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Optolong L-eXtreme filter for EEVA?


PeterC65

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I keep looking at the Optolong L-eXtreme filter. People rave about it for AP but is it useful for EEVA?

Are the OIII and Hα ultra-narrow bands just too narrow for shorter exposures and fewer stacked frames?

I have an Astronomik UHC filter which is excellent for visual and also seems to do a good job for EEVA, but its pass bands are much wider, and it doesn’t cut IR.

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I've been considering this also myself, but with ZWO's duoband which seems to be less narrow banded... However, the plus of getting less LP and a gain in contrast with emmision nebulas won't also mean loosing the view of galaxies?

Edited by NenoVento
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3 hours ago, NenoVento said:

I've been considering this also myself, but with ZWO's dueband which seems to be less narrow banded... However, the plus of getting less LP and a gain in contrast with emmision nebulas won't also mean loosing the view of galaxies?

I also spotted that ZWO make IR cut, UHC, OIII and IR pass filters which is the set that I have from Astronomik. Looking at the specs though, all of the ZWO filters have worse performance (pass band level) than the Astronomik filters.

I only use the UHC filter with nebulae. With any other DSO I use no filter or a minimal light pollution filter.

Someone else (on FB) has suggested to me the L-eXtreme is too narrow for EEVA and that the L-eNhance would be better. Another suggestion is to use the Astronomik CLS CCD filter which is like a wider band version of a UHC filter. It is just a pity that Astronomik don't make a UHC filter that also cuts IR.

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I've had little response to this question on SGL, but I also posted it on FB in an EAA Group where the advice was that the L-eXtreme is too narrow band for EEVA and the L-eNhance is a better choice.

I've also contacted Astronomik about their future filter plans and they say they have a UHC filter with IR cut for imaging in development that they hope to release early next year. So my plan is to use the visual UHC filter for now and wait for the new one to be released.

 

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7 hours ago, NenoVento said:

Hi @PeterC65,  thanks for sharing your findings with Astronomik. An UHC with IR cut does look like the IDAS LPS-D3, though...

All my other EEVA filters are Astronomik so I wanted to stick with them to keep the filter wheel parfocal.

Most of the filter manufacturers make a UHC filter with IR cut for imaging. Astronomik are unusual in not currently offering one, hence my question to them.

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What is your exposure time? At one point I had all 3 optolongs (well there's now 4 in their range), it depends what target you're looking at as they only really work with emission targets other than the Lpro which is a general LP filter. The lenhance and lextreme are very similar in performance, though I've only really tested them at 60s and 120s, the lextreme isolated it's respective ha and o3 bands slightly better.

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7 hours ago, Elp said:

What is your exposure time? At one point I had all 3 optolongs (well there's now 4 in their range), it depends what target you're looking at as they only really work with emission targets other than the Lpro which is a general LP filter. The lenhance and lextreme are very similar in performance, though I've only really tested them at 60s and 120s, the lextreme isolated it's respective ha and o3 bands slightly better.

I generally use a 4s exposure as I'm looking for near to real time images for EEVA. Sometimes I go up to 15s but no more than that.

I only use the UHC filter for nebulae.

Interesting that you think the performance of the L-eNhance and L-eXtreme is similar. They have the same spec at H alpha and the L-Extreme is just a bit tighter around OIII I think. For now, I'm going to wait for the promised Astronomik UHC filter with IR cut as keeping the filter wheel parfocal is important to me.

 

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