Hi everyone. Thinking about picking up an O-III filter for nebula viewing and a filter for the moon to reduce glare. Are they worth the effort/cost and if so, any recommendations? Ben
Getting a moon filter is definitely worth it! They're not expensive and they can quite dramatically increase contrast not only making the moon less painful on the eyes but making it better to look at.
I cannot really comment on the O-III filter though, I have one up for sale in the classifieds at the moment but I've never really used it.
Hi
O 111 filters are not recommended for nebula viewing with an aperture of less than 8inch so keep that in mind,I have the celestron moon filter that does the job nicely and good value,wouldn't myself go spending lots on a moon filter,
Hope that helps.
+1 for a moon filter. I had problems with a plastic bodied moon filter. The thread was a bit untidy and was a bugger to screw on to some eyepieces. Metal bodied was much better at threading. I have seen a video where the user just drops the filter on the eyecup side. Nice and quick but.......
However, I now use a variable polarizer filter which I think is great. You can adjust the brightness to suit the phase or just to suit your taste. It's quite interesting changing the brightness on a given FOV to see what pops out at you. Some say they reduce the sharpness but I can't see it myself.
I also like my oiii filter but I do have a 10" dob and I got the filter for a good price. The Tarantula neb looks spectacular!
This Celestron filter linked above is an absolute rip off! There are way better options out there, just need to shop around.
That may be so but at least they suggested some options. You say it's an absolute rip off and suggest that there are 'better options' yet didn't provide any links to said alternatives!
The celestron moon filter I have is the black anodized aluminium bodied 1.25 one not the one with the plastic mount that can be problematic in the threading department ,the filter I have performs extremely well ,you do not need to spend a fortune on a moon filter,as was said earlier in the post by Chris a variable polarizing filter would be a nice thing to have as well for different phases of the moon and I'm trying to pick up one Used myself but they aren't that expensive I've seen a lumicon one for about 40 usd new
My variable polarizer (polariser?) is a one piece unit. Agena Astro's website has a large selection, including models with an integral eyepiece holder which I've not seen before. Interesting reading if nothing else.
It may not be the absolute best quality but $21 is pretty good if you ask me.
