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A Neutral Density (ND) filter is a filter that reduces the amount of light captured by the camera evenly across the visible spectrum. As such, it looks grey to black (depending on the filtration power) and does not cast color on the received image (like blue or yellow, e.g., filters will do). When using a ND filter, there is a need to compensate for the ...

Firstly, what is a neutral density filter? "Neutral density" just means that the filter is a pure shade of grey: it shouldn't (if well manufactured) add any colour tint to your photographs. There are two main types of neutral density (ND) filters: graduated and non-graduated. Graduated ND filters are darker at one edge and lighter (usually completely ...

There is a point where lenses transition from being aberration limited to being diffraction limited. This means that peak sharpness will increase up to a point as you stop down but will then start to decrease again. If you don't care about depth of field then use of an ND filter is preferable to stopping down past this point. Of course ND filters aren't ...

I think you can only get subjective answers on this, different things will appeal to different people. I'll give you my experience. I have a polarising filter on my main lenses rather than a UV. If it's low light, or I otherwise don't need it, I remove it temporarily, but it always goes back on. I use the polarising filter all the time, so I don't like ...

I would look into the Lee Filter Foundation Kit, based on the needs you specified. Lee makes a very solid, and less bulky, filter system similar to Cokin's, and it will more than adequately accommodate your need for LOTS of ND filtration, 100mm filters, graduated neutral density, and if you don't mind spending the money, glass and high quality glass (rather ...

You will want a neutral density or ND filter. It essentially darkens all parts of the image giving you a uniform exposure that is darker then it would be otherwise. Depending on the camera, some have a built in ND filter, or some accept a filter accessory that you can screw on to the lens or drop into the filter slot. Personally I would buy a CPL(circular ...

At least with diffraction you can do full-frame sharpening since the softness is distributed evenly... Some disadvantages of an ND filter: An ND filter adds another layer of glass to the lens and will increase the chance of flare, depending on the quality of the filter. Strong ND filters on wide angle lenses can (because an extreme angle of view changes ...

Looking at the images in the flickr group that is mentioned in the link you posted, people are using shade 10 glass to produce 1 minute exposures at f/16, ISO100. This is the exposure time you would expect outdoors in overcast conditions if you were using a 10 stop filter, so I would presume that the shade numbers correspond exactly to number of stops of ...

Do you use more than one filter size? To me, that's the biggest reason for going with systems like Cokin P. I have numerous lenses, and they each have their own filter size. I would go broke trying to duplicate all my filters for all my lenses! Or, a different way of looking at it is that if you get a new lens that has a different filter size, for the cost ...

The third image looks like vignetting due to the thick Sing-Ray filter and your step down rings. But strange it's only in one corner - you don't have a hood attached do you? You should be able to see this vignetting through the viewfinder. Even a normal polarising filter is going to result in uneven skies with wide angle lenses, with the sides often being ...

I imagine you're getting the vignetting because of the large amount of things on the end of your lens - 2 filters and 2 step down rings. At least try removing the UV filter, but you might have to resolve to cropping or editing it out digitally. Try holding the ND filter all by itself in front of the lens, right up against the front element where it would ...

A large number of people, both amateurs and professionals, photograph and optically observe the sun regularly. The filters required are well known - a search on 'solar photography' will turn up many references. Be aware that if you get it wrong you can destroy your eyes or your equipment in moments. Looking directly at the sun will rapidly damage your ...

You might also want to consider the operational options when choosing between round screw-in or square: if you shoot a lot in very cold areas (probably not in California, but hey, you never know!), you may have trouble removing a round screw-in filter if you want a different effect. On the other hand, a square filter provides less lens protection in a harsh ...

You can't, you are asking for the impossible. Regardless of price Vari-ND filters always show color-casts which vary in intensity across the frame. The stronger you dial it in, the more color-cast there is. A cheap one will have move oddities but even an expensive vari-ND filter still shows color casts. The color-casts are also such that they are extremely ...

The item you linked to already has three product reviews on Amazon. I can't specifically comment on that one since I have never used it, but I have no reason to believe that it wouldn't be satisfactory for basic uses. It is a variable neutral density filter, which is a bit different then what you specifically mentioned in the question(since I think you ...

Is there any difference? Yes. You will expose after filtration, allowing your sensor to collect the maximum amount of data. By applying a filter in post, you necessarily reduce the amount of data in your image. Does the difference matter? Your mileage may vary. I used to take a heap of filters with me, but now I only bring a few specialized ones: circular ...

One thing to consider is any other lenses you may own, now or in the future, may be larger than 58mm. Unless you're happy to buy other ND filters at the larger sizes, you may want to consider buying one large size (72mm or 77mm) and then using a step up ring. For example if you buy a 77mm ND filter, you buy a 58mm-77mm step up ring for this lens, and other ...

In quite a few cases ND filters can be a disadvantage. Filters cost money(especially high quality ones), they can appear in the frame, they require extra equipment(space, weight, time), they can introduce defects, etc. Another user has already pointed out why stopping down your aperture can cause problems. In reality, it is hard to image when one would not ...

A "color cast" can arise for a number of reasons quality control - cheaper ND filters (even the fixed ones) may be unevenly coated - I've seen reports that you can even see this if you hold the filter up to the light. I don't know that it's any particular brand, but rather some batches will be better than others. If you can buy from a shop where you can ...

I'd recommend the square filters you've found. A great many filter types are made in the 100mm size, which is the size I'd recommend for this. The most popular system for this is the Cokin system, but there are competing systems. HiTech makes them, too, for instance, as does Lee, as you've found. The basic idea is that you buy a filter holder and then as ...

Concerning the ND parameter: ND2: Passes 50% of the light intensity (1 step). Therefore, to achieve the same exposure had no filter would require a doubling of the exposure time. ND4: Passes 25% of the light intensity (2 steps). Should be multiplied x4 exposure time. ND8: Leave spend 12.5% ​​of the light intensity (3 steps). Should be multiplied x8 ...

Yes this is an issue with full-frame lenses on crop bodies. You have a couple of workarounds: Try using a hard-edged filter. Bracket your exposures (w/out filters) and blend them together in post. Use EF-S lenses whose image circle is designed for crop bodies.

Many serious pros claim, @hollan says above, that cheap ND filters are a waste of money. See Strobist: http://strobist.blogspot.com/2010/06/using-nd-filters-to-kill-depth-of-field.html He recommends Singh-Ray Vari-ND, but its way too expensive for my budget. I got a B+W 6 stop ND filter and I'm very happy with it.