Is GND filter function in ACR good enough?

[bnnrcn]

I'm learning ACR and I know that there is GND filter function in it but I haven't tried it yet.I'm sure there are some members who used this function already and had an opinion about it.Is that function good enough?Or is it worth spending some money on real GND filters and a filter holder as well?

[Polar01]

Binnur there are some use it instead of doing it in camera (using a GND filter on camera), they just fine it easier plus they do not have to carry filters around. Me I prefer to use a filter on the camera, if I use a fast shutter speed I will simply hold the filter in front of the lens, if I am using a slow shutter I will mount it on the lens. Myself I feel that I have more control when I use real filters instead of the ARC GND filter.

Cheers: Allan

[davidedric]

I use Lightroom but I am told the interface is the same.

I don't think this is an either or. Having a real GND allows you to get it right in camera whilst you are controlling all the key variables.

The ACR tool, if it is like Lightroom, is a lot more flexible. You can play around with the position, extent, density and much more. Depends on you and what how you shoot.

Dave

[Manfred M]

I use both a physical filter on camera and the grad functionality in Photoshop; I don't like the implementation in ACR / LR, but that is personal taste.

The software filter will not recover any blown highlights, so when I shoot scenes with a risk of blowing out the sky, I will shoot with an on-lens filter. If I am looking for an effect; darkening the sky where hightlight clipping is not an issue, I will turn to the one in Photoshop. This means that pretty well any landscape that I take just after sunrise or before sunset, I will use one.

On thing that I do not have is a reverse grad; and might look at getting one for sunrise / sunset shots where the sun is in the scene.

[dje]

Hi Binnur

I use an optical GND when shooting sunrises or sunsets, when shooting towards where the sun is about to rise or has just set. This allows you to balance the light between the sky and the rest of the image. The main benefit I see with the use of the optical filter over the post processing filter is this :

Let's say you are using a 3 stop filter. With the optical filter you reduce the exposure of the sky by 3 stops and your camera exposure is set accordingly. Without the filter, the camera's exposure would have to be set 3 stops lower to avoid blowing the sky. With a software GND, you then effectively raise the exposure of the darker areas of the image by 3 stops in post processing, and this will increase the noise levels in these areas.

So the optical GND should give a better quality image.

The other thing I have noticed is that the optical GND seems to add richness to the colours in the sky but that is something I can't really explain.

Dave

[bnnrcn]

Thanks everybody I think I will have to buy at least a 3 stop soft GND filter in anyway.This means I will have to buy a filter holder too.And these all mean that I will have to spend some money again As far as I understand, although the software has a function,it is not enough for any case.

[dje]

And these all mean that I will have to spend some money again

Yes Binnur, it never ends ! But think of the joy in spending money on photographic equipment. I call it "Photographic Retail Therapy".

Dave

[Manfred M]

Not necessarily Binnur - I know some shooters that hand-hold a grad filter in front of their lens (without a scalloped lens hood of course) to do this. A filter holder is not necessarily required, although I personally do use one.

[Polar01]

Binnur a soft grad is good for mountains, however a hard grad is of more use, as you shoot more along the water with a level horizon, get the 4"x6". You would need the holder and the holder ring along with the grad. Before you get the holder and holder ring why not try hand holding the grad in front of the lens, I do it all the time up to 5 seconds or so, I also move the hard grad slightly up and down during this time to soften the transition on the horizon . You are going to get the grad anyways, if it works you save a bit of money, if not then order the rest. As I shoot often over a minute or more the holder is of great use to hold both the ten spot and the hard grad which is knocking down the sky even more.

Cheers: Allan

[bnnrcn]

You are right Dave,I bought some lenses instead of buying a really good TV and I'm quite happy with my photo equipment and with a bad TV

Yes Binnur, it never ends ! But think of the joy in spending money on photographic equipment. I call it "Photographic Retail Therapy".

Dave

[Colin Southern]

Dave Ellis hit the nail on the head; doing it digitally and optically aren't the same. Optical GNDs are used to compress the dynamic range of the scene before it hits the sensor -- doing it digitally doesn't. Additionally, when you're planning on doing it digitally you'll have to use a much higher shutterspeed, which can work against you if you're trying for a particular motion effect.

In practice I use digital GNDs a lot (often several on the one image), but usually only to correct technical issues eg in the studio where a softbox was placed too close to the subject resulting in excessive light falloff - or to add an asymmetrical vignette to draw the eye to a particular area or interior shots where a flash needs to be balanced.

As a rule of thumb I'd encourage everyone to get it right in-camera wherever possible or practical, and use digital techniques to "pick up the slack" later.

[RichardTaylor]

+1 on getting it right in camera.
I mostly use a 3 stop soft ND grad, when needed, and sometimes a straight ND filter to increase the exposure.

[bnnrcn]

Allan and Manfred I might as well try what you suggest for some time,but in anyway I will have to buy a filter holder in the end ,because although I'm not very experienced in photography I love long exposures. Thanks again

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Richard and Colin,I will certainly buy and use real GND filters

[Polar01]

Binnur make sure you get the 4"x6" filters anything else may not be wide enough. To my way of thinking both the Lee and the Singh-Ray make excellent GND filters of the money, Here the Lee 3-stop I can get for about $120.00 US the Singh for about $160.00 again both very worth while. A 1-stop is useless I can do that in post, I have the 2,3, and 4 stop Lee, which can give me a combination of 2,3,4,5,6,7,and 9 stops total when used in the Lee holder which will hold 3 filters.
Looking forward to seeing some shots in the future.

Cheers: Allan

[Sponge]

You don't necessarily have to spend money if you don't want to. You say you like long exposure photography so I'm assuming you use a tripod in which case you can take two different exposures and blend them with software. It's not exactly the same but could be an alternative

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Allan,we have Lee filters here in Turkey,so I think they have filters in standart dimensions but even so I will check it when buying.Thanks for warning

Binnur make sure you get the 4"x6" filters anything else may not be wide enough. To my way of thinking both the Lee and the Singh-Ray make excellent GND filters of the money, Here the Lee 3-stop I can get for about $120.00 US the Singh for about $160.00 again both very worth while. A 1-stop is useless I can do that in post, I have the 2,3, and 4 stop Lee, which can give me a combination of 2,3,4,5,6,7,and 9 stops total when used in the Lee holder which will hold 3 filters.
Looking forward to seeing some shots in the future.

Cheers: Allan

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Patrick,I have got a tripod and what you suggest is an alternative if my budget doesn't let me buy some stuff.I'm new to PP and I have just subscribed to Photoshop CC,so it will take some time to get to know it too.I quite like using filters,I have got a polarising filter and a 10 stop ND filter already.I haven't had the opportunity to use them very often because of winter but I was happy when I used them.Now because the spring is nearly here I will be shooting again and I will be using my filters too.When I talk to old photpographers they always suggest that I should buy equipment as high quality as my budget allows and they always say filters are very important.So,I think sooner or later I will buy GND filters too.

You don't necessarily have to spend money if you don't want to. You say you like long exposure photography so I'm assuming you use a tripod in


which case you can take two different exposures and blend them with software. It's not exactly the same but could be an alternative

[Inkanyezi]

You don't necessarily have to spend money if you don't want to. You say you like long exposure photography so I'm assuming you use a tripod in which case you can take two different exposures and blend them with software. It's not exactly the same but could be an alternative

Actually, it can be done with one exposure and without the filter, with a black mask. It has been done in the past (yes, it was done with film too), and it is way easier to do now. It is the same technique as when dodging under the enlarger when printing a negative. What you need is a piece of black cardboard or if you are more picky, velvet, black velvet.

And don't get me wrong, this goes for long exposure only, so for landscape, you might have set up with a very dark ND.

You set up the camera to shoot, and you expose for the dark part under the horizon. During part of the exposure, you shade the top with your black velvet, moving it a bit up and down. The movement is to soften the edge of the shaded part of the image.

[bnnrcn]

Thank you Urban,interesting technique

Actually, it can be done with one exposure and without the filter, with a black mask. It has been done in the past (yes, it was done with film too), and it is way easier to do now. It is the same technique as when dodging under the enlarger when printing a negative. What you need is a piece of black cardboard or if you are more picky, velvet, black velvet.

And don't get me wrong, this goes for long exposure only, so for landscape, you might have set up with a very dark ND.

You set up the camera to shoot, and you expose for the dark part under the horizon. During part of the exposure, you shade the top with your black velvet, moving it a bit up and down. The movement is to soften the edge of the shaded part of the image.