Hei guys, I personally like to soften the stars. At the beginning I did it on post. Now I found the Kenko PRO1D that allows me to soften the stars but still mantain the detail of the nebulas. Actually, I did some review of it, with some photos, so here I share it, just in case someone in interested into it. You can get the filter with screw, or also of 2" size.
Best regards:
Introduction
In landscape astrophotography, it is common to use special filters to create a halo or glow around the stars. These filters soften the light from bright points, giving a more artistic look to the stars and the image overall, without losing sharpness in the rest of the scene. This way, the photos acquire a magical and ethereal feel that enhances the beauty of the night sky.
Although there are different mist effect filters on the market that serve this purpose, the brand Kenko was one of the first to release filters specifically for astrophotography to achieve this effect. Among them, the PRO1D Prosofton Clear filter stands out. The Kenko is a soft effect filter designed for photographers who want to enhance the atmosphere of their night images without sacrificing the sharpness of the main details in the sky.
Its glass quality is high, maintaining excellent sharpness and detail in the images without any noticeable color cast. This is also due to its multi-coating that reduces reflections to less than 0.5%, and its ultra-thin aluminum frame, which avoids vignetting even with wide-angle lenses.
What’s interesting about this filter is that it applies a very subtle softening effect on the stars, thus creating that dreamy halo that enhances the atmosphere while keeping the focus and overall detail of the image intact.
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Comparison between not using the filter (above) and using the
PRO1D Prosofton Clear (below), at 28mm.=viewingOptions
Most diffusion filters used in astrophotography are more aggressive than the Prosofton Clear. With them, you get a strong glow effect on the stars but, in return, you also lose detail in the structures of the Milky Way. This means that from these filtered images, only the stars are usually used, which then need to be combined with background images taken without a filter to avoid losing detail. In contrast, as we have said, the PROSOFTON Clear, with its very controlled effect, allows you to obtain, in a single image, both softened stars and detailed nebulas and celestial features, making it unnecessary to take additional unfiltered images to capture good information of the Milky Way.
Of course, this subtlety, which is the great virtue of this filter, will be less noticeable when using very wide angles or in panoramas compared to when using longer focal lengths, and this might be something for some photographers to consider. But in my view, the effect is just right to achieve diffused stars while preserving the detail of celestial nebulas.
Conclusion
The Kenko PRO1D PROSOFTON Clear is a very versatile and high-quality filter, ideal for those looking for a soft, natural effect in their night photos while always maintaining image sharpness. Its use is especially recommended for star photographers who prefer to simplify their captures without multiple exposures.
While its effect may seem too subtle for some photographers, especially in scenes with wide-angle lenses and panoramas, in my opinion, the PRO1D is a highly recommended filter.
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Single shot taken at 11mm, using the Kenko PRO1D for the sky
Panorama taken at 11mm, using the Kenko PRO1D for the sky
