Cloudy Nights(Baader Filter Replacement EOS 20D)

Seeing that the weather at the moment has taken a turn for the worse and every night now seems to be a cloudy night i decided to modify my trusty old Canon 20D by fitting a Baader-ACF 2 DSLR correcting filter which replaces Canon's original filter giving full efficiency at H-Alpha wavelengths very simialr to the 20Da.

The Baader filter has to be self installed which does require some care but you can if you prefer send the camera away for it to be fitted by an increasing number of people which now carry out this mod for you but at a price of course.

For a very good guide on what is involved in fitting one of the above filters have a look at the Life Pixel site which has a step by step guide to what is involved on most Canon and Nikon cameras.

Inside a Canon 20D

Display removed exposing heat shield

Assembly with new Baader filter fitted

Light Polution Problems Solved

One of the biggest problems for the Urban Astro Photographer is the amount of light polution that is now very evident around all of the major towns and citys within the UK.

To try and combat the effects this has on astro photography i have purchased an Astronomik Visual CLS Filter from Bernard at Modern Astronomy which now means i can get exposures up to three or four minutes in length without them being so over exposed that any detail is lost.

The Astronomic filter is a clip in broadband light pollution filter which works on all objects for both visual and imaging use.

It blocks Sodium, Mercury and air-glow emissions and can also be used as an effective minus violet filter by refractor owners and also these are not UV / IR blocked.

Gear Guide

Well to start off with i have a Celestron C80 ED Scope with an EQ 5 Goto mount which i purchased some time ago from David Hinds in Leighton Buzzard along with various converters so as to be able to attach my Canon cameras to the scope so as to begin my attempts at photographing some of the wonders of the night sky above Milton Keynes.

I use Canon photographic equipment and have several DSLR cameras and a range of lenses from 17mm wide angle up to my favourite lens which is the EF 300mm F2.8 IS telephoto lens which is said to be one of if not the best lens that Canon has ever made.

Hopefully i will use not only the scope for imaging but also some of the shorter focal length lenses for some wide field imaging over the coming months and years to try and capture and share some of the wonders of the night sky that can still be observed from inner city gardens all across the UK.