Telescope-Solar Telescopes-Baader ASBF 60 AstroSolar Binoculars Solar Filter – 60 mm

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1. Jason G. Verified Buyer – 1 September 2017

   I got these for the 2017 solar eclipse and was quite pleased with them optically and mechanically. I managed to get some very good photos of the sun and the similar filter I got for my telescope was a big hit — everyone enjoyed an up-close view of the sun disappearing, the sunspots, and the chromosphere.

   The not-so-good of these filter

   s is unfortunately their sizing and Velcro “backup” mounting system. Other reviewers have stated that it is critical to get the right size, so I double-checked my lens’ (and telescope’s) filter/tube size on the assumption that an e.g. 60mm filter would fit a lens with a 58mm filter thread. Unfortunately, 60mm refers to the size of the solar filter’s aperture; the mounting system will only fit onto objects with a diameter a few centimeters larger. Baader Planetarium provides a sizing guide (http://www.baader-planetarium.com/en/downloads/dl/file/id/299/product/2986/baader_solar_filters_cla..but its hard to find and I did not know about it before my purchase.

   The Velcro “backup” mount is a good idea, but flawed in execution. While its nice to have peace-of-mind that a strong wind won’t blow the filter off, in practice the glue-backed Velcro pads don’t stick well — the glue pulls off before the Velcro separates. Also, using them with telephoto lenses is somewhat dubious, since one obviously does not want glue “gunk” to get onto parts that might move in and out of the lens. A different “backup” mount would be appreciated that was more secure and less likely to gum up lens internals.