ivar olsen Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Hi folks! I'm used to using all kinds of filters on my cameras, thus I found the following comment quite interesting when stumbeling upon it: "....would like a ND filter to reduce the contrast...." Will a ND filter really reduce the contrast...? I mean... as far as I know light metering is set to 18% gray...thus when you use a ND you only reduce the ammount of light reaching the focal plane...no change of contrast. Have I got it all wrong? :-)) Cheers! Ivar :-)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauh44 Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Hi Ivar, Sure a ND filter can be quite useful - particluarly with the narrow range of slide film and DSLRs. The type I find most useful is the Split Neutral Density Filter. <a href="http://www.singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html">Here</a> is a link to one brand and shows a picture. Think about photographing a sunset for example. While it's still above the horizen, it's very bright, and if you want to include foreground elements, those are usually too dark. A split neutral density filter is like sunglasses for the top half of your picture. Check out some of Galen Rowell's use of these for landscape and nature shots - they can come in quite handy. Best wishes . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ray Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 I am sure the posted meant ND *GRADUATED* filter. These filters are ND on the top and see through on the bottom. Hence, the ability to control contrast. I recommend Singh- Ray, but there are lots of other brands also that do the same job. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivar olsen Posted July 4, 2004 Author Share Posted July 4, 2004 Jupp indeed it's useful in that way. That is excact the way I've been using them. :-) The other way is a ND covering all of the lens in order to get longer shutter speed. What I really don't understand is how it's supposed to give less contrast... Thanks though! :-)) Ivar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauh44 Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 You're right Shourya - the link I provided is to Singh-Ray. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank_dzambic Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 Well, if you accept the definition of contrast as the range between the brightest and darkest parts of a picture, then it becomes pretty self-explanatory how a graduated or split ND will reduce contrast. If there are 5 stops difference between the sky and the foreground, and then you place a 3 stop graduated or split ND filter over the sky, there are now only 2 stops difference between the sky and the foreground. So, you've reduced the contrast. The difference in brightness has been reduced from 5 stops to 2 stops. Instead of the sky being WAY brighter than the foreground, now it's merely brighter than the foreground. A plain ND filter won't reduce contrast, it will just increase your exposure time. A graduated or a split ND will reduce contrast. That's why they were invented, and that's what they're used for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beauh44 Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 <I>What I really don't understand is how it's supposed to give less contrast... </i>Well if the top part of the filter (the darker part) is carefully alligned over the brightest part of the subject, it reduces by a stop or two the brightness of the top part of the picture so that the bottom and the top are closer in terms of exposure. The link I provided above has a few links of examples as well as how to use these effectively. Not all ND filters are graduated or split; some cover the entire filter for shooting in direct sunlight. Again, the best analogy I can make is sort of sunglasses for your camera. A ND filter can control blown-out highlights in direct sun. Without one, if you expose for the highlights, the shadows will likely disappear, and if you expose for the shadows, the specular highlights will blow out. Best wishes . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ivar olsen Posted July 4, 2004 Author Share Posted July 4, 2004 I have to admint that I didn't even think the ND suggested would be a gradual one when I read the comment (Here's the link to where I saw it: http:// www.photo.net/photo/684805&size=lg) as far as my know no) and yes...it's pretty obvious that a gradual will affect the overall contrast in the shot. Cheers folks...thanking you all! :-)) Ivar :-)) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitmstr Posted July 4, 2004 Share Posted July 4, 2004 ND filters reduce light across the board. If the highlights are reduced 2 stops, so are the shadows. Therefore, they are not really "contrast" filters. I suppose *IF* you bottom up the shadows (i.e. reduce them to black) by using a ND filter at some point there will be a reduction of contrast, though at a price (total loss of shadow detail). A split (graduated) ND filter will of course only work on the area which it covers. There are contrast filters out there, specifically designed for that purpose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gsbhasin Posted July 6, 2004 Share Posted July 6, 2004 Ivar, <p>You were probably referring to <a href="http://www.photo.net/photo/684804&size=lg">this</a>. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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