad & Tri band filters but their FWHM are too wide and I don't think they will do what I want. So it's come down to the L-eNhance or L-eXtreme, but which to go for to get the most benefit for the price?

L-eNhance would be great because it's cheaper, but how does it deal with a full Moon? It's hard to find the FWHM figures for this filter but I assume they are wider than the 7nm of the L-eXtreme because it covers Hb as well as Ha & Oiii.

So any experiences/opinions gratefully received.

Thanks.

my post and photo under a pretty full moon and B6 skies using L-extreme

 

 

[Budgie1]

14 hours ago, Space Oddities said:

I haven't had a chance to use my L-eNhance a lot since I got it last year, as I was using my mono camera more. But I remember taking this picture during (or very close to) full Moon last year, and was pretty impressed by the result I could get out of it. 

This is about 1,5 hours of data with a stock camera (Fujifilm X-T3), from a Bortle 3/4. 

I would expect even better results from a Bortle 2, with an astro camera, more integration time, and probably better processing skills!

Now that's good and with an unmodded camera as well!  It's bright moon light I have problems with as it seems more pronounced with less LP, so that gives me a idea of what to expect from the L-eNhance.

Thanks. 👍 

[Budgie1]

12 hours ago, alacant said:

Hi

I'm not at all convinced by the l-enhance, which to our eyes shows little if any advantage over a UHC, but costs €significant more. I've put a little evidence here. Of course, YMMV but I'd certainly recommend borrowing and trying before committing. 

If you've already narrowed you choices between the two however, I'd go with the l-extreme. The evidence I've seen with the latest generation OSCs paired with the l-extreme or other dual narrow band filters seems to suggest that may be this is the way forward for high end imaging.

But try soon of course as suitable targets are sinking rapidly west after an alarmingly -at this time of year- later and later sunset.

Cheers

As I understand it (and I don't mind being corrected as I'm always willing to learn ) the UHC is too wide in it's transmission curve to reduce or stop Moon light. It's good for artificial light but Moon light is not in wave lengths blocked by this particular filter. Where I am, I don't think I would see any significant benefit under a full Moon.

The L-eXtreme has a 7nm pass in Ha & Oiii meaning it is very tight on what wave length can pass. The likes of the ZWO duel-band filter also focuses on Ha & Oiii but at a wider 35nm pass on both, meaning Hb is also within that pass band. From what I've read and seen this doesn't do as good job as the Optolong.

Being further North, we go into Twilight All Night from the end of May and into July, so making the most it at this time of year is a must!

[alacant]

3 minutes ago, Budgie1 said:

The L-eXtreme

Hi

Yep. That's the one.

Cheers

[Budgie1]

11 hours ago, smashing said:

my post and photo under a pretty full moon and B6 skies using L-extreme

I have been following that thread and saw your images. That's a good result under a "Almost full moon (no head torch needed to read a book) ".

[Gerr]

The Optolong L-eNhance filter performs well in my opinion (especially under Moon glow). I use it with my Canon 650D  modded camera. My targets with this are mainly nebula (planetary type too) and supernova remnants. I don't have the L-eXtreme so cannot offer opinion there but I do enclose images taken with the former filter if this helps?

Gerr.

Eastern Veil Nebula (Waxing Gibbous Moon).  29x240secs (ISO1600)

Western Veil (Waxing Gibbous Moon). 20x180secs (ISO 1600)

Dumbell Nebula (waxing crescent to 1st quarter). 24x120secs (ISO800).

Flaming Star Nebula (Waning Gibbous Moon). 31x240secs (ISO 1600).

[Budgie1]

Well, to finish this thread off, for me anyway;

As of this morning I've got the L-eXtreme, which @Magnum was kind enough to decide was surplus to his requirements and popped it in the For Sale section.  

It seems like the best choice for the camera and job I want it to do. When I'll have a chance to use it is another matter, not this week looking at the forecasts!

Thanks for all the input and I hope it helps someone else out as well. 👍

[smr]

I think you'll like that filter.