Neutral Density Filters - What Exposure Adjustment to get?

[jsml]

Hi, all, sorry if this is actually a beginner question...

Recently realized that my portraits in-situ of a landscape photos are getting so washed out and that ND filters could help. I have no experience with them and am not sure which exposure adjustment to get. Any tips?

 

[480sparky39 38]

All ND filters do is cut back the amount of light passing through (just like sunglasses). All you need to do is make a corresponding increase in your exposure. Either slow the shutter down, open the aperture, or increase the ISO, or a combination of two or three of them.

Different manufacturers number their NDs differently. Some number them with the number of 'stops' they reduce the light (2, 4, 8 stops), others use a progressively higher number (ND4, ND8, ND16, etc), some use % of light transmission (50%, 25%, 12.5%,, etc) and others use optical density (1.8, 2.1, 2.4, etc.)

 

[GooniesNeverSayDie11]

I use mostly 3 stop filters. They seem to be the most useful for me. I have some Tiffen ND 0.9 ( 3 stops ) and I have 2 Cokin Graduated filters One soft graduation 3 stops and one normal graduation at 3 stops. Not really sure based on the vague description of your problem as to whether or not this is actually what you would want to fix your issue.