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Dec 08, 2023

Best light pollution filters for night photography in 2023

Looking for light pollution filters to capture the night sky? Then check out

Looking for light pollution filters to capture the night sky? Then check out this guide...

The best light pollution filters are the perfect tools for capturing spectacular astro photography – even if you live in the middle of a city. Light pollution emitted by houses, cars, street lamps and more will usually scupper an astro shoot, preventing you from being able to see or capture the stars and constellations above, no matter how clear the sky is. However, the best light pollution filters can fix this.

More astro photography guides

• Best lenses for astrophotography• Best gear for shooting stars• The best fisheye lenses• The best binoculars• The best telescopes for astrophotography• The best CCD cameras for astrophotography• The best star trackers

So, what exactly are light pollution filters? Well, these glass filters are designed to suppress the emissions that are generated by artificial lighting. Placing one of the best light pollution filters in front of a lens will reduce the yellow/green color caused by city lights.

This means that your astro photography images will have more clarity, more natural colors and improved contrast. However, not all light pollution filters are created equal, as some are more effective than others. We've put together this guide to the best light pollution filters to help you find the best filter for you.

• Read more: How to improve your astrophotography: tips, tricks and techniques

A good quality light pollution filter can actually be relatively affordable, but some of the higher end models can be a little more expensive. However, no matter what your budget is, one of the best light pollution filters just makes sense for astro photography within urban areas. After all. while post-production can fix many sins, it's always best to sort out any problems in-camera if you can.

Some of the filters included on this list will have extra features such as anti-reflective coatings, or are built to be water- or oil-repellant. We've made sure to highlight these qualities when they pop up in the products below. As you scroll through our list, just make sure to remember to get the right filter size for your lens' filter thread.

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

Available in a broad range of sizes to fit your lens in question, this Japanese manufactured screw-on example from filter specialist Hoya, seeks to reduce yellowish and greenish color casts resulting from taking photographs in areas swamped by street lights.

The intended result is improved overall contrast and natural color, thus reducing the amount of time needed for post processing the pictures later.

The filter has the further advantage of a low profile and is compatible with both wide- and super wide-angle lenses, reassures the manufacturer, which makes them ideal for shooting landscapes and astrological photography at night. A ‘heavenly’ option!

Not a brand name formerly familiar to us, this light pollution filter from ‘Ice’ nevertheless comes in a range of filter sizes at slightly more affordable prices than most bigger name alternatives.

Those aiming to achieve greater clarity for their astrophotography and/or make their post processing tasks a little easier if shooting in a city or suburban area inevitably swamped with artificial light, simply screw it on to the front of their lens and away you go, blocking out the color shifting glow from street lights without changing the entire color spectrum. There is also a 100mm square version of the filter, designed for use with slot-in filter systems.

The round optical glass filters also feature a double threaded frame, which allows for filter stacking or the application of hoods and caps. Comes supplied with a plastic case too, for transportation and protection.

Again promising photographers more clarity, contrast and natural looking colors when shooting at night in urban areas, this double threaded K&F Concept branded round filter features double-sided nano coating to help stop yellow and orange wavelengths of light from entering the lens.

Claimed to be scratch- and water-resistant, it is also conveniently super slim, with a frame design just 3.8mm wide. This means it won't add significantly to your camera and lens's combined profile, while it's constructed from aviation grade aluminum alloy material to boot.

To ensure the color authenticity of shots, the makers further advise using a manual white balance setting and selecting a color temperature between 700K and 1,500K.

Another familiar name in the image-making world aiming to sort out night pollution for photographers wanting to give astrophotography and more their literal ‘best shot’ – Rollei claims its offering is made from high-quality optical glass and behaves in a neutral fashion within the infrared light range, providing night-time images with a cooler tone.

Its water- and oil-repellent surface also helps prevent unwanted reflections.

Again, Rollei advises its users to utilize manual white balance select a color temperature of between 700K and 1500K before using the filter to obtain authentic colors when it comes to the end result. Inevitably some trial and error will be involved in order to arrive at an optimal result.

Available in a variety of filter sizes and thread diameters, this Far Eastern optical glass filter is another opportunity to help ensure clarity in your night-time imagery and detailed skies, even if you happen to be stuck in the suburbs.

The claim is that this one can block rays within the spectrum of sodium lamps and minimize pollution from artificial light sources.

Like most of the options here, nano multi coated, water-resistant glass is also provided, to enable shooting to continue to take place, even in wet conditions.

A double threaded frame enables you to stack filters, and the addition of hoods and caps, with a plastic case also included for transporting the filter, means that most boxes end up ticked.

If you’re attempting landscape, nightscape or astrophotography, this light pollution filter from Irix claims to guarantee more accurate color, by greatly reducing the yellowish haze given off by artificial lighting.

The result? Clearer, cleaner images and better overall contrast.

The screw-in filters themselves are also claimed to be durable, with nano surfacing again keeping the filter free from moisture and dirt, and preventing anything nasty sticking to the surface.

Furthermore, both sides of the filter are covered with a multi layer anti-reflective coating, to help prevent any lens flare and ensure clarity of image every time.

Read more

• 10 things you need to know about camera filters – and which ones to buy• The best close-up filters• Best head torch• Best polarizing filters• Best ND grad filters• Best neutral density (ND) filters• Best variable ND filters• Best lens protection filters• Best close up filters• Best diffusion filters

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Gavin has over 30 year experience of writing about photography and television. He is currently the editor of British Photographic Industry News, and previously served as editor of Which Digital Camera and deputy editor of Total Digital Photography.

He has also written for a wide range of publications including T3, BBC Focus, Empire, NME, Radio Times, MacWorld, Computer Active, What Digital Camera and Rough Guide books.

With his wealth of knowledge he is well placed to recognise great camera deals and recommend the best products in Digital Camera World's buying guides. He also writes on a number of specialist subjects including binoculars and monoculars, spotting scopes, microscopes, trail cameras, action cameras, body cameras, filters, cameras straps and more.