WhiteLight
Senior Member
Does anyone use a filter holder or buy filters for each lens?
is there any recommended holder for the D5100?
is there any recommended holder for the D5100?
I use the Cokin style ND grad filters and have for years. I occasionally use a filter holder but quite honestly I almost always hand-hold them.
Jeff
I use the Cokin style ND grad filters and have for years. I occasionally use a filter holder but quite honestly I almost always hand-hold them.
Jeff
Whitelight and TamiJo...
I use the Cokin system so that is the style of holder I have. You buy an adapter ring that slides into the filter. This ring comes in different sizes so you get the adapter that works with your particular lens size. Here is a overview of the system...
View attachment 20405
I've not really noticed any problems hand holding an ND grad. As long as you are careful not to move the camera while holding it, it works fantastic. Between you and me, it's not a precise science anyway. Get close and you will be fine. Just make sure to place the transition zone as best as possible.
I've used filters for 25 years but I also use HDR software, exposure fusion, and exposure blending. It just depends on the scene and the composition. I prefer the filters for two reasons. One, they are quicker than post processing with the other methods. Two, for the sake of quality and color rendition, since you are altering the light before you capture it versus modifying prerecorded pixels later.
This is one I shared on the forum before that I used a 3-stop reverse ND grad to create...
Even when I use a filter, I still bracket my shots two ways. The first is a series of 5 or 7 images spot metered to cover the whole range and the second is an averaged metered shot of the foreground and another averaged metered shot of the background (and possibly a shot or two in-between). The 5-7 series is used in HDR software and the 2-4 series is used for blending and enfusion. It was no different for this shot but no matter how hard I tried, I could not get this color depth and rendition with HDR or blending/enfusion.
If you are interested, I was asked to write an article for the professional filter manufacturer Singh Ray about why I like filters over post. I'm not a "paid spokesman" for them...just a writer...but I do used many of their tools...
Focus on Singh-Ray Filters: Jeff Bartelt relies on his Singh-Ray Filters for a very obvious reason: he likes faithful color
Jeff
Wow.. that is one amazing shot & an amazing post as well.
Thank you so much for the detailed explanation & the link...