Purchasing ND filter

[wildcat]

Hi All
Would like to seek advises. Not sure if it is a silly question but am trying to look for a work around. I am inexperience in this area.

Condition: I am shooting 'moving' objects in open space.

Q1. Am I going to use GND (with stops) if the sky is much brighter than the objects?
Q2. Is it advisable to stack 2 ND4 (possible?) and not getting 1 ND110? I may not know the lighting condition then.

Thanks

You can try to simulate cutting down light by closing the aperture, though going from f3.5 to f22 will only cut down light by about 5 stops. Okay, did I just saw only? :bsmilie:

You can also overexpose your pic and still be able to see what effects there are even. Get creative, and think of ways you can cut down light/prolong exposure.

By ND4 do you mean 2 stop ND or 4 stop ND? I am assuming ND4 from Hoya which means 2 stops. Add another 2 stop ND and you get 4 stops only. ND110 is a 10 stop ND. I can approx simulate it by adding a 3 stop ND (ND8) and 6 stop ND (ND64) - because I have these also.

Stacking is very personal. Some here would prefer to stop down to f22 rather than stack. I prefer to stack and live with vignetting or do something creative with it, or just use a smaller angle or view. You can also simulate how it will look like if you stack by adding whatever filter you have at the moment, e.g. clear protector+UV+CPL and see how badly it will vignette. For all you know, it may not vignette at all because you may not be using an ultra wide angle where stacking becomes an issue.

 

[ahming111]

hi,
since we are talking about shutter speed here, i wld like to ask abt the remote shutter release cable.

i'm currently using a normal one with a shutter button lock. i find it troublesome to use a stop watch to time the thing.

is there any device in the market where i can jus input the timing i want, press the button and i'll release by itself? i'm talking about bulb mode btw

 

[sinned79]

hi,
since we are talking about shutter speed here, i wld like to ask abt the remote shutter release cable.

i'm currently using a normal one with a shutter button lock. i find it troublesome to use a stop watch to time the thing.

is there any device in the market where i can jus input the timing i want, press the button and i'll release by itself? i'm talking about bulb mode btw

i am using this one now:
http://www.pixelhk.com/Proshow.aspx?id=76

got it for ebay for cheaper price then in sg. cost me about $50+

I use it for my time lapse (since it have a interval shooting feature) shoot 2 weeks back:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=764880

 

[ahming111]

i am using this one now:
http://www.pixelhk.com/Proshow.aspx?id=76

got it for ebay for cheaper price then in sg. cost me about $50+

I use it for my time lapse (since it have a interval shooting feature) shoot 2 weeks back:
http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=764880

$50+ inclusive of shipping? if tht's the case then tht's pretty affordable.

s'pore price is how much? buy from where?

kekeke, is this the cheapest?

 

[sinned79]

$50+ inclusive of shipping? if tht's the case then tht's pretty affordable.

s'pore price is how much? buy from where?

kekeke, is this the cheapest?

yeah. includes shipping (ship from HK). Bought from here:
http://cgi.ebay.com.sg/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230490849132&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:SG:1123

but i think price increase already... i bought at $44.80 usd previously.


sg selling $70+ i think.

 

[kinky1971]

Hi sinned79,

Like waves. Clouds. Crowd. I have to standby a few filters?

 

[sinned79]

Hi sinned79,

Like waves. Clouds. Crowd. I have to standby a few filters?

I only use one ND 110 filter (10 stop) so far for my shots... haven really experimenting with stacking a few ND filters. But note that the more you stack these filters, vignetting will be more apparent.

 

[kinky1971]

I am not sure if there will be situation that 10stops is too much? And lengthen the exposure may spoil the 'mood' of the capture? Just thinking. If there is reflection.glare from the water, is it funny to add a polariser on top of ND?

Just went to Cathay Photo to enquire about ND110 and they have to ship in. Coincidentally I saw Big Lee and enquired about it. Price is WOW! Holder ~100-200+, ring Adapter ~80+ and Filter ~100-200+. Amazingly expensive.

Is square-ish filter better than ring ones?

Thanks

 

[kinky1971]

I only use one ND 110 filter (10 stop) so far for my shots... haven really experimenting with stacking a few ND filters. But note that the more you stack these filters, vignetting will be more apparent.

Hi sinned79
Have you encountered situation you need a GND instead? If there is none, I have to take the scene twice; exposure the sky and then the land and later merge both in PS?

:think:

 

[kinky1971]

You can try to simulate cutting down light by closing the aperture, though going from f3.5 to f22 will only cut down light by about 5 stops. Okay, did I just saw only? :bsmilie:

You can also overexpose your pic and still be able to see what effects there are even. Get creative, and think of ways you can cut down light/prolong exposure.

By ND4 do you mean 2 stop ND or 4 stop ND? I am assuming ND4 from Hoya which means 2 stops. Add another 2 stop ND and you get 4 stops only. ND110 is a 10 stop ND. I can approx simulate it by adding a 3 stop ND (ND8) and 6 stop ND (ND64) - because I have these also.

Stacking is very personal. Some here would prefer to stop down to f22 rather than stack. I prefer to stack and live with vignetting or do something creative with it, or just use a smaller angle or view. You can also simulate how it will look like if you stack by adding whatever filter you have at the moment, e.g. clear protector+UV+CPL and see how badly it will vignette. For all you know, it may not vignette at all because you may not be using an ultra wide angle where stacking becomes an issue.

Hi wildcat
Thanks. Very insightful.
:thumbsup:

 

[sinned79]

I am not sure if there will be situation that 10stops is too much? And lengthen the exposure may spoil the 'mood' of the capture? Just thinking. If there is reflection.glare from the water, is it funny to add a polariser on top of ND?


Is square-ish filter better than ring ones?

ND 110 is only useful when the sunlight is very strong and over powering. or when u are very 'near' to the clouds and it is moving very fast (like the photo i took at The Peak in HK).

if the sunlight is weak... then using a ND 110 is kinda over.

i haven try with a CPL over an ND.

i think squarish filters wun have vignetting issues (correct me if i am wrong). and easy to take off the lens then a round filter (this is very obvious). but i got concerns traveling ard these filters cos they are known to be very fragile and breaks easily.

 

[sinned79]

Hi sinned79
Have you encountered situation you need a GND instead? If there is none, I have to take the scene twice; exposure the sky and then the land and later merge both in PS?

:think:

i dun have a GND filter so cannot comment on this haha. a better person to ask is night86mare.

 

[nitewalk]

Hi sinned79
Have you encountered situation you need a GND instead? If there is none, I have to take the scene twice; exposure the sky and then the land and later merge both in PS?

:think:

Can use when sky very glaring and u taking a shot of a building with the sky. So the dark part of the gnd help to "darken" the sky and the clear part of the gnd ensure the building dont get darkened.

If u use nd then the sky is darkened yes, but so will the building.

I read somewhere before people also use it for sunset and sunrise (?) not too sure on that though.

 

[sinned79]

Can use when sky very glaring and u taking a shot of a building with the sky. So the dark part of the gnd help to "darken" the sky and the clear part of the gnd ensure the building dont get darkened.

If u use nd then the sky is darkened yes, but so will the building.

I read somewhere before people also use it for sunset and sunrise (?) not too sure on that though.

nd filter not only for sunset/sunrise... for silky water movements, it is suitable too.

 

[2evans]

Hi sinned79
Have you encountered situation you need a GND instead? If there is none, I have to take the scene twice; exposure the sky and then the land and later merge both in PS?

:think:

You can use a GND but they don't come in 10-stops. Also these will come in hard edge versus soft edge.

 

[ahming111]

ND 110 is only useful when the sunlight is very strong and over powering. or when u are very 'near' to the clouds and it is moving very fast (like the photo i took at The Peak in HK).

if the sunlight is weak... then using a ND 110 is kinda over.

i haven try with a CPL over an ND.

i think squarish filters wun have vignetting issues (correct me if i am wrong). and easy to take off the lens then a round filter (this is very obvious). but i got concerns traveling ard these filters cos they are known to be very fragile and breaks easily.

still have vignetting. max i can go to is 14mm (21mm) when using my tianya wide angle holder

 

[GRbenji]

ND filters are used to achieve longer exposure or wide aperture which otherwise may not be achievable without over exposing it.

GND is used when dynamic range is more than 5 stops (as sensor is only able to capture max 5 stops difference) and the highlight and shadow are splitted fair along a rather straight line.

 

[nitewalk]

nd filter not only for sunset/sunrise... for silky water movements, it is suitable too.

I'm talking about gnd. I'm saying i read before people use gnd for sunrise and set but i dont use it for that.

Note that TS was asking about gnd so my answer was mainly abt gnd. I merely mention nd to say why in that situation i wont use nd but instead use gnd.