ND Filters - AR15.COM

Posted: 3/6/2021 9:30:36 PM EDT

Does anyone use them? For my intermediate level of skill, are they needed or worth it?

Or are they able to be by-passed in post-processing?

Pleas use small words.

Posted: 3/6/2021 10:01:23 PM EDT

[#1]

If you want long exposures, or slow shutter speeds during the daytime, then yeah, you might need them. Or, if you want to use wide open apertures in bright lighting conditions, along with strobes, they might be necessary.

Good ones aren't cheap, and often cheap ones aren't truly neutral, in that, they can cause a color shift. I paid $100+ for well respected brand ND filter (can't remember exact price), several years ago,. It had quite good reviews, but I though it was total crap, and it caused a pretty major color shift. I threw it in the trash (literally). So do your homework when shopping for a ND filter.

Posted: 3/7/2021 12:33:18 AM EDT

[#2]

If you want to get that “silky water” effect, ND filters are almost a necessity.

Posted: 3/7/2021 8:47:32 AM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
If you want to get that “silky water” effect, ND filters are almost a necessity.

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/2997/9125EED2-DEE4-4864-ADFD-967DB3AD442C-1855343.jpg

https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/2997/7D603766-EE9A-43F8-AC93-05D678858498-1855342.jpg

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Beautiful shots, sir!

These may be above my pay grade as far as being able to produce the water effect you did. I aspire to be able to do these things, but I don't know if I can reach that level or not, hence my question about the filters.

My recent issue of Nikon magazine has an article on them, which got my curiosity going. I went as far as checking out B&H's offerings. Seems like there's a steep learning curve on these?

Posted: 3/7/2021 10:02:41 AM EDT

[#4]

I don’t think it’s steep per se, just learn their uses. They’ll sit in your bag/case a lot of the time, but when you want that particular effect, you need it.

One newer bit of advice I heard recently and will pass on is to get a large size ND filter and use step-down rings to hold on the camera lenses. This way you can use the same (pricier) filter on multiple lens sizes.

I was always buying individual circular polarizers (for example) for each lens size I had. This way I can use one nice/more expensive filter across the board with an inexpensive adapter.

Posted: 3/7/2021 8:00:18 PM EDT

[#5]

Excellent advice, thank you!

Posted: 3/8/2021 12:12:02 AM EDT

[#6]

Quote History

Quoted:

Beautiful shots, sir!

These may be above my pay grade as far as being able to produce the water effect you did. I aspire to be able to do these things, but I don't know if I can reach that level or not, hence my question about the filters.

My recent issue of Nikon magazine has an article on them, which got my curiosity going. I went as far as checking out B&H's offerings. Seems like there's a steep learning curve on these?

View Quote

Nah, it’s not that hard, technically. ND filters, remote/cable release, and a good tripod (or bean-bag and a handy rock). Main thing is a relatively still day, as branches and leaves moving around in a breeze will be blurry just like the water. The hard thing for me, as always, is subject and composition.I struggle with “seeing”. Some people just naturally have the “eye”. I have to work at it.

Posted: 3/9/2021 11:35:10 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:
Does anyone use them? For my intermediate level of skill, are they needed or worth it?

Or are they able to be by-passed in post-processing?

Pleas use small words.

View Quote

One of these photos was taken with an ND filter. The other was taken freehand while balancing on a rock by the edge, then required using Photoshop to process 35 images together to simulate the effect of an ND.

"Worth it" is a value assessment only you can make. I take one each time I leave for vacation, but each photo mission needs an individual kit review. If a sturdy tripod doesn't fit in the kit or the rules for the venue, then you may as well leave the NDs, too.

Posted: 3/10/2021 1:01:05 AM EDT

[#8]

I use them whenever I do video shooting outdoors during the day. If you don't everything will end up being super blown out and not look good.

Posted: 3/10/2021 10:32:37 AM EDT

[#9]

As Grendel said, video. That's where I seem to be using my NDs the most. With a variable ND, set your video exposure and just dial the ND until the histogram curve is where you want it.

This allows you to use a shallower aperture while avoiding short exposures that can give a choppy effect for moving objects in the video.

Posted: 3/12/2021 6:37:28 PM EDT

[#10]

Very useful, yes.

Posted: 3/12/2021 8:22:55 PM EDT

[#11]

Quote History

Quoted:
https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/6755/9A35D56F-860C-4A8C-A55D-91ECFD88897B-1862663.jpg

Very useful, yes.

View Quote

Colors, texture, composition... these are a few of my favorite things. Well done!

Posted: 3/15/2021 3:11:14 AM EDT

[#12]

If you want to manipulate your aperture and shutter speeds beyond what you can do in bright light, ND filters are great.

I have a couple variable ND filters for a couple of my lenses when I shoot video. They're easy to use to adjust exposure without having to tinker with any camera settings. I like the ones with physical stops, though. Go too far and you end up with X looking shadows, or just back at the other end of dark/bright. The better one I have is from Moment. Get one that works with your largest lens and a step-down ring to use on smaller lenses.

Posted: 3/16/2021 2:31:25 PM EDT

[#13]

Necessary for video, not necessary for most photography. Difficult to reproduce the effect in pchop.

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