Optolong L-Enhance Filter

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Harmonious
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Optolong L-Enhance Filter

#1

Post by Harmonious »


I've just had the opportunity to try the L-Enhance filter with an ASI 183 Pro on a TV-85 w/ .8x reducer-flattener. CEM 60 unguided.

The L-Enhance is a dual narrow band filter. The image below was captured with SharpCap Pro. Gain=362 Exposure=60. Both filter and camera are new to me and I do not have flats or good darks, the notorious amp glow is obvious. That said filters like these seem to have a place in live imaging.

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small Stack_39frames_2340s_WithDisplayStretch.jpg
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yobbo89 Australia
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Re: Optolong L-Enhance Filter

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Post by yobbo89 »


nice results.
scopes :gso/bintel f4 12"truss tube, bresser messier ar127s /skywatcher 10'' dob,meade 12'' f10 lx200 sct
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .

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Baskevo
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Re: Optolong L-Enhance Filter

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Post by Baskevo »


I kind of like the amp glow! lol and your image looks amazing! Can't you calibrate out amp glow with darks?

I am thinking about using the L-Pro as a luminance filter as I've heard people have decent results, although it is probably one of those things that does not make much of a difference but costs quite a bit.

Really great job though!
-James W.

Telescope: Explore Scientific 80mm FCD100 Triplet APO Refractor
Mount: EQ6-R Pro
Cameras: ZWO ASI1600mm Pro (Cooled) | Canon DSLR EOS T7i
Auto-guiding: ZWO ASI120mm-Mini + Astromania 50mm Guidescope

Filters: ZWO 31mm Ha/Oiii/Sii 7nm + LRGB | Orion 2" Skyglow Filter
Accessories: Explore Scientific 2" Field Flattener, ZWO EFW 8 Position
Software: APT, SharpCap Pro, PHD2, CPWI | PixInsight, DeepSkyStacker, Photoshop

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/gp/186194203@N06/18B629
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Re: Optolong L-Enhance Filter

#4

Post by bladekeeper »


Yeah, that filter will really add some contrast to make the amp glow stand out. :D

Darks will clean it right up, though. :)

Nice results! Hopefully, I can try this target soon myself.
Bryan
Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10
Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris
Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100

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Harmonious
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Re: Optolong L-Enhance Filter

#5

Post by Harmonious »


After taking that image i have made some darks and I think that amp glow can be tamed. But for those who don't do darks and flats and other sissy imaging conceits, there is always ROI or the crop.

My style has been generally to favor shorter exposures (<60s) with a 294 Pro. but lately I've been experimenting with the SC Brain function and setting different allowable noise levels lower than the default. The Brain prefers a gain of 121 and an offset of 4 for my sky and exposures of >40 seconds, the longest suggested so far was 175s. Someone called this "watching DSOs dry". With the 183 this makes the glow a bigger issue, but the result is a very smooth low noise image and worth the time to take good darks.

I am not persuaded that the Brain will set the best possible values, but I am persuaded that it is a good reference point for other settings, and as such is worth a few extra minutes in setting up for a target.
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