31
votes
Does using long exposure together with ND filter make the scene look more evenly lit?
No, changing the exposure or using an ND filter will not help you with this, since both will only brighten or darken everything by a certain factor.
Your problem is the large relative difference ...
- 4,624
30
votes
Accepted
Why did my ND filter produce washed out exposures?
You've got the sun almost in the frame. This is causing huge amounts of veiling flare — light bouncing all around, reducing contrast. You'll get better results from a different angle, or at a ...
- 142k
20
votes
Accepted
Can I stack ND Filter and Polarizer together?
Absolutely you can. Many square filter holders are specifically designed for this:
The Lee Filters systems (Sev5n, 100mm) have optional front threaded rings designed to hold a polarizer in front of ...
- 31.6k
16
votes
Accepted
What is a good example for artistic ND filter applications?
Aside from moving water, what other motion blur applications can one achieve with an ND filter?
Pretty much anything that moves in relation to the camera.
One can make people moving through a scene ...
- 172k
15
votes
Why did my ND filter produce washed out exposures?
Why did my ND filter produce washed out exposures?
You're shooting straight into the sun with a dirty, unshaded, and flat surface on the front of your lens.
The image demonstrates all three classic ...
- 172k
14
votes
Accepted
What ND filter strength should I use when visiting Iceland?
That is a really tough question because it is so situation dependent. It depends on the look you want to achieve and also the light that you are facing. You almost always have the wrong filter with ...
- 1,583
10
votes
If I'm buying a single ND filter, which stop is most versatile?
It really depends of the kind of pictures you want to take. Look at "What are the uses of Neutral Density (ND) filters?" for information about potential ND filter uses. You can also take a look at "...
- 4,143
10
votes
Accepted
Where can I buy a 77mm 12 - 15 stop ND filter at a reasonable price.
It's easy to lost perspective when referring to stops due to the fact that it is a logarithmic scale. When talking about ND filters each stop represents a halving of the intensity of incoming light. ...
- 118k
10
votes
Does using long exposure together with ND filter make the scene look more evenly lit?
I have to disagree (to a limited degree) with most the answers you've gotten. For a picture like this, a longer exposure will probably do a little to reduce contrast a bit. Not much, but a bit.
This ...
- 19.2k
9
votes
Accepted
Why is my 2 second long exposure shot overexposed?
We have no idea of the brightness of the scene you are photographing. Are you on a Mediterranean beach? In a forest at night? Put the camera on automatic, take a photo, and see what iso, aperture and ...
- 10.7k
9
votes
Does using long exposure together with ND filter make the scene look more evenly lit?
Is this combination of ND filter and long exposure responsible for having such even lighting on the scene in the former image?
No. The reason for the ND filter is to allow the long exposure, but the ...
- 1,487
8
votes
How do welder's glass shades translate to stops when used as an ND filter?
As a welder and new to photography I recently researched the possibility of filming the welding process, my research found many sources including this site and the post to which this attached... and ...
8
votes
Accepted
Choosing between 9-stop and 10-stop ND filter for flowing water long exposures
It doesn't matter much which filter you get. If you get the "wrong" one, you will have gained invaluable XP that will contribute to your continued advancement in photography.
Options to consider:
...
- 26.7k
8
votes
Choosing between 9-stop and 10-stop ND filter for flowing water long exposures
TL;DR: Get the best 10-stop filter you are willing to afford. There are several to choose from, compared to shopping for a 9-stop filter.
In no particular order, some considerations:
This is very ...
- 31.6k
7
votes
Why is my 2 second long exposure shot overexposed?
Without knowing what strength of ND filter you were using, or under what lighting conditions, I can't give a specific answer. However, a little bit of back-of-the-envelope math can help give you an ...
- 31.6k
7
votes
What is a good example for artistic ND filter applications?
Most moving things becomes blurry and unrecognizable at slow shutter speeds. Other uses of an ND filter I have seen:
Moving clouds
Cities (moving bits (cars, people) disappear)
- 18.3k
7
votes
Does a large scratch in an ND filter affect image quality?
It is impossible to say without trying the filter on the lens you intend to use it on and under the conditions you are going to use the combination. It is IMHO impossible just by a visual inspection ...
- 2,883
7
votes
How does using an ND filter compare to using HSS for freezing subject motion in daylight?
Just to get the full understanding: Only to freeze fast moving subjects which need shorter shutter speeds than the flash's burning speed HSS is really required?
Sort of. That is a common reason to ...
- 172k
6
votes
What ND Grad to buy first?
You haven't given enough information to produce a definitive answer, but here's how I suggest you can help determine the information yourself. I own and use 2 sets of ND grads from 1–3 stops, both ...
- 31.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Is my ND4 filter really ND4?
The filter is almost certainly an ND0.4 (or ND.4) filter.
Filters specified as ND .4 have a transmissivity of 10^(1/0.4) which is .398. Looking at the 4 measurements the OP made, the reflectance at ...
- 1,207
5
votes
Accepted
Can I use a polarizing filter as a neutral density filter to create motion blur on airplane photos?
A polarizing filter will probably cut out 2 stops of light, which would allow you to shoot at 1/200 instead of 1/800. Depending on your lens, you might be able to shoot at f/11 or f/16 and further ...
- 33.3k
5
votes
If I'm buying a single ND filter, which stop is most versatile?
You mention you need an ND filter. There are different reasons for needing an ND filter, and this will affect what strength you'll need:
Shooting wide aperture in daylight.
For example, you want to ...
- 13.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Can I photograph a solar eclipse using a 10-stop Big Stopper (+ extra ND?)
A "big stopper" reduces light by a factor of 1000x, whereas Baader Astro filter film reduces light by a factor of 100,000x. You may get away with using the big stopper if you're using live view on a ...
- 909
5
votes
Why are my long-exposure photos (with ND filter) overexposed?
The approximate manual camera setting is likely achieved using the tried and true “sunny 16 rule”.
Shutter speed is 1/ISO with the aperture set to f/16. Since you have chosen ISO 100, the exposure, ...
- 37.7k
5
votes
Why are my long-exposure photos (with ND filter) overexposed?
The short answer is that your ND filter is not strong enough.
As Alan Marcus's answer points out, according to the Sunny 16 rule, in bright daylight at ƒ/16, you will get a nominally-correct exposure ...
- 31.6k
5
votes
Can I use a 10 stop + 8 stop ND filter to photograph a solar eclipse?
In theory, the 10-stop and 8-stop filter could do the job (with about 1 1/3 stop disadvantage to a solar filter). 2^(10+8) is a light reduction factor of 262,144 and solar filters usually have a ...
- 909
5
votes
Does using long exposure together with ND filter make the scene look more evenly lit?
Most of what you seem to think was accomplished by using the ND filter was actually accomplished using one of several raw conversion/post-processing techniques to reduce the contrast of the final form ...
- 172k
5
votes
What is the difference between IR and ND filters?
ND stands for "neutral density" - it is a filter type that (in theory) absorbs all wavelengths of the visible light by the same amount.
Effect of a ND-filter. CC-BY-SA 2.0: Robert Emperley
IR ...
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