ND filter suggestions

J

JamesDean

Senior Member
Hello everyone, Im going to be buying a ND filter or two and wasnt sure what brand to go with. I'm going to be using them to do long exposures during the day of waterfalls, clouds moving and things like that. heres links to a couple i was looking at, if anyone has any input on them or other brands/models I would appreciate it

Hoya B+W Tiffen

 
J

JamesDean

Senior Member
thanks for the input, Have you tried the nd400? seems like a good price for a multi coated filter, the b+w multicoated is double the price!
 
BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
I use the Hoya ND400 all the time. Great filter. In my opinion, it's really the only ND you need. Anything less (1, 2, 3 stops) can be covered using exposure compensation. The only reason I kept mine is to stack them on the ND400 if I need more.

BTW, if you start using ND's, download the NDTimer app for your smartphone. It will tell you how to adjust your shutter speed once you meter without the filter (never meter with the filter on). It will even do stacked filters.
 
hark

hark

Administrator
Staff member
Super Mod
Contributor
BackdoorHippie said:
I use the Hoya ND400 all the time. Great filter. In my opinion, it's really the only ND you need. Anything less (1, 2, 3 stops) can be covered using exposure compensation. The only reason I kept mine is to stack them on the ND400 if I need more.

BTW, if you start using ND's, download the NDTimer app for your smartphone. It will tell you how to adjust your shutter speed once you meter without the filter (never meter with the filter on). It will even do stacked filters.
Click to expand...

​Why not meter with an ND filter on the lens?
 
L

Lee532

Senior Member
Reading with interest as I am just thinking of buying ND filters myself and was about to start the same thread, will have a look at the ND400.
Will this allow me to blur water during the day and also loger exposures at night without over exposing things such as street lighting?
I also have a lot of heavy industry around me and would like to take longer exposure shotss allowing me to blur smoke from stacks and steam from cooling towers again without over exposing the lighting.
Thanks Lee
 
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BackdoorArts

BackdoorArts

Senior Member
hark said:
​Why not meter with an ND filter on the lens?
Click to expand...

An ND400 is almost black, so even in bright sun the amount of light coming through is minimal. Metering may or may not be accurate, and chances are you're going to squeeze off several shots are mulitple seconds each before coming up with something that works. So it's not so much that you can't meter, but that the accuracy of it is going to depend on the camera and the type of metering used. If you know you have a good reading without the filter you can easily adjust it manually using the app, or simply by counting the clicks on your camera wheel provided you know whether your shutter speed settings are set at 1/2 or 1/3 stop intervals.

Also, it becomes nearly impossible to frame with the ND on becuase it's so dark in the viewfinder, so if you're framing the shot before you put the filter on you might as well nail down the metering as well.

And don't forget to cover the viewfinder on those long exposures to prevent light leak!!
 
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