Getting ready to buy some filters

[amel_d]

<p>I am finally getting ready to spend some money on some filters. <br>

I will mainly use it on Nikon D90 and Tokina 11-16mm. <br>

So Far I am liking the price of both Hoya 77mm NXT Circular Polarizing Slim Frame and also 77mm Hoya HMC Filter - ND4. <br>

Can someone who uses these same configurations give me some advice if this is a good direction to go? Should I be looking into different filters than these? <br>

I am hoping to stay somewhere in the mid-range as far as price/quality goes. <br>

Appreciate comments/recommendations! </p>

 

[Jochen_S]

<p>Why do you need a ND 4?- Overpowered strobe system?- Does your shutter not go up wide enough to shoot wide open in broadest daylight? - Are you sure the lens performs that well at f4?<br>

I do own one somewhere but never took it out of the studio so far. - If you are planning to shoot long exposures from a tripod with pedestrians walking invisibly through your image the ND 4 might not take you far enough.</p>

[William Michael]

<p>I do not use anywhere near that same configuration, but I shall comment anyway:</p>

<p>Be aware that when a CPL Filter is used on a wide angle lens the CPL will have a different effect across the breadth of the image. This effect is often noticed if the scene has a lot of sky in the frame and is indicated by the sky being rendered with differing degrees of “depth of blueness”.</p>

<p>This effect can be noticed on other images also not necessarily only on images with a lot of sky in the shot: for example, if you are using the CPL to reduce reflections on water, then you will notice that the reduction of reflection will vary across the breadth of the image.</p>

<p>My major point of those tow comments is that I suggest that you think about the USES and then describe those uses in OUTCOMES, before you buy a CPL to use on such a Wide Angle Zoom Lens.</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>I suggest that you apply same thinking process for selecting what to in regard to an ND Filter – Simply put “what typical outcomes do you wish to achieve?”</p>

<p>For example (I think) the D90 has a default base ISO, ISO =200, and (assuming that) if you want to use the Tokina at around an aperture of F/8~F/11, and your typical OUTCOME is <em>“to smooth water in seascape or waterfall scenes in daylight”</em>, (where the scenes are typically at EV = 12 ~ EV = 15), then, I do not think that an ND4 (2 Stops Attenuation) will provide you with the Shutter Speed RANGE that you require.</p>

<p>*</p>

<p>So, as a general comment I think you need to think about the outcomes that you want to achieve before you spend any money. Maybe you have already done that, in which case then please articulate them here, as doing so should reap more focused answers to your question.</p>

<p>WW</p>

[amel_d]

William,

Maybe I should have asked this question differently. I currently shoot with nikon d90 looking to purchase d7100 or

replacement if it ever is released.

 

I want to have CPL mainly for the sky or when I go to the zoo for glass reflections. My lenses are Nikkor 70-300, tokina

11-16, sigma 17-55.

 

As for the ND filter I want to be able to shoot on a tripod in broad daylight, waterfalls.

What ND filter do I need to achieve this.

 

I agree that I need to think uses before spending the money. What recommendations do you have?

 

Jochen,

I guess I didn't understand the nd4.

[William Michael]

<p>Thanks for the reply.</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>I want to have CPL mainly for the sky or when I go to the zoo for glass reflections. My lenses are Nikkor 70-300, tokina 11-16, sigma 17-55.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I'll make two assumptions (always dangerous):</p>

 

<ol>

<li>When you are at the zoo shooting through glass, you’d be using the 17 to 55 the most ofetn? And then the 70 to 300 maybe? And the 11 to 16 rarely? </li>

<li>When you are making Landscape Images, including the Waterfall Images you’d be using the 11 to 16 and the 17 to 55 more often than the 70 to 300?</li>

</ol>

<p>Conclusion – you MIGHT want to use the CPL on all three Lenses and the ND on at least two, maybe three Lenses.</p>

<p>Possible Issue – the three lenses might have different Filter Thread sizes – you need to check.</p>

<p>What you can consider is to buy a Filter with a thread size to fit the LARGEST Lens Filter Size and then also buy STEP UP RINGS so that larger Filter can be mounted on other lenses with a smaller Filter Thread size. This solution would be applicable to both the CPL and the ND Filter.</p>

<p>***</p>

 

<blockquote>

<p>As for the ND filter I want to be able to shoot on a tripod in broad daylight, waterfalls. What ND filter do I need to achieve this.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That depends upon how SLOW you want to make the SHUTTER SPEED <em><strong>to create what type of specific EFFECT, in the final image.</strong></em></p>

<p>But – this will get you to a starting point:</p>

<p>Let’s suppose that you want an APERTURE RANGE of F/8 to F/16.<br>

Let’s suppose you want to capture at ISO = 200<br>

Let’s suppose it is a sunny day and the waterfall is sunlit.<br>

Therefore the “correct” exposures for that scene will be:<br>

F/16 @ 1/200^ths @ ISO200<br>

F/11 @ 1/400^ths @ ISO200<br>

F/8 @ 1/800^ths @ ISO200<br>

F/5.6 @ 1/1600^ths @ ISO200</p>

<p>Now let’s suppose that you want to SLOW the SHUTTER SPEED to give you a RANGE between 1/4^ths and 1/30^ths</p>

<p>So the exposures that you want <strong><em>to be able to use</em></strong> are:<br>

F/16 @ 1/4^ths @ ISO200<br>

F/11 @ 1/8^ths @ ISO200<br>

F/8 @ 1/15^ths @ ISO200<br>

F/5.6 @ 1/30^ths @ ISO200 </p>

<p>That attenuation requires (about) 6 Stops. That is an “ND 64”.</p>

<p><strong>-BUT- you need to research some waterfall photos noting specifically the SHUTTER SPEED that was used to create the effects that YOU want.</strong><br>

<strong> </strong><br>

I like the effect of having the Shutter Speed in the range of 10 seconds to 1 second – which often requires using an ND400 (8⅔Stops) or an ND1024 (10 Stops) – and that Filter is often labelled as an ‘ND1000’.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/neutral-density-filters.htm">Here is a link to a tutorial that might be useful to you:</a> </p>

<p>WW<br>

</p>

[jordan2240]

<p>Have you considered a variable ND filter? I have the one mentioned in this article. Yes, I know that many photogs are very much against buying cheap filters, but I've enjoyed this one the same way the author of the article has. At the very least, it will give you an idea of how much filtering you need to get the results you want, and then you would know which standard ones would suit your needs.<br>

http://photofocus.com/2014/01/04/gear-review-neewer-variable-neutral-density-filter/</p>

[amel_d]

<p>Bill and William - thank you both for the links, they were very helpful.<br>

William, <br />I see where you are going with this, it will be hard to know which effects I want to achieve, as I haven't photographed waterfalls successfully. <br>

I went to Plitvice Lakes back in 2012 without the ND filter, and right away I knew that I needed one. <br>

I am really considering the idea of a variable filter. <br>

If I only get one filter, are you recommending a good starting point is ND64? </p>

<p> </p>

[William Michael]

<blockquote>

<p>If I only get one <em>[ND]</em> filter, <em>[that is not a VARIABLE ND FILTER]</em> are you recommending a good starting point is ND64?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>From what you describe that you want to achieve: yes.</p>

<p>In the link that I provided there is a waterfall picture and you can select image to show the difference between two Shutter Speeds - so that will give you an idea of the effect that 1second to 10second Shutter Speed range provides.</p>

<p>If you take another look at the table that I provided in my previous response, you will see that, with an ND64, you can get to an exposure of: F/16 @ 1/4^ths @ ISO200. So, you can use the extension ISO that your camera has and drop to: F/16 @ 1/2 second @ ISO100, and you could then select F/22 (assuming your lens has F/22) and drop the Shutter speed to 1 second. Additionally if you have a CLP then that will attenuate (about) 1Stop more, so you could plonk that on the lens too and you could get to 2 seconds. If you have a lens that goes to F/32, then you can get to 4 seconds. If you buy a new camera and it has an extended to ISO50, then you can get to 8 seconds.</p>

<p>Note that all the assumptions in the para. above<em> are predicated on the waterfall being lit by direct sunlight</em>.</p>

<p>You will undoubtably find waterfall scenes on overcast days and in shadow, which obviously will require more exposure than the examples I provided for "direct sunlight" - and that extra exposure can be easily accommodated by opening up the Aperture and/or increasing the ISO.</p>

<p>So yes, as a general solution for the first purchase buying ONE ND Filter for use capturing the "milky effect on waterfalls / seascapes / rivers etc." I do suggest an ND64.</p>

<p>Further, I think that an ND8 (Three Stop Attenuation) or an ND16 (Four Stop Attenuation) is a good <em><strong>second</strong></em> purchase for the generalist Photographer; there are many uses, for example as 3 or 4 Stop Attenuation can be handy for creating an Aperture useful for Shallow Depth of Field and still using Flash as Fill (3 Stops is usually better for this), additionally either of these two filters can be stacked onto the ND64 to provide 9 or 10 Stops Attenuation which is handy for many purposes especially for making people / cars or other moving objects disappear from the scene.</p>

<p>I don't comment on a VARIABLE ND Filter, because I don't have one to use.<br>

<br>

WW</p>