ND filters

[Ollie Jay]

Hi peeps

 

Not been around much lately but good to see the standard of photography hasn't slipped one bit (well done guys n girls)

 

Anyway just a quick one really on ND filters......What grades should i be looking to get for really long exposures for sea scape misty effect shots and water falls and also i read somewhere about different colours as well?? any ideas to help me out would be much appreciated.

 

Many thanks in advance

 

Ollie.

[RobStubbs]

You should be able to work it out using exposure times you typically get at F16 or F22 and then decide what time you want to obtain. I'd suggest a set of decent filters that cover a range and see what suits on the day, as it will vary depending on weather conditions, time of day etc.

 

Rob.

[MrWiggly]

Hi Ollie ..

 

ND filters can be obtained from ND1 to ND12, with the higher number being the darkest. You can, of course, stack the filters one in front of the other. (4 + 2 = 6)

 

The best systems stack in a holder that clips onto the front of your lens via an adaptor. Cokin and Hoya sytems are popular.

 

A whole range of different filters are avaliable. ND Grads, Coloured Grads, Circ Pols and a vast range of more outlandish gimmic effects. It's very easy to go "Over the top" with filters !

 

Try Google or EBay "ND Filters" or "Cokin" for clueing up on them.

 

Wiggly.

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Cokin Setup with clip-in filters.

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Edited July 10, 2008 by MrWiggly

[Sutton Warrior]

Ollie, ND filters??? just a thought, IMHO, far more usefull would be a 'circular polorising filter' and it will double as a low number 'ND' filter. The use flexability you will get from a 'CPF' far exceds the ND. On a bright day, blue sky, it could be a permanent fixture on your lense! I think Hellibelie uses one a lot???

 

Certainly, if money was an issue, although CPF are not cheap, they represent better value for money usage wise? However if you want blured water . . . then I supose a set of ND's is the way. Dont foget there are gaduated ND's for landscape and seascapes, all gets a bit OTT IMHO?

 

SW

[Chippy]

Dont forget that for the blurry water you'll need a full ND filter, as the grads are just used to balance the sky and the foreground exposures. As wiggers said, you can combine both a grad and a full ND if you want too (which i often do)

 

I use Cokin P's at the mo.

[Peter Waller]

Personally I would work at a low ASA number, high f number and consequently low shutter speed. In my opinion the real value of a neutral density filter is to control depth of field. In other words you need to open up, thus decrease d of f in order to maintain exposeure value. Hope that makes sense.