Anything special about an ND filter?

[IcedTea]

Just a quick question. Would one be able to use a translucent grey piece of glass in place of a ND filter? Or is there something special about the construction of the ND filter?

 

[cgipson1]

ND filters are especially engineered to be NEUTRAL in their color... so that they don't change the actual color of a scene / subject at all. They are also engineered to stop a specific amount of light.. 1 stop, 3 stop, 10 stops... etc.... so that a photographer can calculate exposure based on that rating. You could use a piece of glass... but it would be a total wildcard as far as color cast and light stoppage, and it would probably require a custom white balance, and lots of trial and error.

hope that helps!

 

[IcedTea]

Ok, I figured that. Thanks for your help!

 

[Trever1t]

not to mention totally distort the image, but that could be cool for some effect.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

ND filters are especially engineered to be NEUTRAL in their color... so that they don't change the actual color of a scene / subject at all. They are also engineered to stop a specific amount of light.. 1 stop, 3 stop, 10 stops... etc.... so that a photographer can calculate exposure based on that rating. You could use a piece of glass... but it would be a total wildcard as far as color cast and light stoppage, and it would probably require a custom white balance, and lots of trial and error.

Although all of that is very true, people have made their own filters for ages. Well, some filters anyway. NDs are among those. The big question is how poor are you? ND filters are not so expensive that they are worth your time making your own in most cases. I think.

 

[IcedTea]

I actually have a few solid ND filters. But I don't have a graduated one. So I was trying to see if this old cokin graduated grey filter would do the trick.

 

[cgipson1]

I actually have a few solid ND filters. But I don't have a graduated one. So I was trying to see if this old cokin graduated grey filter would do the trick.

Cokin's are nice.. you can control where you want the horizon line.. unlike normal round ND Grads. I wouldn't call a Cokin a "translucent grey piece of glass".. it is a filter, and was properly designed.

 

[Derrel]

I actually have a few solid ND filters. But I don't have a graduated one. So I was trying to see if this old cokin graduated grey filter would do the trick.

Jean is rolling over in his grave...calling his filters "glass"...

 

[IcedTea]

My bad, *allyl diglycol carbonate*. The Cokin Company itself actually refers to ADC as "organic class," even though it is technically plastic.