ND filter advice and help

Hello once again and thank you to those who have helped me with prior questions.

I'm trying to outfit my camera for my next trip and would like advice on ND filters.

I just recently purchased a Hoya 77mm HD hardened glass 8-layer Multi-coated CPL filter for when I go on my excursions into the gorges and streams of rural northern Japan. I have an idea of what it can do to remove reflection on greenery. I'll also try to use it to "make the skies more blue" but my main reason was for the "pow" factor in indirect sunlight.

I also wish to experiment with long exposure photography along the rocky shorelines and this is where I'm asking for help. Will my CPL be enough to reduce the light input to be able to capture those long-exposure (up to 15 minutes or more) shots of the clouds and waves or should I invest in a Neutral Density filter? I was looking at the Hoya 77mm HMC ND8 Multi-coated ND filter. It's not very pricey at $42. Would that filter do the trick? Does it sound like a decent filter? Would I be able to "stack" them for added light filtering? I appreciate any advice you can give me! I will be using a D7200 with a Nikkor 28-300 f/3.5-5.6. Thanks!

At best, a CPL will gain you 2 stops. A Hoya ND 8 will get you 3 stops. Whether either will get you a 15-minute exposure depends on the light you'll be shooting with.

Yes, you can stack them, but you'll suffer image quality losses and possibly vignetting.

As Sparky said, that one is only a 3-stop ND filter. The numbers they use to identify ND filters can be confusing. Technically that one is called a 0.9 ND filter. I believe a 10-stop (3.0) is the darkest one they make. Here is one that is inexpensive yet has received many positive reviews. B&H also has this filter for a good price.

Amazon.com : ICE 77mm ND1000 Filter Neutral Density ND 1000 77 10 Stop Optical Glass : Camera Lens Neutral Density Filters : Camera & Photo

I think @Horoscope Fish once talked about a filter manufactured by the same company, but I can't recall which type of filter it was.

Not sure if you know how an ND filter works. You need to identify the correct exposure BEFORE putting the filter on the lens. Once you figure it out, then you need to figure out how to set your camera for 10-stops slower...either by changing the shutter, the aperture, or a combination of the two.

And like Sparky said, to get a 15-minute exposure, most likely you will need to use it when it's getting dark outside. If you stack filters, you might get some vignetting.

And here is the link for the same filter via B&H: Ice 77mm Ice ND1000 Solid Neutral Density 3.0 ICE-ND1000-77 B&H

Cokin systems are relatively inexpensive compared to the flexibility, you can stack them without the inherent vignetting problems of stacking CPLs...

I have to ask the obvious question first. Why would you want a 15 minutes exposure on rocky shoreline? I know that to get the smooth water look you need a long exposure but for the most part that would be 15 seconds and not minutes.

You should be able to see this photo on Facebook and he gives the EXIF on the photo. It is a 30 second exposure

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10204041363297453&set=t.1325122597&type=3&theater

Thank you for asking me why I wanted such a long exposure. I was going through the Nikon website and one of the pages was about long exposures and I wanted to have the cloud movement as well. As you can tell I'm a novice, I definitely will take your advice and research things a lot more! Your photo is beautiful!

Thank you! I will look into them as well!

John Braden said:

Thank you for asking me why I wanted such a long exposure. I was going through the Nikon website and one of the pages was about long exposures and I wanted to have the cloud movement as well. As you can tell I'm a novice, I definitely will take your advice and research things a lot more! Your photo is beautiful!

Click to expand...

Not my photo. It is by a good friend of mine. I help him with his technical issues like building his website and he works with my on my photography. He does photo workshops and one of them is on Long exposure. Waterfalls & Woods Workshop | Kevin Synder Photo Tours In building the site and setting up this workshop he and I went to the area to find lodging and set up all the logistics. We also hiked into Caney Creek Falls and we spent about a hour of so with him working with me on how to shoot waterfalls. I learned more in an hour than I have in years about long exposure shooting. This is one I shot the next time I went out after shooting with him.

Beautiful! Thank you!

I recently watched this video from Adorama, he explains the use of a 10 Stop ND filter really well and you'll notice the cloud motion that you're looking for.

10-Stop ND Filter: You Keep Shooting with Bryan Peterson: AdoramaTV - YouTube


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