After getting a couple of ND filters

[Seventen]

Was today taking a gander at some ND filters and became quite amazed how many there actually is that being said at least 50% was under 20 euros so I am guessing there ones to stay clear from? As there then was a jump in price around 40 and 60 euros.
Is there any makes should stay clear from and some that is always great quality? I dont have a very high budget but the price bracket of 40 to 60 euro ranged seemed quite good. Would be nice to hear some recommendations to push me i the right direction. Is it worth looking at graduated ND filters or would fully darkened work fine?

I was trying to get a nice sunset imaged this morning over looking a lake, the lack is partly defrosting now and there is huge chunks of ice floating around with waves in the water looked quite messy in the picture so was thinking I could use a longer exposure to make it look less water like, and try to blend the ice into the softer looking water. Maybe I am thinking in the wrong direction here to get the image I want but ND filter was all that came to mind.

Thanks.

 

[480sparky42 41]

Name brands are the ones to stick with.

Tiffen. Hoya. Signh-Ray. B+W.

 

[Designer]

Is it worth looking at graduated ND filters or would fully darkened work fine?

The style that you choose will depend on what you wish to accomplish with the photograph. They have different uses. Some avid hobbyists get both types.

 

[Gavjenks]

"ND filters" is a very broad category. There are some excellent quality ones, depending on which kind, that might be below 20 euros...

1) They come in different strengths. Making darker stronger ND filters is more expensive for a single size. So a 3-stop filter at 77mm will be cheaper usually than a 10-stop filter at 77mm by the same company, same quality.
2) They come variable and non-variable, which affects price (actually the variable is usually cheaper, but has drawbacks like diffraction patterns on the ones that are cheaper, due to physics stuff).
3) They come graduated (ND fading to clear) and flat. Graduated ones are trickier to make and are more expensive.
4) They come in different sizes. Obviously, a 52mm filter is less glass and harder to break inherently, and will be cheaper than a 77mm filter.

Is it worth looking at graduated ND filters or would fully darkened work fine?

They're for totally different uses. Graduated is for higher dynamic range in sunset type situations. Flat is for intentionally limiting light so that you can do things like shoot at f/1.4 in bright sunlight, or get a 30 second exposure to blur water in the middle of the day, or to do certain things with flash lighting, etc.

 

[Seventen]

Name brands are the ones to stick with.

Tiffen. Hoya. Signh-Ray. B+W.

Thanks, Seems I will take Hoya then as the shop had plenty and was fitting to my price range at the moment. But now to decide which kind.

 

[Seventen]

Someone said recently that I can get some stepping rings so can use 1 filter for all lenses but searched all the camera shops websites over here and nothing like that exists? am I searching wrong or is it some special item?

 

[Robin Usagani]

Someone said recently that I can get some stepping rings so can use 1 filter for all lenses but searched all the camera shops websites over here and nothing like that exists? am I searching wrong or is it some special item?

I vote against that unless you dont care about using a hood. You wont be able to take your hood on and off when you use a step ring. If you do want to use a hood with the ring, you can but you have to unscrew the ring and filter first before unscrewing your hood. It is a pain in the ass.

 

[Gavjenks]

I vote against that unless you dont care about using a hood. You wont be able to take your hood on and off when you use a step ring. If you do want to use a hood with the ring, you can but you have to unscrew the ring and filter first before unscrewing your hood. It is a pain in the ass.

Depending on how many steps you're using, often the rings ARE effectively a hood, though. They even inherently create a baffle shape, thus probably better than many cheap hoods are!

 

[Seventen]

I will forget that idea then.

 

[Nevermore1]

I'm not sure what sites you are searching. If you go onto Amazon and do a search for "camera filter step down rings" it will pull up about 1,600 results for you. You can at least use this to get the manufacturer brand and part #'s to search your local shops site.

 

[Gavjenks]

^ (you probably want step UP rings, far more commonly used. That's what you use for big filter, smaller lens)

 

[Seventen]

I'm not sure what sites you are searching. If you go onto Amazon and do a search for "camera filter step down rings" it will pull up about 1,600 results for you. You can at least use this to get the manufacturer brand and part #'s to search your local shops site.

Searching local camera stores only at the moment as ordering anything through ebay amazon etc costs a fortune in postage.

 

[Seventen]

^ (you probably want step UP rings, far more commonly used. That's what you use for big filter, smaller lens)

Thanks step up adapter found Hama step-up adapter for 52 mm -> 72 mm - filter or a tag to connect to the camera.

Does this sound like the item ?



Edit, they look a bit better on amazon and at the 1/4 of the price of this one i found locally and looks much better so maybe amazon will have to do this time.

 

[Seventen]

Thinking about it I guess I will never use a ND filter on anything other than my wide angle lens as today was really the only time I felt the need to use a filter So will keep it simple and just get filters for the lens I need it on.

What I do wonder is is there a way before buying a filter, can you work out which number you need ? If imaging a sunrise/sunset and want blurred water could I manage with just a ND 8?

 

[D-B-J]

Thinking about it I guess I will never use a ND filter on anything other than my wide angle lens as today was really the only time I felt the need to use a filter So will keep it simple and just get filters for the lens I need it on.

What I do wonder is is there a way before buying a filter, can you work out which number you need ? If imaging a sunrise/sunset and want blurred water could I manage with just a ND 8?

Cutting 8 stops is a lot. The highest single ND that I know of is 10 stops. So I'm sure 8 will cut it.

Jake


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