Camera Labs

Light pollution is a major issue for most of us who star-gaze - see http://www.darksky.org/ for more.

While looking for specialised filters to help with this problem I discovered "front filters". These filters fit into the lens mount of the camera body and, counter-intuitively, are behind the lens.

With apologies to those of you who already knew about them, there is a nice illustration of the technology at http://sciencecenter.net/hutech/filters/ffilter.htm. This also shows how, on unmodified bodies, there is an infra-red filter protecting the camera sensor which means that dust removal is safer.

As I see it the advantages of these filters is that one size fits all lenses potentially saving big bucks and that the filter doesn't rotate even if the front of the lens does while focussing. The downsides are that they can't be used with lenses that protrude into the camera body and, obviously, they do nothing to protect the front of the lens.

Has anyone had experience with these filters?

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.

Sounds like a nice idea. I'm not sure how you'd easily adjust polarising filters though.

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My Flickr

Good point. Given that the filter cannot be rotated in its housing that probably rules out a lot of possible applications.

Astrophotography may be the best application, if not the only one. There is a nice illustration of light pollution suppression at http://www.astropix.com/HTML/I_ASTROP/FILTERS.HTM where you can see A/B comparisons with and without an IDAS filter.

Bob.

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OM-D E-M5 + ED 12-50mm, H-PS14042E, H-F007014E, L-RS014150E, M.ZUIKO DIGITAL 45mm 1:1.8.
Gitzo GT1541T, Arca-Swiss Z1 DP ball-head.
Astrophotography: TEC 140 'scope, FLI ML16803 camera, ASA DDM60 Pro mount.