Dual-Band Filter Processing for color cameras!

There are so many multi-band filters for color cameras available these days, from the amazing Optolong L-eXtreme, to the L-eNhance, the ZWO Duo Band, the Sightron Quad BP, the IDAS offerings, the OPT / Radian Triad and Triad Ultra, Altair's offerings, and many others!
However, it can be hard to process the images to get the OIII to pop out a bit more. Using PixInsight, I'm going to have fun today trying to use ForaXx's excellent color combination technique!
If you wish to support me and plan on buying astro equipment, please consider buy through OPT using this affiliate link! bit.ly/2OIw6jH
Optolong L-eXtreme: bit.ly/3b9qlpo
Optolong L-eNhance: bit.ly/333JnLI
OPT Triad Ultra Filter: bit.ly/344SCdI
And for anything else (really anything you want to buy from Amazon, do it after clicking on the below link)!
Canon 200mm f2.8L II: amzn.to/2FvklvP
VisibleDark's Hubble Palette Video: • Hubble Palette look wi...
ForaXx's combination method: thecoldestnights.com/2020/06/...
EZ Processing Suite: darkarchon.internet-box.ch:8443/
Raw Data: drive.google.com/file/d/1_Xdo...
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#astrophotography

[@AstroQuest1]

Thanks as always Cuiv. I am a little late to the dual band with color camera but I will try and process my first image with this method. Hope you are doing well. Cheers Kurt

[@charliemarchand]

Awesome video and thank you for the links! I am going to play with some existing data I have and see how it turns out!

[@JonDenver]

This video is amazing. Completely transformed how I use duo band. I did go one step further and did a deconvolution and de noise using the ez-suite scripts prior to re combining the pics. Really made a difference on the Witch’s Broom Nebula. Posted on my channel.Thank you!

[@robertw1871]

Wow, thanks… brilliant teaching, leaning as much as I can when the weather looks uncooperative for probably weeks keeps me involved… Very much appreciated.

[@astrobeardimage]

I learned a great deal from this content. Thanks Cuiv! Have a good one and may your skies be clear.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Glad it was helpful, always happy to help :D Same to you!

[@stevieukuk]

Absolutely loving your videos buddy! Great work! Thanks :D

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you Stephen, and it is my pleasure! :D

[@VisibledarkAstro]

Interesting technique. Will have to try this as well. Enjoyed the video! Clear skies my friend!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Clear skies to you too Shawn! Thanks for dropping by :) I hope you'll get good results from the method!

[@NeilW210]

Thanks Cuiv, excellent stuff as always!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Neil!

[@merc500sec]

thanks for sharing Cuiv , just followed it an got great results from my AA quadband filter

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Excellent! Glad it was helpful!

[@celestromel]

Thanks Cuiv - a very helpful intro to how to use my new Antlia 5nm duo and filter.

[@craiglowery4427]

Wow. It’s magical. Thanks

[@VaThor.SkyWatcher]

Also from my side, many many thanks for a (again) interesting, easy to follow and entertaining tutorial 👃🤩 Just did my first lights with the Askar Colour Magic C1 on the Cresent nebula (unfortunately only 45 minutes)....also through your help with several tutorials and recommendations the result was a viewable picture...at least one which leaves a beginner very happy ☺ CS

[@elmikol2443]

Very cool technique Yannick! I may have to try it.... Being a osc imagers myself. Be safe!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks! Whenever it's raining feel free to try it :D Take care, be safe, and clear skies!

[@LampCord99]

Timing couldn't be better for me. I just captured 2 1/2 hours of IC5070 with the L-Extreme filter. Looks great stacked, was wondering what to do next. Thanks again for all of your great tutorials!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

My pleasure, and good luck with the processing!

[@komr323]

It’s the crescent nebula season. Good tutorial. Thanks

[@daveincanada4794]

Between NINA, OSC CMOS cameras, these new multi-bandpass filters, the Weighted Batch Pre-processing script and the EZ Processing Suite in Pixinsight, I think I might be getting very spoiled, maybe even (dare I say it) lazy! You have laid out a super-cool process here and explained the steps thoroughly and simply. I tried it on the North America Nebula with data from an L-eNhance filter and got a beautiful result. Thanks Cuiv for another fun and awesome video!

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Great to hear it worked well for you! I really like the natural look this palette gives us!

[@lazareftd]

Love your videos !

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thank you Artycho :D

[@AstroSoundscape]

Interesting information thanks.

[@jasondain8713]

Great video as always. I will try this with my L-enhance data on this target and see how it works.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Sounds good, good luck with it!

[@jasondain8713]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek It worked pretty well. I'm pretty happy with the results. I went with the SHO combination after I made the simulated narrow band layers rather than what you did from the following link: www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-narrowband-hubble-palette.html

[@thewarhenk]

Cuiv, you do a great job.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks Warren!! (Are you the Pixinsight-master Warren Keller??)

[@thewarhenk]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek I don’t think any of us ever master this very challenging endeavor, but yes, that would be me!

[@SKYST0RY]

I would love to see you do a comparison one of these days between Pixinsight and SIRIL. They are so similar and SIRIL, while free, has become amazingly powerful.

[@chrdotgd]

Cuiv, I would like to see more PixInsight processing. I love your enthusiasm and how you live in reality (you don't let perfect be the enemy of the good).

[@BrokenPik]

Here yea go: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fnq7e32nmtxpqLM

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Oh yeah, Mitch has tons of PixInsight tutorials, and I'd recommend Shawn's VisibleDark channel as well! Of course I have quite a few PI videos on my catalog as well :) Will keep doing some, I have an upcoming one about a simple LRGB workflow!

[@chrdotgd]

@@BrokenPik I have watched all of your videos :)

[@chrdotgd]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek I have seen visible dark and Mitch's. I relate to you more is all. Hence my suggestion for more pixinsight. I'm just one guy so if no one else is asking for this, no hard feelings :)

[@BrokenPik]

@@chrdotgd Oh goodness...

[@prnzssLuna]

Funny, my L-eXtreme arrived today morning. Timing is perfect again xD

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Excellent! Enjoy the L-eXtreme!

[@astrogerard2022]

Thanks Cuiv. I found the l-extreme makes my images quite orange. Be sure to correct that in the post processing or it looks a bit strange.

[@KopLamp]

I am working on a video for processing duo narrowband data using Siril. Also inspired on Seans techniques.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Awesome! Siril needs more exposure, I am really impressed by it!

[@jfn480427]

Aaaaarghhh this is awesome! But you are a quite fast lazy Geek, I am a slower one sonI will need to watch this video like a dozen times! Thanks

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Hahaha, sorry about the speed - I know you'll get it down! Good luck!

[@paulwilson8367]

I tried this using APP, and though all 3 stacks looked great, they wouldn't combine in RGB. I am only just learning the difficult PixInsight, and your advanced tutorial is a bit over my head. I have the L-extreme and am eager to make this technique work. Don't know what I am doing wrong.

[@montygiavelli8125]

Should we do noise reduction before we do this. You use EZ stretch. Normally I reduce noise before I stretch, did you reduce noise before you did what's in this video ??

[@astrodiver8096]

Thx 🙏 for the video , wonder if you can make a video about noise reduction .

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I have an old video where I compare various noise reduction software, and my latest processing tutorial also goes into the EZDenoise for the linear stage of the image!

[@greotto]

Great video. Just a suggestion you tend to go a bit fast so hard for noobs like me to reproduce especially the pixel math settings. So slow down. 😁 Greg

[@captaincook6666]

Surely blue is more specific to O3 whereas green will have some h alpha in it (looking at typical sensor profiles could be as much as 20% of red signal). Also does colour balance on the original rgb image achieve same effect as seperating and mixing channels anyway?

[@gansri4819]

Hi Cuiv, I wonder if you are able to do an exclusive video to discuss all the astrophotography filters and various applications for each type: a comprehensive guide if you like. It would be extremely useful as I can not find a good read/video to explain all in one place. G

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That's a very good idea! Thank you!

[@simonwalsh6804]

Cuiv, Great video. I have a question - do you think a high end color CMOS combined with dual band filter imaging can realistically compete with a mono sensor with NB filters? There are some serious cost-savings to be made with the former (and I am definitely a victim of the AP black hole.....) Simon

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Hi Simon, and welcome to AA (Astrophotographers Anonymous) :-) There is no doubt that a 2600MM Pro with 3nm filters will blow a 2600MC Pro with l-Extreme out of the water. 2600MM Pro with 7nm will still have a distinct advantage. Monochrome frames are just easier to deal with, and the chromatic noise after color combination is far easier to control. Then you have the ability to do true palettes with monochrome. But mono is more complex to set up and more expensive. Color + Dual Band is still a compromise...

[@angryBOT]

Don't lie! Your mother does not have a duo-narrowband filter. She can't be that cool :p Thanks for sharing! My L-eXtreme workflow improved with your hints.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Aha, maybe I'll send one to her for her birthday just to prove you wrong!! :D Excellent to hear it was useful for your workflow!

[@stelaras1]

Congrats for the 4k subs 👍, I have a very not clever question I think 😏 is there a meaning to apply this method with light pollution filters? (I have svbony UHC filter)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Thanks S-Telios! Well, the UHC filter has the red and the blue/green bandpasses separated, so you could try - but maybe doing a standard OSC workflow would work better!

[@markwood1660]

Excellent, more Pixinsight please. How long were the subs for this image ?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Definitely! The subs were 60s long for this image.

[@MatheusSantanaMS]

Hi Cuiv, Do you use SPCC for dual band image? It could be necessary? or if I follow this workflow the colors will be rigth?

[@Oscaro9928]

Very informative video! What camera and scope did you use? What was yourBortle sky rating? Will this filter work under a Bortle 7 sky?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Too long ago for me to remember about camera and scope, but I'm in Tokyo, so Bortle 8-9. Optolong L-eXtreme, SVBony SV220, Askar D1/D2, Altair dual band, all those filters would work well in B7

[@chromea7x361]

I would love to follow along in this tutorial😀, is the raw data still available somewhere? link didnt work, thanks!🙏

[@Calzune]

Is there a guide on how pixelmath works? Different combinations, how to think etc? Maybe in a video?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

That's a complicated subject that I'm not sure I am skilled/knowledgeable enough to tackle yet... Still, great suggestion, I'll see what I can do :) Otherwise, the blog post for ForaXx does explain a lot of it!

[@nitailevi8001]

Hi, I've been observing and taking solar system photos for a few years (with a long SC telescope). I'm just about to order my first tracker and use my camera and lenses with it. What single filter would you suggest to get in my Bortle 8-9 area (and in lock down for the forseeable future so can't travel to a darker area any time soon)? This is for a non-modified mirrorless and DSLR cameras. I will probably get a cooled astro camera eventually but probably not right now. Thanks.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Hi Nitai - wow your questions is really tough, almost to the point of sadism :D If you're wanting to capture a wide range of targets and your cameras are unmodded, I'd go with the Optolong L-Pro (based on its specs and reviews - I have not personally used it). If you're interested mainly in nebulae, and modding your cameras is an option, then the Optolong L-Extreme.

[@KrishnaKumar-wj6jt]

Hi Cuiv, enjoy your videos. Thanks. Can I use the zwo duo band filter for visual use with the 10inch dob mainly to cut through the light pollution (white led lights) to see nebula. Thanks.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Well, it's not made for visual, but I guess it could work - it does have a good bandpass in the blue-green, which our eyes are sensitive too. Can't say for sure how well it would work!

[@KrishnaKumar-wj6jt]

Hi Cuiv, we have zwo duo at 35nm, Lenhance at 24nm, other O3 filter at 15nm and Lextreme at 7nm (approximate band pass in O3 region). For visual would the sweet spot be around 15nm? Thanks.

[@AstroPixUK]

Great video again. did you mention a link for some scripts? I don’t see it, apologies if I’ve missed it.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Sorry, here it is! darkarchon.internet-box.ch:8443/

[@AstroPixUK]

Cuiv, The Lazy Geek cheers :).

[@lachezarkrastev7123]

What I do not like of those filters is that they get mostly the H-alpha, but not the OIII. The only target that I like with those is the Cygnus loop /Veil/ nebula.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Oh the filters get the OIII fine - it's just that the OIII is so much weaker on so many targets. This means that you'll be gathering SNR on Ha far beyond the point of diminishing returns in order to get better SNR on OIII. It is just too tempting to have not enough integration time wrt OIII....

[@AncalimeNL]

I can't find this ZW filter anywhere....

[@bakicj]

Hey Cuiv, when I combined the Ha, Sii and Oiii the image came out with a blue cast over the whole thing, followed steps exactly, how do I fix that?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I'm actually not sure - if you used my data, then definitely there was a mistake somewhere (since it's pretty deterministic)... If it's another image, make sure to merge Luminance too, and then try playing with the Hue curve in CurvesTransformation. Good luck!

[@Diomedes642]

Hey Cuiv, super random question. I shoot with a DSLR and I'm not ready mentally to deal with a monochrome camera but want to upgrade to something better. Are there any color cameras you would suggest?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It really depends on your scope and seeing (e.g. what resolution you want/need to achieve), but I personally think the ASI533MC Pro and its bigger brothers (basically same sensor, just more surface area) the 2600MC and 6200MC are amazing, and extremely well-behaved. And of course QHY and others also have excellent cameras based on the same sensor. If you do go from DSLR to color astro-camera, make sure to get a cooled camera! Otherwise you won't see much of a difference!

[@Diomedes642]

Cuiv, The Lazy Geek thanks Cuiv, I haven’t picked my imaging scope. I’m working with an AVX so I’m going back and forward between choosing a 60mm-80mm refractor. Thanks for the advice, I’ll check out the 533MC!

[@The-explorer]

Hey bro. Greetings from Egypt. I have wide field images for the milkyway. 2 different types of data for the same object one of them using optolong lextream, the other group of data is rgb without the filter. How can i combine them and is it useful to combine the two types rgb and data with lextream or just using your mentioned method. Thanks so much.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Hello! There are many approaches - you could merge the Ha with R and OIII with G, or follow a tutorial like this one: www.lightvortexastronomy.com/tutorial-combining-lrgb-with-narrowband.html

[@The-explorer]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek thanks from planet earth to the edge of the universe

[@Astro_Ophiuchus]

Cuiv, I used my dual band fileter but I am using a mono camera instead of a color. I have the ZWO ASI2600MM Pro. I can't figure out how to process the images in SHO. Any help would be apprectiated

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

You can't process in SHO if you used a dual band filter + monochrome camera. The resulting image is OIII + Ha, without any way of separating the two (although because Ha is typically much stronger, the whole frame can be used as an overall Ha approximation)

[@Astro_Ophiuchus]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Thank you for replying to my question Cuiv. How about with a DSLR? I have the Canon EOS R. Will I be able to use the Optolong 2" L-eXtreme Dual Band filter and process the data?

[@jgostling]

An L-Enhance should arrive on my mail any day now, and this pops up on my recommendations. On the subject of processing dual-band images, even though I haven't tried it, since the L-Enhance captures both Oiii and H-beta on the blue/green end of the spectrum, and H-beta is a weaker mimic to H-alpha, I was thinking of subtracting a low portion of the red channel from the green/blue composite to eliminate H-beta and give some more clarity on those to Oiii. Any thoughts on this idea?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

The L-eNhance should work very well as well! Mmmh basically you have to think that you have R = Ha + SII and G + B = Hb + OIII . I don't think mathematically that approach would work, BUT any color combination is as much art as it is science, so I say: go for it! And let us know the results!

[@jgostling]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek Looking at the transmittance graph for the L-Enhance, it looks to me that R=Ha, leaving all of Sii out-of-band. If there is still a significant amount of Sii in the R channel, the idea doesn't work. Now to do the postal waiting game before I can try this in practice.

[@micham.9057]

Is there any way to do pixel math like operation in some open-source software or in Photoshop?

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

There is with ImageMagick! I will make a tutorial on that at some point.

[@grabbit9215]

i think MATLAB can do the trick,

[@micham.9057]

@@grabbit9215 yes, probably it also could be done in scilab

[@lachezarkrastev7123]

With all gymnastics you get the same picture :)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

I see what you mean :D I do think it is fairly different, but I can't deny it's quite similar :p But at least I did gymnastics, good for the mind and body!

[@BrokenPik]

here is a tip... where it says Image ID in Pixelmath, Type SHO , then no need to retype it in the new image tab. :)

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Oooooh, shiny! Thanks for the tip!

[@Mistr_A]

Was excited till you started using pixinsight I am not fond of this software and use Astropixel processor for the combinations of colour.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Unfortunately I've never properly used APP so I can't speak for this software - still, the principle should be the same, assuming that there is a PixelMath equivalent in APP! PixInsight is just a tool, the method behind it is software-agnostic :-)

[@Mistr_A]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek That's the beauty of APP there is no requirement for pixelmath or any math it's pure gui and intuitive. I'm more a visual person so can't get my head around the pixinsight interface.

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@Mistr_A Fair enough! This particular palette however requires something like PixelMath...

[@firstphoton655]

doesnt work on galaxies very well =(

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

Of course! This kind of narrowband multi-band filter is made for nebulae, not for galaxies!

[@freonmak5812]

where do i get the script of EZ processing suite? is it a free script or need to pay? thx

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

It is free! You can get it here: darkarchon.internet-box.ch:8443/

[@freonmak5812]

@@CuivTheLazyGeek but the link will jump into paypal, so really no need to pay? thx

[@CuivTheLazyGeek]

@@freonmak5812 What? No! As it says on the link, "darkarchon.internet-box.ch:8443/ Add this URL in PixInsight under "Resources -> Updates -> Manage Repositories". No need to pay anything....

[@freonmak5812]

finally, got it....many thanks