If you get a big enough telescope it will gather enough light to where you'll see things in proper color. I've seen the Orion nebula with a 10 inch reflector in

If you get a big enough telescope it will gather enough light to where you'll see things in proper color. I've seen the Orion nebula with a 10 inch reflector in a good location and the rich pinks, blues and reds were impossible to miss. This is the actual photons emitted from that object hitting your retina so it's about as "true color" as you can get. I think when astrophotographers are trying to render an image it makes sense that they would want the colors to match what your eyes would see looking through a good scope.