Light pollution filter

Hi all,

I live near a major city and I am looking for a bargain light pollution filter to hopefully capture night sky. Most of my lenses have a 52mm thread for filters.

Can you please share tips on which brands/models to look out for?

This might be of help:

The best light pollution filters for night photography in 2021 | Digital Camera World

Now you've got me interested LOL.

I hesitated because an entirely different list of unfamiliar (and much more expensive) products is being called out by astronomy blogs. Do they know something we do not?

Best Light Pollution Filters for 2021 – Astronomy Online

The K&F concept (Kent-Faith) 'Natural Night' filter range looked good when I first became aware of these filters a few months back. It came near top in a comparison review and is one of the cheapest available.

I've no connection with the company, but I have other gear made by them, and it's all good quality stuff.

I ordered the Hoya because its currently on sale at Amazon. It's probably not be the best, and I don't have an ideal lens or an ideal location either.

Here is a detailed article that explains the effects of UHC and CLS filters with some great shots of nebulas.

How to Choose a Light Pollution Filter for Astrophotography

I ordered the Hoya because its currently on sale at Amazon. It's probably not be the best

Hoya filters are a solid, reliable make. The largest manufacturer of filters in the world, most likely. They're also a long-established glass foundry that supplies a huge range of optical glass to other lens manufacturers.

So I have no idea why many photographers consider Hoya filters as 2nd rate. Their pedigree is as good as Heliopan's, and Schneider/B+W don't even produce their own glass.

...

So I have no idea why many photographers consider Hoya filters as 2nd rate. Their pedigree is as good as Heliopan's, and Schneider/B+W don't even produce their own glass.

Hoya makes quality filters - agree.

B+W's choice to use Schott glass is probably better than homemade, and the coatings & brass rings are very nice - but I don't think they make Astro/Light pollution filters though.

Schott glass is probably better than homemade

Homemade!

Hoya aren't playing at glassmaking you know. They are a long-established glass-foundry with, last time I looked, a catalogue of dozens of different optical glass types. All specified precisely by RI and Abbe number. Including rare-earth and other exotic types of glass.

Glass production is their core business, not a sideline.

Homemade!

Hoya aren't playing at glassmaking you know. They are a long-established glass-foundry with, last time I looked, a catalogue of dozens of different optical glass types. All specified precisely by RI and Abbe number. Including rare-earth and other exotic types of glass.

Glass production is their core business, not a sideline.

Easy now :) You cut my quote. I said Hoya makes quality filters.

"homemade" was referring back to B+W in the sentence you cut. Rephrased: B+W's choice to use Scott glass is probably better than if they (B+W) made the glass themselves.

Regarding filter producers, I have been happy with Nikon's filters and their new Arcrest series is particularly sweet (At least I think it is new? I wasn't aware of their Arcrest series until last year).

I think Nikon makes their own filters/glass, whereas Canon filters seem more generic, I speculate if they may be made by someone like Kenko - the finish is very close to Kenko's mid range line.

Sorry, I misunderstood which company you were referring to about the homemade glass.

Some of Nikon's glass is homemade. Or at least it used to be. It wouldn't surprise me if most of it was outsourced these days. Maybe even from Hoya.

Most of the hoohah about filters these days is WRT their coatings. One company 'innovates' by adding an easy-clean layer or somesuch, and the rest follow. All except for the cheapest of lines, where you're lucky to get a single coating, let alone 17 layers, or whatever silly number it's escalated to now.