Which is better, glass or plastic solar filters?

Question

Which is better a kendrick baader solar filter or a thousand oaks filter? Which one is more safe in your opinion, which one has better optical quality?

Answer 1

A strong word of warning for beginners !!
The only safe solar filters are those that fit over the front of your Telescope tube. Cheaper scopes are sometimes sold with little solar filters that screw into the eyepiece. If you find one of these, please destroy it immediately.
Reputable dealers don't even sell them, because they are unsafe.
The argument for or against glass and film solar filters goes on and on. Both are safe to use. If any solar filter gets a pinhole in their coatings ( this applies to both glass and film types), just put a dab of white-out over the pinhole and keep going, it will not affect the image unless you have a few dozen of them.
Many folks prefer the glass type because they give an image that appears more like we think it should. It gives a yellowish image of the sun, where the Baader film will give a bluish cast to the image. Sharpness of the image is about the same, so it is mainly a case of preference.
On the glass filter, the coating is on the inside surface and a little more protected.
The Baader filter has an advantage in cost, it is generally less expensive than the glass filter.
There are numerous sites on the web where you can get instructions to make your own and save even more money.
So, the choice is yours. Both work equally well.

Adolph

Answer 2

Again, glass is better. By plastic I assume that you mean Baader film. Baader does work well but even one pinhole in it and you fry your eyeballs. Be very careful. Baader film is basically trusting the eyesight that you have for the rest of your life to something similar to a poptart wrapper. And no, DONT try to use a poptart wrapper either. (That is directed at the idiots out there reading this, not the question asker---he/she obviously has some common sense.)

Best to use ALWAYS is a Hydrogen Alpha filter or a Coronado PST.

Answer 3

Go with the glass filter.