The Kenko "soften" filter simulates high clouds or light fog,
softening the appearance of stars and other bright objects in astronomical
photos. By spreading the light of point sources out (see star profile graphs
at right), star saturation on a digital imager is reduced, allowing the true
colors of the stars to be recorded.
Many astrophotographers find this aesthetically pleasing as well as
useful particularly for wide-field photos where the bright stars of a
constellation stand out compared to dimmer stars. Soften filters are
available in the 77mm size and have a stronger effect at longer
focal lengths.
Place your cursor in these examples to see the effect of
the soften filter (javascript must be enabled in your browser).
Exposures for each pair of photos was kept identical to allow
comparison.
