ND Filter for portrait


amachi

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2009
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If I want to use f1.4 on a bright daylight, which ND filter should I use?

I usually shoot at f1.4 ISO 200.

If I plan to reduce the shutter speed to around 1/250s (in case I need to use flash), which ND filter is good to go?

Many thanks.
 

If I want to use f1.4 on a bright daylight, which ND filter should I use?

I usually shoot at f1.4 ISO 200.

If I plan to reduce the shutter speed to around 1/250s (in case I need to use flash), which ND filter is good to go?

Many thanks.

buy the vari Nd filter.
 

To bring down shutter speed to 1/250s, usually how many stops of ND am I looking at?

I saw this spec for B+W filters:
B+W ND110
B+W ND106
B+W ND103

does it mean 10, 6 and 3 stops respectively?
 

If I want to use f1.4 on a bright daylight, which ND filter should I use?

I usually shoot at f1.4 ISO 200.

If I plan to reduce the shutter speed to around 1/250s (in case I need to use flash), which ND filter is good to go?

Many thanks.

It depends on the light, bright daylight can be very bright, can be not so bright.

There are no magic settings.... But suffice to say I'm quite sure you won't need a ND110..
 

To bring down shutter speed to 1/250s, usually how many stops of ND am I looking at?

I saw this spec for B+W filters:
B+W ND110
B+W ND106
B+W ND103

does it mean 10, 6 and 3 stops respectively?

Well, do you understand what stops are?

If you do, then it really depends on the correct shutter speed for your setting of ISO200, F/1.4 right? That depends on the ambient lighting, no one can tell you what is the right answer!

If your shutter speed should be 1/500 seconds, then a 1 stop ND will do. If it should be 1/1000 seconds, then 2 stops will be needed. If it should be 1/2000 seconds, then 3 stops is required. I don't think you should need a 6 stop ND filter, that would mean ISO200, F/1.4, 1/16000 seconds is required.... And to my knowledge, max shutter speed should be 1/8000 seconds?
 

Well, do you understand what stops are?

If you do, then it really depends on the correct shutter speed for your setting of ISO200, F/1.4 right? That depends on the ambient lighting, no one can tell you what is the right answer!

If your shutter speed should be 1/500 seconds, then a 1 stop ND will do. If it should be 1/1000 seconds, then 2 stops will be needed. If it should be 1/2000 seconds, then 3 stops is required. I don't think you should need a 6 stop ND filter, that would mean ISO200, F/1.4, 1/16000 seconds is required.... And to my knowledge, max shutter speed should be 1/8000 seconds?

I do understand the stops for shutter speed. Though not so much for aperture.

Shutter speed, simply divide or multiply right?

I think for now 3 stops ND should suit me fine, so long I can bring down the shutter speed to at least reach the max.

On a side note, how many stops will CPL cut?
 

I do understand the stops for shutter speed. Though not so much for aperture.

Shutter speed, simply divide or multiply right?

I think for now 3 stops ND should suit me fine, so long I can bring down the shutter speed to at least reach the max.

On a side note, how many stops will CPL cut?
CPL will cut 1-2 stops IIRC. It will have other effects of course, such as reduction of non-metallic reflections and cutting of glare.

1 stop - approximately double timing.
 

Eh, why not just up the aperture from 1.4 to a 5.6 or 8? Isn't that easier to reduce shutter speed rather than an ND filter? Unless you die die want to shoot at 1.4 which at most times isn't the best option in bright daylight.
 

Eh, why not just up the aperture from 1.4 to a 5.6 or 8? Isn't that easier to reduce shutter speed rather than an ND filter? Unless you die die want to shoot at 1.4 which at most times isn't the best option in bright daylight.

For portrait is what his thread title says, it is perfectly fine to use ND filter in broad daylight to retain a shallow depth of field while not blowing out the picture.

If his camera base ISO 200, he want DOF of f/1.4, and the shutter speed without ND filter is more than max shutter speed, he will need to use ND filter.

If his camera base ISO 200, he want DOF of f/1.4 but also want to use fill flash, then there is limitation with flash sync speed. (probably the case here, which is why he states 1/250 seconds)
 

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Thanks for all the replies. I think I know what I want now :)

One more question though, anyone can explain about the f stops for aperture?

For shutter speed, I can tell that 1/250s is 1 stop slower than 1/500s, but for aperture, is f2.8 1 stop slower than f1.4? Does divide and multiply work for aperture?
 

Thanks for all the replies. I think I know what I want now :)

One more question though, anyone can explain about the f stops for aperture?

For shutter speed, I can tell that 1/250s is 1 stop slower than 1/500s, but for aperture, is f2.8 1 stop slower than f1.4? Does divide and multiply work for aperture?

Nope, it's more complicated than that.

Read this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F-number
 

Thanks for all the replies. I think I know what I want now :)

One more question though, anyone can explain about the f stops for aperture?

For shutter speed, I can tell that 1/250s is 1 stop slower than 1/500s, but for aperture, is f2.8 1 stop slower than f1.4? Does divide and multiply work for aperture?

For aperture, it increases in root-2. Each root-2 increment is 1 stop. Here is how f/x goes (x is the aperture value): 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32. So f/1.4 to f/2 is one stop, f/2 to f/2.8 is one stop, etc. The bigger the value (x), the smaller the aperture (that's why it is f/x, not fx), the less light will pass through. Note that for a given aperture, e.g. 2.8, f/2.8 is the correct notation, not f2.8.

How to remember that? There is an easy way. Just remember 1 & 1.4. The rest are just 2x multiple of the pair: (2, 2.8), (4, 5.6) etc.
 

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For aperture, it increases in root-2. Each root-2 increment is 1 stop. Here is how f/x goes (x is the aperture value): 1, 1.4, 2, 2.8, 4, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, 22, 32. So f/1.4 to f/2 is one stop, f/2 to f/2.8 is one stop, etc. The bigger the value (x), the smaller the aperture (that's why it is f/x, not fx), the less light will pass through. Note that for a given aperture, e.g. 2.8, f/2.8 is the correct notation, not f2.8.

How to remember that? There is an easy way. Just remember 1 & 1.4. The rest are just 2x multiple of the pair: (2, 2.8), (4, 5.6) etc.

Very well explained. Thanks so much bro :)
 

Thanks for all the replies. I think I know what I want now :)

One more question though, anyone can explain about the f stops for aperture?

For shutter speed, I can tell that 1/250s is 1 stop slower than 1/500s, but for aperture, is f2.8 1 stop slower than f1.4? Does divide and multiply work for aperture?

You can do that. Just use square root of 2 (1.4142).
 

Hmm. Can't imagine the hassle looking through the dark glass trying to focus with so thin DOF....