Neutral Density Filter Kit

[iori]

I need recommendations on a neutral density filter kit. Specifically, what

gradient of ND filters do you usually carry as part of your kit? I've already

got the graduated ND filters, but need regular ND filters to cover images

without the horizonline, e.g., waterfalls, etc. Thanks.

[iori]

Should have mentioned that I already have a polarizer.

[erik_loza]

The C-PL kills two stops on its own. Do you often need more than that?

[lilly_w]

I have a few that have served well under various scenarios: 2-stop, 3-stop and 10-stop. All are B+W 77mm rings. I also have several step-up rings to accommodate other lenses. I've seldom stacked the 2 and 3 but that is a option to have available. Vignetting would likely be apparent on the wider end.

 

The more common uses of the 2 and 3-stop ND's are to minimize DOF and / or to stay within the flash sync speed. They offer effective slow shutter speed advantages as well, e.g. blurring an active background of people, traffic, etc, provided you have a stable shooting surface and still subject. I feel the ND's are widely overlooked yet help deliver tremendous results.

[w.smith]

Not only does the C-PL kill two to two-and-a-half stops on its own, it does so steplessly

controlled by you!

[hearst]

I use crossed polarizers as a variable ND filter. Here is something I wrote about it.

 

An Inexpensive Variable Neutral-density Filter

 

by Joe Hearst

 

If you want to make long exposures in bright light, you need a very dense neutral-density filter. It is, of course, possible to buy such filters, but you need different ones for different conditions. Moreover, it is hard to compose a picture while looking through a very dense filter. It is possible to buy a variable neutral-density filter that can go very dark, and you can first compose the scene and then darken the filter and solve your problem. Unfortunately, such a filter costs over $300.

 

A less-expensive way to go if you have a digital SLR is to use crossed polarizers. If your normal circular polarizer has front threads, all you need to do is buy an inexpensive linear polarizer of the same size and attach it to the front of the circular one. (It is necessary for the front polarizer to be linear, not circular; I'll explain the physics if requested.)

 

To make a long exposure, first go into aperture-preferred mode and stop the lens down as far as you can, and set your ISO to the minimum your camera allows. Then, to control the amount of light reaching the camera, first set up the circular polarizer as you usually would for the scene, and then rotate the linear one and look through the viewfinder as the image darkens. If the image starts to turn blue, or you can no longer see the scene, you have gone too far. Cover the viewfinder with your finger (to prevent light from the back interfering with the meter) and watch the exposure time in the LCD as you rotate. When it is long enough, or as long as you can get it without the image in the viewfinder turning blue, shoot a picture with the viewfinder still covered, and look at the histogram. If the histogram is crammed towards the left, use a positive exposure compensation (which will increase the length of the exposure still more) until the histogram looks good.

 

I find that with my cheap linear polarizer the color is still shifted a bit towards the blue, but if you are shooting in RAW (which I recommend) this is easily corrected.

[iori]

Thanks for the responses. I've actually faced situations (typically mid-day), when I having the polarizer was not sufficient to adequately slow down the shutter speed or increase dept of field, even with the ISO set to the lowest available setting.

 

The idea of attaching a linear polarizer sounds intriguing, but I wonder how much image degradation I would get stacking two together? I had thought that most folks typically carried a set of 2 or 3 ND filters, so I'm somewhat surprised to find folks doing fine with just the polarizer.

[craig_gillette]

I've got a 2 stop soft grad ND and a CPL and will be adding another grad, 2 oe 3 stops hard, and perhaps a 2 0r 3 stop ND. The grads to fit a Cokin P and circular ND sized to fit my largest current lens (77mm). I've found the soft grad doesn't quite cut it for some sunset use and the CPL wasn't enough to slow down things for "soft" water or other effects by itself.