Ha-Alpha mod vs clip in filter, is there a difference?

[Trippelforge]

I ordered my son a new custom motor drive system for XMAS,  however it got built and shipped from Ukraine. As such it is taking forever to arrive, and won't be here until mid next week (supposedly). So in a panic I picked up one other thing he really wanted, an upgraded camera. Over on Cloudynights someone was selling a modified Nikon D5300, they also lived close enough that shipping would only take 2 days. It was in excellent condition as well, and was modified by Lifepixel. So I jumped on it, it was 400 bucks, but I have no idea if I over payed or not (kind of late now). But I do know it's a decent upgrade over the old Canon 500D that we use, and he will be able to open it XMAS morning (whew).

OK sorry, just explaining why I didn't dig too deep into the camera prior to buying it.

Anyways so I asked the seller what modification was done to it by Lifepixel, he said he got the Ha-Alpha conversion option. I am not completely ignorant to what that does luckily, but I am a bit confused on the modification vs clip in filters. As such is it possible to get the same result with a clip-in version, verses paying for it to be professionally modded? 

 

 

 

 

[michael8554]

The stock filters on the sensor limit the sensor's ability to capture Ha.

Adding a clipin filter to a stock camera won't increase what isn't there.

Michael 

[Elp]

A standard dslr mod will involve removal of the IR cut filter so it becomes more sensitive to IR/red light, you can tell because if you take a standard daytime image with a set white balance the image will have a red/pink hue to it. A hydrogen alpha filter only allows a specific section of hydrogen alpha wavelength of light to pass through the filter and blocks out anything outside this bandpass.

As far as I know there is no dslr ha conversion as you wouldn't be able to use the camera for anything else. 

A ha filter can still be used with a normal dslr, quantum efficiencies of DSLRs are typically less than dedicated astro cameras so exposure times will have to increase in such a scenario. The IR pass mod will help, but it doesn't mean it's more sensitive to ha specifically.

[R26 oldtimer]

Lifepixel's Ha mod probably means they took out the original (hot mirror) filter, and replaced it with an astronomical uv-ir cut, which doesn't block Ha.

Give them a call and ask, or you can take a picture through an old exposed film negative. If you get a picture with a very short exposure, then it's a full spectrum mod.