ND tips tricks and advice

[outwithmycamera]

I've recently purchased a set of ND filters (1, 2 & 3 stop) and am going to start playing with them. Any suggestions about how or wehn these are best used, situations where they may be inadvisable, or resources I can read for technical instruction or inspiration? Any thoughts are welcome, thanks!

[Manfred M]

Chris - all ND filters do is reduce the amount of light hitting your sensor.

I use mine whenever I need to shoot at wider aperture settings or lower shutter speeds than the normal conditions allow. As an example, I want to shoot a waterfall, but in order to get the DoF I want I have to shoot at base ISO and 1/200 sec, adding a 3-stop ND will allow me to reduce my shutter speed 1/25th without changing either the ISO or aperture.

I also use it in portraiture. I tend to like shooting close to wide open to get me really shallow DoF, so adding a ND filter will allow me to shoot at a wider aperture.

I'm not really sure why you need a resource to read, these are really simple filters to use. I am not aware of anyone describing their use in more detail than I just have. Your camera's metering system will adjust automatically to you shooting with them in place.

[outwithmycamera]

Manfred, thanks - I understand the how the filters work but with any tool experience can reveal subtle things about their application, that is what I am looking for here - something that might not be obvious or is often overlooked that you have stumbled upon (positive or negative).

[Stagecoach]

Chris,

Manfred has summed it up but here's a tip;

Remember that any filter you add to the front 'MAY' impact on the corners of the frame when using a wide angle. This almost caught me out this morning whilst stumbling around in the sea in the dark at 5:30 am and framing tightly but luckily I spotted it after the first two shots

[Shadowman]

Chris,

I too just purchased a set and have slowly started using them, never seem to have them when I need them and can never find the right conditions when I do. So first lesson, carry them with you at all times if possible.

I assume you have graduated ND filters; otherwise just use them as you see fit. The graduated filters involve a bit more thought in my opinion; do you use to control sunsets, use for long exposures when shooting waterfalls, get creative and try for a 3-dimensional action shot? Many ways to consider using them and if you just use as anyone else would you'd just get the same images as everyone else. Start out with the typical compositions and then start experimenting; that's the best way to get the most out of your accessories.

[Manfred M]

Manfred, thanks - I understand the how the filters work but with any tool experience can reveal subtle things about their application, that is what I am looking for here - something that might not be obvious or is often overlooked that you have stumbled upon (positive or negative).

Those details might be dependent on the type of filters you are using.

If for instance, you are using the typical round filters attached directly to you lens, that would provide one set of comments. If you use the rectangular type that Lee or Cokin make, a totally different set of comments.

[rpcrowe]

One remark...

Cheap ND filters may introduce an unwanted color cast to your image.

This could be especially true when using cheap variable ND filters...

[DanK]

Cheap ND filters may introduce an unwanted color cast to your image.

While in general I agree that cheap filters are a bad deal, in my limited experience, price is not a good predictor of the color cast in ND filters. Having been burned once, I now carefully look through reviews to see what people say about color cast. Oddly, many people don't mention it one way or the other.

Currently, I am using three filters that have very little color cast. I have tested them in A/B comparisons. For 3 and 6 stop, I am using Marumi filters. The 6 stop Marumi is hard to find in the US, but I bought one from a UK dealer via Amazon. They are fairly inexpensive (in general, I think Marumis are a very good deal), but they are quite neutral. My 10-stop is a Hoya PROND, which has been reviewed as unusually neutral but not as sharp as some others. If you read reviews, you will be surprised by what people have found about the color cast of some more expensive filters.

In the one case where I had a bothersome color cast, I found it hard to get rid of. I think I would have needed a color checker target, which I didn't have.

[Black Pearl]

Are the ND filter you have bought solid or graduated?

There are assumptions being made and advice being given which may be irrelevant to your needs.

Also while you're on - why did you buy them? Were you finding an issue that needed sorting or was it an impulse buy that you now need to find a use for?

[outwithmycamera]

I have solid (not graduated) filters and my thought was to use them for long exposure in dim light conditions (think early morning or later evenings) but to also help control exposure in brightly lit conditions so wider apertures can be used. The set I bought are Kood brand which are about as inexpensive as these get. My understanding is the Kood filters do leave a color cast but this can be easily corrected in post. Reviewers seem to have favorable comments on these, though I'm always suspicious of reviewer motivations. I will play with what I have for a bit and decide if this sort of filtering gives me useful tools for what I like to shoot.

[DanK]

I have solid (not graduated) filters and my thought was to use them for long exposure in dim light conditions (think early morning or later evenings) but to also help control exposure in brightly lit conditions so wider apertures can be used. The set I bought are Kood brand which are about as inexpensive as these get. My understanding is the Kood filters do leave a color cast but this can be easily corrected in post. Reviewers seem to have favorable comments on these, though I'm always suspicious of reviewer motivations. I will play with what I have for a bit and decide if this sort of filtering gives me useful tools for what I like to shoot.

I have zero experience with Kood filters. At that price, I assume they aren't coated. Re removing the color cast: maybe. What I found when I had an ND with a color cast is that I was not able to remove the color cast with simple adjustments. I'm guessing I could have done it well if I had a color checker as a target, but all I use is a whiBal, and the problem was more than white balance. But maybe you will be luckier than I was.

Given that yours are not very dark, I don't know of any special hints. With denser NDs, I find I often have to focus and compose without the filter, then add the filter.

[russellsnr]

Hi, Shoot in manual mode with solid ND filters, yes get your meter reading first then go manual, remember to add the required time for the strenth of the filter being used, comp your scene then add the filter or try Live view as you can still through an ND filter in Live view, use a tripod and if you have one a cable release if not use the self timer on camera, cover the view finder on bright sunny days and if the exposure is going to seconds rather than fractions of seconds as this stops light leak onto the sensor.
If you can buy square ND filters with a holder, you will be glad you did in the long run.
When to use them? Anytime but overcast days are best.
Russ

[Manfred M]

Shoot in manual mode with solid ND filters

Let me disagree with you on this one. Unless I shoot exposures that exceed 30 seconds (the maximum shutter speed most cameras have - one has to switch to "bulb mode" for longer exposures and use a remote release), I will usually shoot using one of the automation modes. The camera has no issues at all dealing with light from 1, 2 and 3 stop filters.

I will go to manual when mixing flash with ambient light or using flash alone with ND filters, but this is for portraiture not the landscape work Chris is looking at shooting.

[rpcrowe]

There is a small commercial airport near my home. I plan on using the landing approach as practice in shooting aircraft with a ND filter at slower speeds and wider apertures. I will post my results.

I figure that a three stop ND filter will increase my exposure time at ISO 100 from about 1/100 second @ f/16 to 1/100 second or slower at f/5.6. The f/5.6 aperture is wide open for my 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens at its longer focal lengths...

[Black Pearl]

Hi, Shoot in manual mode with solid ND filters, yes get your meter reading first then go manual, remember to add the required time for the strenth of the filter being used, comp your scene then add the filter or try Live view as you can still through an ND filter in Live view, use a tripod and if you have one a cable release if not use the self timer on camera, cover the view finder on bright sunny days and if the exposure is going to seconds rather than fractions of seconds as this stops light leak onto the sensor.
If you can buy square ND filters with a holder, you will be glad you did in the long run.
When to use them? Anytime but overcast days are best.
Russ

No need to use manual exposure, auto is fine up to the point you run out of shutter speeds - typically at 30 seconds.
No real need to meter first then add the filter as the camera will meter through ND filters up to the point it runs out of shutter speeds - typically at 30 seconds.
The viewfinder cover could be argued best practice with a DSLR as bright rear light or very long exposure can/may cause light to leak in but its not an every time problem and doesn't affect all cameras.
An overcast day is often the best time to get the long exposure times many are after when using ND filters.

[LePetomane]

The best source of info on filters that I have found is the Singh Ray site. Their filters are not cheap but their support is very good. I called them for advice before buying and found that for my purposes I could get by with a lot less than I thought I needed.
http://www.singh-ray.com/tips-techniques/

[Manfred M]

An overcast day is often the best time to get the long exposure times many are after when using ND filters.

Just to add one more thought to Robin's excellent advice. Shooting at "golden hour" and "blue hour", when the light levels are already low also reduces the need for heavy duty (10-stop +) ND filters. An added bonus is that the lighting will already be beautiful and diffuse and a great time to get those killer shots with long exposures of flowing water.

[outwithmycamera]

An added bonus is that the lighting will already be beautiful and diffuse and a great time to get those killer shots with long exposures of flowing water.

This is precisely the application I have intended, good light, just need to extend the exposure times a bit more. Thanks for all the suggestions, once I am able to get some shots and process them I will post for further advice and constructive criticism.

[DanK]

This is precisely the application I have intended, good light, just need to extend the exposure times a bit more. Thanks for all the suggestions, once I am able to get some shots and process them I will post for further advice and constructive criticism.

It will be very difficult to test for color cast during the golden and blue hours because of rapidly changing lighting. My suggestion is that you put your camera on a tripod under controlled lighting, e.g., indoors, set it on aperture priority, and take shots of a target with and without the filters. For this purpose, I just tacked a photo with a mix of colors to a blank wall and made sure to get both the wall and the photo in the frame. The blank wall was actually more informative, as it was white.

[William W]

. . . I understand the how the filters work but with any tool experience can reveal subtle things about their application, that is what I am looking for here - something that might not be obvious . . .

Don’t think this has been mentioned yet - ND Filters can be used in bright light to slow the Shutter Speed to the Camera’s Maximum Flash Sync Speed to allow Flash to be used as the Fill Light: for example, portraiture in bright sunlight.

With most modern DSLR's your 3 Stop ND Filter will provide you the greatest latitude of Aperture and ISO combinations at the camera's Maximum Flash Sync Speed, (I prefer to use a 4 Stop if shooting in very bright sun, beach and snow).

WW