Must have Grad ND filters?

[dinesh.godavarty]

Hi guys,

 

I currently have a rebel xsi with 18-55 kit lens. I use the cokin P series. I currently own two grad ND filters. 1ND and

2ND soft edge.

 

If I wanted to expand my filters set, what other filters should I be buying? I am currently only thinking of Grad ND

filters.

 

Thanks.

[howard_m]

you might want a full set of 2 & 3 stop hard & soft (total of 4 filters).

 

then consider, if you can stomach the price, a reverse-grad (see: singh-ray filters)

[chris_rowe1]

I personally just bought 2 stop, and 4 stop Cokin P Series GND filters. I haven't had the chance to try them out yet because I have been soo busy. But if you have the money buy into a full arrangement of GND's, so you'll never be caught off guard.

 

You also may want to look into buying a Graduated Red Filter, or orange, for sunset/sunrise shots. It will give the picture that extra color.

[ronald_moravec1]

Lets see, you own a digital camera and comoputer. I suggest you get a copy of Photshop Elements for $99 and apply all the effects in the comfort of your home with more control than you can do in the field with a bunch of unwieldy large filters that really never adapt to things like horizons that are not smooth lines and never have protrusions that poke up like trees.

 

If you did film, the answer might be different.

[anish]

For landscape photography at sunrise and sunset, a 3 stop split ND (I find both the hard and soft edge to be very useful) is good to have. Of the 2, I use the hard edge more. There is often too much contrast during those times for a 2-stop filter to handle, and a 1-stop will not help you much at all. Your other option is to take separate exposures for the highlights and shadows and combine in PS. When it's difficult to hide the grad transition, I find that combining in PS is actually sometimes the best option.

 

Anish

[craig_gillette]

I'd look at the 3 stop hard initially - soft grads may be too "soft" on a dx/aps-c sensor. That with the 2 soft are the usual entry sets. Then seeing how those seem to "fit," you can add more gradations.

[dinesh.godavarty]

Ah thanks guys. Let me buy the 3ND hard stop for now. I am trying to be as cheap as possible and this works!

[bjscharp]

Of course, if you get the 1-stop and 2-stop, you also have a 3-stop filter. Cokin holders allow for stacking...

[just a start]

<p>Dinesh already seems to know better, but to any newbies reading this, I suggest you disregard Ronald's answer. Relative to film, the exposure latitude of DSLR sensors is very small. Colour negative film has two stops more, and B&W has three stops greater latitude. With a sunlit scene, you will almost always wind up with the subject brightness range exceeding the 5-6 stops that most digital cameras can give you. Without a grad ND filter to darken highlights or fill flash/reflectors to lighten shadows (both of which ultimately lessen the subject brightness range), or without using High Dynamic Range composites you just cannot fit all those brightness levels into your shot. You can alter exposure accordingly, and end up losing either the shadows or highlights in the image. Exposing for the shadows you wish to retain, then using grad ND filters to control the highlights, can bring the subject brightness range to a level that can be fully captured by your DSLR.<br /> <strong>No software solution can divine detail from pure black shadows or from blown highlights.</strong> The information just isn't there.    But software can very easily dodge details which have been unintentionally darkened by a graduated ND filter, such as irregular horizons or protruding trees. Good luck burning detail from blown sky highlights.</p>

[just a start]

<p>In answer to your question Dinesh, I have the soft edge 1 and 2 stop, which are the P121L and P121M respectively. With Australian sunlight, the 1 stop was a waste of money. While of some benefit on overcast winter days, most of the time I stack it with the 2 stop filter, which can make a soft edge 3 stop, or a realy soft edged slowly graduated 3 stop, by misaligning the two filters. Mind you, that combined long graduation covers nearly half of the sensor.<br>

But as Craig has already said, the soft edge covers more of a scene on an APS-C sensor. On my EOS 20D, the soft edge graduation takes about 20% of the vertical frame height to reach full density. If you work with clean horizons (ocean scenes?) these might be too soft.</p>

<p>I'd recommend buying a 2 stop (ND4) and 3 stop (ND8) filter to start with. If the need arises, you can always buy a 1 stop filter at a later stage. In my case, the 1 stop on its own is of very little use to me.</p>

[bob_bill]

<p>I carry a 1 and a 2 nd grad.  Combined give me 3 if needed.  Also allows a 1 from bottom and 2 from top squeeze leaving center lake/pond reflections brighter giving the reflection more pop.  Photoshop wont cut through water glare or reflection on plants/rocks, only a polarizer will do that.  It functions as a 1-2 stop ND as well for those times you want to cut light.  I carry a 3 and a 4 ND as well.  With the polarizer that gives a 9 stop reduction.  Note when using one filter, just position and hand hold in front of lens for speed and convenience.</p>