New range of Astronomik filters

[strongmanmike]

Thought some on Ice in Space might like to know, along with their recently released 6nm Ha, OIII and SII filters, Astronomik have now released a new line of both Luminance and Deep-Sky RGB filters:

Luminance (http://www.astronomik.com/en/photographic-filters/luminance-filter-l-1-l-2-l-3.html)

Deep-Sky RGB (http://www.astronomik.com/en/photographic-filters/deep-sky-rgb-colour-filters.html)

I have been using the Deep-Sky RGB filters in my last five images (see following link, latest at the top) and the new 6nm HaOIIISII set has been used in relevant images since the image of K1-22 The Southern Owl (except for New Lagoon version 2 which was composed from old data):

AG12 New Astronomik Filters (http://www.pbase.com/strongmanmike2002/first_light_ag12)

They look like goood'uns and particularly no troublesome halos are evident :)

Mike

[Shiraz]

thanks for the heads up Mike. The specs are great, particularly the GB overlap and the choice of lum.

[gregbradley]

I have a set of older Astromiks. They are fairly good. My main problem with them was they are so thin and for some filter wheels needed packers. The new FLI Filter wheels have a clever set of washers that suit any thickness.

Are they 1:1:1 RGB combine?

Do you find they are parfocal or do they need different focus points? Same with the narrowband. I can focus with the luminance with Astrodons and the narrowbands are also in focus which makes it a lot easier to focus them.

I like the sound of tuning your luminance and in particular a Light pollution filter. But sadly they don't seem to sell a CLS filter in 50X50mm.

Greg.

[strongmanmike]

According to the description, the RGB set is designed to be fairly 1:1:1 across many chips and yes all filters are designed to be par focal and my experience supports this :)

With the almost infinite possibilities of post processing, I have to say I have never really seen the necessity for having RGB filters that are 1:1:1 anyway...? Perhaps from a scientific data collection point of view but for what we do..:shrug:

Mike

[codemonkey]

If I'd seen this about a month ago, before ordering the Astrodons, you'd have given me a tough decision to make!

Really like the different options in bandpass for the L filters.

[Amaranthus]

I have Astronomik RGBs bought about 6 months ago. A very careful G2V calibration using my QHY22 yielded a ratio of 1.03:1:1.09, which I consider sufficiently acceptable to not consider an upgrade :) I'm imaging in jet-black southern Tassie rural skies, so LP is not an issue.

[gregbradley]

Thanks Mike.

The Baaders I used to have were a fair way off 1:1:1 and it can be a little trial and error in the colour combine but as you say you play with it when you are doing it and get a decent colour and continue. We all have to do colour processing at some point in the processing anyway. But if the colour combine is a long way off it makes processing either impossible or very difficult.

CCDstack makes the colour combine ratios quite easy to adjust before you commit and lock it in.

Greg.