Here's the deal: Orion filters are Japanese-made, from optical glass, dyed in-the-vat. Same manufacturer that University has been buying from for decades. Sky Instruments filters are Chinese-made, hence the lower price. I have no data or experience with these filters. They do not have a web-site, last time I checked, which was October. I buy focusers and some refractor-objective lenses and cells from them. I didn't know that Lumicon had a house-brand color filter, but I do use their LPR filters and recommend them highly. Is it possible that Lumicon's color filters are really Meade brand, since they are a Meade dealer? You do not need color filters for 2" eyepieces, in general, since planetary observations are usually made at higher powers, hence eyepieces with 1.25" barrels usually suffice. There are a few exceptions; a light green filter can serve as an ersatz LPR filter, a red filter can be used for B & W photography, acting as a LPR filter and contrast-enhancer. Sometimes comets can benefit from a color filter, though not from my personal experience. For those who haven't discovered Baader solar-filter material yet (poor lost souls), a light blue filter will suppress the orange hue of glass filters, yielding a (somewhat) more neutral hue. (but this is a band-aid. Get the Baader material. Then you can toss the glass filter into your glove compartment for quick solar-checks when on the road. Or use it for a coaster.) Likewise, an orange filter compensates for the blue cast of "standard" Mylar filters. Rich, just borrow some filters before you buy, and see if the effect is worth the expense to you. Chuck __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Great stuff seeking new owners in Yahoo! Auctions! http://auctions.yahoo.com