STC Astro Duo-Narrowband Filter - Any views?

[The Thing]

This looks like a fantastic product, enables narrowband imaging on an OSC camera, they also do a tri-band version but its Euro775! I am sorely tempted to give one of these a go.

https://www.cyclopsoptics.com/astronomy-filters/stc-astro-duo-narrowband-filter-48mm?utm_campaign=20180114%20Launch%20STC%20Duo-Narrowband&utm_source=cloudynights&utm_medium=forum

[Carole]

I have read about them on another forum.  But as yet not seen any results from them.  Having narrowband capability I think is a good thing as there is much not visible with normal RGB.

I'll take a look on the other forum to see if there are any results in yet.

Good luck with it I look forward to seeing the results.
Just a bit puzzled how you can capture both Ha and Oiii simultaeously and how do you combine the data?  All mixed up in with the RGB data as well?

Carole

[Carole]

Yes some-one seems to have done this with a DSLR:

[The Thing]

The filter passes H-alpha and OIII which are basically red and green so they pass through the R & G filters of the Bayer matrix on the OSC camera. With this filter I don't think the blue channel gets any data. Thus the filtered narrowband channels are recorded in the RAW data. They do a very expensive tri-band version as well ($775!!!).

So if you shoot subs with and without the filter you get RGBHaOIII data for your object.

[MarkS]

In principle the idea works well.  If you are going to do narrowband with a one-shot-colour camera you might as well capture two wavelengths simultaneously.

But I have no experience of STC.


Mark

[The Thing]

One of the benefits I can see is being able to image with more Moon glow around thus extending the number of nights on which data can be captured. There are few enough clear nights around new moon as it is. On the downside, I would need either a filter draw or filter wheel to make use of it which dampens my enthusiasm somewhat and I have had lots of star halo problems with filters I have put in the imaging train to date.

[Carole]

I would need either a filter draw or filter wheel to make use of it

If any-one is interested, I have a manual 5 position 1.25" filter for sale for £50 having bought myself a 2nd electronic filterwheel.

Carole