Circular polarizer or Grad ND filter?

[CRman]

I have a circular polarizer but no ND filter. I am really leaning toward landscape (beach, mountains, and especially waterfalls). Would I see a huge difference from switching between the two. Is there a time and place where one shines ove the other? Thanks in advance for any info...

 

[Socrates]

I have a circular polarizer but no ND filter. I am really leaning toward landscape (beach, mountains, and especially waterfalls). Would I see a huge difference from switching between the two. Is there a time and place where one shines ove the other? Thanks in advance for any info...

ND for slow shutter speed with moving water, such as a waterfall.

 

[Garbz]

No he said ND Grad which would have the effect of say darkening the sky. You know HDR type images, except ones that actually look good.

I would say no. If you have a tripod, or patience to align source images then just take 2 exposures and bracket them by 1 or 2 or 3 stops (depending on how severe you want the ND effect to be), then import them both into photoshop. Layer one on the other, apply a layer mask which is a black gradient.

Has the benefits of being cheaper, higher quality, and entirely customisable to your photo AFTER you took it, and not having to get it right before hand.

 

[Socrates]

No he said ND Grad which would have the effect of say darkening the sky.

Oops...
"Grad" is in the title but not in the post itself.

You know HDR type images, except ones that actually look good.

 

[frXnz kafka]

I would say get a CP. You can recreate the ND Grad effect in Photoshop. A CP can do things you can't recreate in Photoshop.

EDIT: I see you already have a CP. Woops

 

[jcolman]

I have both. I use a grad filter on just about every outdoor shot. If I could only have one, it'd be a grad filter.

While it is possible to create the grad effect in PS, there are times when you can't shoot two shots and blend them or you simply don't want to take the time to PS the sky on a batch of pics.

Shoot it the right way the first time and you'll save hours in post.