DIY ND filter

[Felixbunny]

Anyone make their own ND filter from tinted acrylic before?? Sounds like a good and cheap plan to me

 

[David Kwok]

Anyone make their own ND filter from tinted acrylic before?? Sounds like a good and cheap plan to me

No offense, but that seems to be a silly attempt. ND filter are neutral in nature, your tinted acrylic most likely are not manufactured with this property in mind. Neutral means it does not change the hue of light going through it, at least it's intended to be so, though some have reported ND filter gives a colour cast. Also ND filters are made of glass not acrylic, your acrylic is not as clear as what glass can achieve, the amount you stop down does not necessarily coincide with the f-stop terminology used in photography for easy calculation and compensation.

Read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neutral_density_filter

 

[catchlights]

two things,

neutral density filters are neutral are in tone, how you be sure the tinted acrylic not bias in tone?

neutral density filters are made of optical quality glass or materials, is tinted acrylic will not deflect lights too?

 

[GRbenji]

Tinted Arcylic likely not coated and hence may cause flare problem.

 

[edutilos-]

Anyone make their own ND filter from tinted acrylic before?? Sounds like a good and cheap plan to me

Some people have tried using welding glass before, the results are ok if you want to shoot in pure BnW, otherwise will have very nice tint.

Someformofhuman here use acrylic before, you can ask him, from what I see the results are not so good, but will do if you really got no budget. Personally, if I have the money, I'd just buy the ND filters.

 

[TWmilkteaTW]

Well.. no harm trying or playing around with things..but if you want to be serious.
Then you better of buy the real and proper tool..