I'm just googling around looking for uv/if filters for normal photography, I loved this video for it's therapeutic benefits, it's got a great flow with perfect flowing music, it will be my new sleep aid.
Superb test mate!! - Awesome that you took the time to put this together, - a lot of faffing around changing and combining filters I'd bet for sure! For my money, either the Semi-Apo filtered or Semi-Apo+UV-IR cut looked best, really hard to split them!
Cheers mate! I think the Semi-Apo filter's going to live on my refractor, I need to try DSO imaging with it :D I also have a Wratten number 8 filter to test which is a more affordable alternative to the semi apo.
Thanks Chris. I just realized why my moon photos weren't sharp when I was using my achromat.... compared to now that I'm using a reflector and a uv/ir cut filter. Btw I've flocked my Newtonian and made an impromptu shade for the primary mirror as I'd noticed a lot of light leak from the back of the scope. Hoping for clear skies soon here in Sydney
Hey ziggy, Nice work! That should all help with contrast and I hope you get to find out sooner than later :) It's been cloudy here a lot too over the last couple of weeks! I don't think you're alone with the achro experience so it's a good to shine a bit of light on the UV/IR cut (which the Semi Apo also has built in I've just found out!). Some folks might be able to give their achro's a new lease of life.
Hey Jason, good thanks! Busy busy :D I'm pleasantly surprised by the Semi Apo so far. It needs more testing but I no longer have that 'it's sounds too good to be true' feeling about it. It's turns out that the Semi Apo filter has the UV IR Cut built in so there wasn't much point in me stacking the two filters together it turns out hehe
Interesting test. It’s quite a confusing mess for beginners these filters. OSC folks are blocking infrared and mono guys are using IR-pass. Same with UV etc. It’s very easy to get lost in all of it. I’ve tested a number of filters I hated in the past but rediscovered years later. The only good advice I can offer is for someone to do as you have and test them. An entire opinion can be swayed simply by location or aperture. Quite hard for anyone to be definitive on any of it.
Exactly this! Filters are highly dependant on the situation which is why I don't wont make sweeping statements on video titles like 'Use this filter to improve your images!' Yes they would get me more views because YT likes titles like that but a title of "Semi Apo Lunar test with Achromat refractor" is more exact and less misleading I feel :) Talking of IR pass I use the Pro planet IR pass with with my ASI462MC colour cam. I think the bayer is more invisible at IR wavelengths so IR sensitive cams act like mono's at these wavelengths...at least this is what I've read.
Hi Avanteesh! Many thanks mate :) I honestly would get one for that camera - the following is from the product description for the ASI 224mc "To maximise the sensors IR performance the protective anti-reflection cover-glass does not include UV/IR cut but a seperate UV/IR cut filter can be obtained and fitted for colour imaging" I think it would be a good way to step up sharpness and contrast judging by the above little test, but more testing needed of course :)
@@Astrolavista Ahh, Cool. I would Like To get an IR pass Filter. I have Heard It works Fantastic under Bad seeing To get Fine Details On moon and Planets!
Hey Chris I didn't even know there was such a thing as a semi apo filter. On my phone I liked the UV/IR filter the most but I think that's more the color so close up for detail maybe the Semi Apo would win. Nice test Chris 👍👍
Thanks Ollie! I like both the UV/IR Cut and Semi Apo, both much better than the slightly pink soft no filter image. I've just found out that the Semi Apo has the UV/IR Cut built in which explains a lot!
First thing to do, if you have not done it before, is to center the secondary in the spide and center it right under the focuser in all four directions.
Q GRAN VIDEO!! q bien explicas en hora buena y a por mas. quiero hacerle una pregunta. resulta q tengo una canon 100d y la voy a modificar, osea quitare el filtro ir y el low pass. ahora mi duda viene aqui, en sustitucion a esos filtros estoy en duda cual es la mejor opcion de filtro, por q he leido mucho y en algunos casos me dicen q ciertos filtro sacan estrellas como pelotas o con halo, esa es mi primer duda , q filtor me aconsejas, segunda duda, puedo ponerle mejor un cristal en sustitucion a estos filtros q quitare, y el filtro q me recomiendes , ponerlo por fuera , como los q muestras en este video? o es mejor ponerlo directamente donde estaan los otros filtros, y ultima duda, e escuchado q al hacer la modificacion al quitar estos filtros, se pierde la auto limpieza, es verdad??? por cierto yo uso la camara solo para astrofotografia , no me interesa usarla diurnamente mil gracias!!!!!!!
Cheers Ryan, yeah I was able to thread the Semi Apo onto the UV IR Cut although in hindsight I didn't need to do so because it turns out that the Semi Apo filter contains UV/IR Cut! Live and learn lol
I preferred the result with the Semi-Apo. I don't have one, so I'll have to put it on my list. Amazing results really considering the way the sky looked.
Hey Kevin, I was so surprised by the semi apo filter I thought there must have been some mistake in the testing so re did the imaging tonight! Same result, the Semi Apo rocks for imaging : ) I've just read that it has UV/IR cut built in which partly explains things, and also makes my UV/IR + Semi Apo filter test a bit superfluous lol
@@Astrolavista I have the Baader Fringe Killer that I used with my Achromat. It's a 90mm f/5.5 so it really needs a filter of some kind. It does help considerably, but I'd like to make a comparison with the Semi-Apo.
@@thefourgrapples2810 I've heard the Fringe killer does a better job of reducing the CA but it gives a stronger colour cast. I may end up getting the Fringe killer also in which case you can guess what I'll be testing side by side :D
Hey Chris! I have another baader filter the moon and skyglow plus uv ir cut, have you tried that one? It's pretty good but the camera I'm using it with (a qhy 163mc pro) already had uv/ir cut built in, It looks from your tests that stacking uv/ir filters has no adverse effect. What do you think?
Hey, I remember owning the Moon and Skyglow filter but it was a long time ago. I didn't do any direct comparisons at the time so maybe one for me to re visit. The only down side to stacking the two filters was the darker image which meant using longer exposure times and this reduced the frames per second.
To everyone considering a semiapo, this filter let's in some blues which are basically great for shooting nebulae sans very bright stars in the FOV. Won't work a treat for something like the peliades ... Some fringing will be present. The Contrast booster is basically a 485 highpass which won't let any blues below 485. This also helps focusing, reducing the apparent size of stars in long exposures. However unless you are considering shooting mono, save up for a triplet APO or a Newtonian scope :) Clear skies
Instead of hanging a piece of paper you could have just hold up a hand to the eyepiece and see if the laser was in fact reflected back via the secondary.
The semi app is simply amazing at keeping the colour neutral and cleaning up CA. It’s a must for any achromat owner
I think the answer is use anything other than no filter, what do you think?
I'm just googling around looking for uv/if filters for normal photography, I loved this video for it's therapeutic benefits, it's got a great flow with perfect flowing music, it will be my new sleep aid.
Superb test mate!! - Awesome that you took the time to put this together, - a lot of faffing around changing and combining filters I'd bet for sure!
For my money, either the Semi-Apo filtered or Semi-Apo+UV-IR cut looked best, really hard to split them!
Cheers mate! I think the Semi-Apo filter's going to live on my refractor, I need to try DSO imaging with it :D I also have a Wratten number 8 filter to test which is a more affordable alternative to the semi apo.
Thanks Chris. I just realized why my moon photos weren't sharp when I was using my achromat.... compared to now that I'm using a reflector and a uv/ir cut filter. Btw I've flocked my Newtonian and made an impromptu shade for the primary mirror as I'd noticed a lot of light leak from the back of the scope. Hoping for clear skies soon here in Sydney
Hey ziggy, Nice work! That should all help with contrast and I hope you get to find out sooner than later :) It's been cloudy here a lot too over the last couple of weeks! I don't think you're alone with the achro experience so it's a good to shine a bit of light on the UV/IR cut (which the Semi Apo also has built in I've just found out!). Some folks might be able to give their achro's a new lease of life.
Hey Chris, hope you're well pal. The semi apo on its own won it for me, everything just seemed to pop more with that one. Great test buddy 👍😃
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Hey Jason, good thanks! Busy busy :D I'm pleasantly surprised by the Semi Apo so far. It needs more testing but I no longer have that 'it's sounds too good to be true' feeling about it. It's turns out that the Semi Apo filter has the UV IR Cut built in so there wasn't much point in me stacking the two filters together it turns out hehe
Interesting test. It’s quite a confusing mess for beginners these filters. OSC folks are blocking infrared and mono guys are using IR-pass. Same with UV etc. It’s very easy to get lost in all of it. I’ve tested a number of filters I hated in the past but rediscovered years later. The only good advice I can offer is for someone to do as you have and test them. An entire opinion can be swayed simply by location or aperture. Quite hard for anyone to be definitive on any of it.
Exactly this! Filters are highly dependant on the situation which is why I don't wont make sweeping statements on video titles like 'Use this filter to improve your images!' Yes they would get me more views because YT likes titles like that but a title of "Semi Apo Lunar test with Achromat refractor" is more exact and less misleading I feel :) Talking of IR pass I use the Pro planet IR pass with with my ASI462MC colour cam. I think the bayer is more invisible at IR wavelengths so IR sensitive cams act like mono's at these wavelengths...at least this is what I've read.
Great Comparison chris. With my ASI 224mc im currently shooting Unfiltered. Maybe I should Get an Ir/UV cut filter! Nice Moon views!
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Hi Avanteesh! Many thanks mate :) I honestly would get one for that camera - the following is from the product description for the ASI 224mc "To maximise the sensors IR performance the protective anti-reflection cover-glass does not include UV/IR cut but a seperate UV/IR cut filter can be obtained and fitted for colour imaging" I think it would be a good way to step up sharpness and contrast judging by the above little test, but more testing needed of course :)
@@AstroInDusVerse aww, Thank you! 😊
@@Astrolavista Ahh, Cool. I would Like To get an IR pass Filter. I have Heard It works Fantastic under Bad seeing To get Fine Details On moon and Planets!
Hey Chris I didn't even know there was such a thing as a semi apo filter. On my phone I liked the UV/IR filter the most but I think that's more the color so close up for detail maybe the Semi Apo would win. Nice test Chris 👍👍
Thanks Ollie! I like both the UV/IR Cut and Semi Apo, both much better than the slightly pink soft no filter image. I've just found out that the Semi Apo has the UV/IR Cut built in which explains a lot!
For my Orion 120ST refractor, I'd like to see now if a UV/IR Cut filter and/or Semi-Apo filter would help with CA.
First thing to do, if you have not done it before, is to center the secondary in the spide and center it right under the focuser in all four directions.
Q GRAN VIDEO!! q bien explicas en hora buena y a por mas.
quiero hacerle una pregunta.
resulta q tengo una canon 100d y la voy a modificar, osea quitare el filtro ir y el low pass.
ahora mi duda viene aqui,
en sustitucion a esos filtros estoy en duda cual es la mejor opcion de filtro, por q he leido mucho y en algunos casos me dicen q ciertos filtro sacan estrellas como pelotas o con halo,
esa es mi primer duda , q filtor me aconsejas,
segunda duda, puedo ponerle mejor un cristal en sustitucion a estos filtros q quitare, y el filtro q me recomiendes , ponerlo por fuera , como los q muestras en este video?
o es mejor ponerlo directamente donde estaan los otros filtros,
y ultima duda, e escuchado q al hacer la modificacion al quitar estos filtros, se pierde la auto limpieza, es verdad???
por cierto yo uso la camara solo para astrofotografia , no me interesa usarla diurnamente
mil gracias!!!!!!!
This might make things much more accessible for those of us that want to start imaging but can't quite step up to an Apo...
I hope so Duncan, so far the Semi Apo seems like a good upgrade and I'm looking forward to testing it on some more objects :)
I didn't know that you can stack fillters I'll have to give it a go very interesting video.
Cheers Ryan, yeah I was able to thread the Semi Apo onto the UV IR Cut although in hindsight I didn't need to do so because it turns out that the Semi Apo filter contains UV/IR Cut! Live and learn lol
I preferred the result with the Semi-Apo. I don't have one, so I'll have to put it on my list. Amazing results really considering the way the sky looked.
Hey Kevin, I was so surprised by the semi apo filter I thought there must have been some mistake in the testing so re did the imaging tonight! Same result, the Semi Apo rocks for imaging : ) I've just read that it has UV/IR cut built in which partly explains things, and also makes my UV/IR + Semi Apo filter test a bit superfluous lol
p.s. Liking the FourGrapples avatar, I don't think we have grape flavoured apples over here.
@@Astrolavista I have the Baader Fringe Killer that I used with my Achromat. It's a 90mm f/5.5 so it really needs a filter of some kind. It does help considerably, but I'd like to make a comparison with the Semi-Apo.
@@Astrolavista I've actually never had one, (Grapple that is), I think it's a west coast thing.
@@thefourgrapples2810 I've heard the Fringe killer does a better job of reducing the CA but it gives a stronger colour cast. I may end up getting the Fringe killer also in which case you can guess what I'll be testing side by side :D
A very useful video, thank you.
Glad you liked it John, Cheers!
Hey Chris! I have another baader filter the moon and skyglow plus uv ir cut, have you tried that one? It's pretty good but the camera I'm using it with (a qhy 163mc pro) already had uv/ir cut built in, It looks from your tests that stacking uv/ir filters has no adverse effect. What do you think?
Hey, I remember owning the Moon and Skyglow filter but it was a long time ago. I didn't do any direct comparisons at the time so maybe one for me to re visit. The only down side to stacking the two filters was the darker image which meant using longer exposure times and this reduced the frames per second.
This filter description says it has UV/IR coatings also.
Yeah the stacking UV/IR Cut with the Semi Apo was arguably pointless so best to pretend that part of the comparison didn't happen :D
IR/UV cut only is a clear winner
How do you reduce chromatic abbheration?
Filters such as the Baader Semi Apo, Baader Fringe Killer, Baader contrast booster, or a simple Wratten 8 light yellow filter.
To everyone considering a semiapo, this filter let's in some blues which are basically great for shooting nebulae sans very bright stars in the FOV.
Won't work a treat for something like the peliades ... Some fringing will be present. The Contrast booster is basically a 485 highpass which won't let any blues below 485. This also helps focusing, reducing the apparent size of stars in long exposures.
However unless you are considering shooting mono, save up for a triplet APO or a Newtonian scope :)
Clear skies
Or they could use a filter with their achro whilst saving for the expensive Apo! Option C :D
Instead of hanging a piece of paper you could have just hold up a hand to the eyepiece and see if the laser was in fact reflected back via the secondary.
What a coincidence, today i search on RUclips about this topic.
That's some good timing if I do say so myself, cheers :)
Filter uv/ir cut svbony is good?
Sorry, I've not tested that filter.
I'm more a visual astronomer so ca doesn't really bother me. Another cheaper option is wratten #8 light yellow. Uv/ir looks well in your video Chris.
Cheers Vic, I feel another test coming on with the wratten #8!
Very good.
Hey Chris this is great but what about it’s use on visual 🙂🔭
Hiya, yeah the semi-apo filter works for visual also, reduces the colour fringing on the planets and the Moon and increases contrast :)
@@Astrolavista thanks Chris 🙂🙂🔭
Ivor Orr.
Only Baader Ir-pass. Only.