Round 10-stop ND Filter Review

[rpcrowe]

As I mentioned in a previous post. I tend not to carry a square filter set with me except when I am specifically going out to shoot landscapes. I used to carry the square filter setup but realized that I seldom used them, I didn't want to take the lens hood off my lens and set up the lens to take square filters and just holding the filter in front of the lens without using the adapter would often cause a jiggle, spoiling the sharpness.

However, I carry my 77mm round filters using stack caps and carrying an extra filter or two adds almost no weight or bulk to my gear. The bulk is as important as the weight since I frequently will not carry a camera bag but, rather carry my gear in my photo vest.

I decided that I wanted to have a ten-stop ND flter along on my shoots and looked into purchasing a round 77mm. Many of my lenses have 77mm filter threads and I have a 67-77mm adapter to use the 77mm filter on my EF 70-200mm f/4L IS and EF 35mm f/2.0 IS lenses.

This seems to be a very decent review of the popular round ten-stop filters.

https://www.the-digital-picture.com/...ty-Filter.aspx

Until I read the review, I was leaning towards the Hoya PROND brand (which had some very nice comments on YouTube videos) but, decided to opt for the B+W. Since I shoot in RAW, I can adjust the color balance quite easily but, apparently the Hoya degrades the image sharpness. The Singh Ray, Heliopan and Breakthrough are great but, cost more than I want to pay (considering the few times I will probably use the filter). Given, the price-point and quality; the B+W seems to be a decent compromise...

BTW: I was able to find a pre-owned B+W 10-stop filter at quite a decent price.

[Manfred M]

I've used the B+W 10-stop since 2011; ever since I started experimenting with long exposure photography. The reason is similar to yours Richard; portability. I've taken it to Africa and Asia, simply because I did not have the space to carry my preferred option of rectangular filters.

The ugly truth about these high density filters is that they do tend to throw a colour cast at either the red end or the blue end. The Lee Big Stopper is well known for having a blue cast and the B+W does have a warm cast. I've often wondered if making a custom profile for the camera with the filter in place might not be the easiest fix. I'll have to try is sometime.

That being said, the cast can actually be attractive in some situations and in some long exposure shots I will leave it in because it adds to the image. There is an almost "golden hour" glow to the scene.

Here is a shot with the B+W 10-stop:





Here is one of the same scene without the filter:





I prefer the way the filter warms up the vegetation.

[LePetomane]

Richard, Thanks for the review.

[rpcrowe]

I would guess that setting a custom white balance in camera before shooting my long exposures might be the way to go in order to avoid or at least mitigate the color cast inherent in the 10-stop filter.

Obviously as mentioned in the review, generally a color cast is an easier work around than a unsharp image.

[Manfred M]

I wasn't think of a custom white balance, but rather using my x-Rite ColorChecker Passport to create a custom profile that can be applied at the raw conversion step.

I've just created one, so next step is to wait for the Ottawa River to become a bit more ice free and test it out.

[Polar01]

I agree with Manfred the Lee casts a blue tint and the B+W is warmer. I have both the B+W is a screw in, the Lee is square. One of the things I like about the Lee is when making long exposures that you know are going to be in Donald's world, (B&W). Really like them for mid-day work when the sun is just blazing down casting harsh shadows. We that is me anyways,

Cheers: Allan

[rpcrowe]

I have downloaded the iPhone App NDEXPOSURE. It is free and very easy to use. Simply dial in the exposure time without a filter along with the filter used. The app will then give you the exposure time to use with that filter. It couldn't be any easier

Of course, it is pretty easy to remember that an exposure of 1/30 second will equate to 30 seconds with the addition of the 10-stop filter. You can then just work up and down to get the correct shutter speed with a filter added: 1/15 second = 1-minute, 1/8 second = 2-minutes and so on. But, with a free and easy to use app, why try to figure things out

[george013]

I have downloaded the iPhone App NDEXPOSURE. It is free and very easy to use. Simply dial in the exposure time without a filter along with the filter used. The app will then give you the exposure time to use with that filter. It couldn't be any easier

Of course, it is pretty easy to remember that an exposure of 1/30 second will equate to 30 seconds with the addition of the 10-stop filter. You can then just work up and down to get the correct shutter speed with a filter added: 1/15 second = 1-minute, 1/8 second = 2-minutes and so on. But, with a free and easy to use app, why try to figure things out

Apps are not free. You probably pay with something else as money.

George

[DanK]

Apps are not free. You probably pay with something else as money.

George

What does that mean? Do you own an iPhone? A great many apps are free. Some include advertising to pay the developer, but many do not. Often a developer posts two versions, a free one (without advertisements) and one with more features that you have to pay for, with the hope that you will find the free one appealing enough that you will pay for the more elaborate one. But many are simply free--sometimes because an organization provides them as a service, and sometimes because the developer just wants to build it and give it away. I have many of all three types of free apps.

[Manfred M]

Apps are not free. You probably pay with something else as money.

George

Lee, NISI and Formatt-Hitech; three of the biggest names in ND filters, all supply free iOS apps.

[rpcrowe]

I am however very wary of "free" programs to install on my desktop computer. Often these programs include pesky and unwanted "fellow travelers" which can, if you are not diligent in installing the 'free' program, cause some annoyances such as hijacking the search engine that is normally used. It is nothing that can't be corrected but, still is a bit time consuming...

[xpatUSA]

Apps are not free. You probably pay with something else [other than] money.

George

+1.

Like when Google's NIK became free-of-charge, I read here long ago that there was still a price to pay. Can't remember what, getting too old ....

[george013]

I mean you're paying with your privacy, your personal data. Of course there're apps from manufacturers that are dedicated to a product.


George

[Manfred M]

I mean you're paying with your privacy, your personal data. Of course there're apps from manufacturers that are dedicated to a product.


George

I believe it is even more insidious than that.

Companies advertise to make money, so the cost of the advertising is reflected in the products that you buy. Every time the product changes hands along the supply chain, the cost of advertising is marked up, which effectively means the end user pays for advertising over and over again.

In the long run, it would be less expensive for everyone to pay for the goods and services that they need and not go for any of the "free" products because of the hidden costs associated with them.

[DanK]

Folks, this is way off the topic of photography, but still...

I don't think this can resolve anything if we treat "free" as one thing. There is a huge variety of free apps and software, and no generalization fits it all. There are free apps and software packages designed to track you or provide your data to others, like everything Google. There are free apps and software that don't track, like the alternative to Google's search engine, DuckDuckGo. There is free software that is designed to make it more difficult for other apps and software to track you, like disconnect.me and the Tor browser. There are free apps and software that don't access the net and therefore can't track you, like the superb ascii text editor I use, EditPad Lite. There is free software that advertises, and free software that doesn't. There are free apps and software that are provided as services by mission-driven organizations, like the Audubon apps I have on my iPhone. In my professional life, I use free software that people write simply to share what they have done, such as the ado files for Stata. And on and on.

The bottom line, it seems to me, is that if you are worried about being tracked, you have to pay attention and select with some care. Unfortunately, some app and software writers are not open about this, but many are, and one can often find information about them. And I never download any software from sites I don't know. it's not uncommon for sites to post legitimate free software while packaging it with malware. That has happened to me a few times, and it is a costly mistake in terms of time.

Ironically, most people I know surf the web with no protection whatsoever, which makes the question somewhat moot. If you are worried about being tracked, there are a few simple steps you can take, two of which are free, that will reduce the problem considerably. Set your browser to use DuckDuckGo as its default search engine. if you have to use google--it is better for some things--access it through DuckDuckgo, which requires all of three extra characters. Install Disconnect.me, which will block a lot of tracking efforts and will give you a log of them. There are alternatives, but that is the package I have always used. Those two are free. Then use a VPN whenever you are on a public network connection. That may cost you, although some employers have VPNs set up that are free to use. (Mine does.) I have a VPN installed on my laptop, my iPad, and my phone because I travel with all three and use them in airports and hotels. And if you have reason to be really concerned, use the Tor browser and a VPN when you really want not to be tracked. (The 'private browsing' option in some browsers prevents a history being created on your own computer but doesn't stop tracking by third parties.)

I do all of that, and I also enjoy lots of free apps and software.

[rpcrowe]

As I mentioned in an earlier post to this thread, I wanted a 77mm hard graduated ND filter since I live along the "Left Coast" and hard grad ND filters are best for over the water shots. I wanted one for my travel kit. I didn't expect to have such a difficult time finding one but, I did find a used Heliopan 77mm Hard Grad filter sold by Adorama. The great thing about this filter is the price: $50 USD. I will very likely used this filter very sparingly so getting one at a reduced price from a reliable vendor is lucky for me.

[Manfred M]

The two round grads I have are Heliopans, who are generally considered a top filter maker (better than B+W), so this is a very good price. They do have makings on the ring to help the photographer orient the filter. The one thing to watch for though is that Heliopan grads are made of resin, so some care is required to not scratch them.

[rpcrowe]

As I mentioned earlier in this post, I own a couple of Lee GND square filters which are in very good shape. However, I use them with a "no-name" plastic filter holder which I don't like. It is difficult to slide the filters up and down with this apparently cheapo holder. I'd like to replace the filter holder and have reviewed several: Lee, Cokin, Zomei and Hitech among others.

I noticed this one which I seem to like:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Aluminum-10...53.m1438.l2649

It is not the least expensive, nor is it the most expensive filter holder. I like the red knob to release and attach the holder from the adapter ring and the fact that I can use a polarizing filter with this outfit.

What do you think of this filter holder?

[Manfred M]

What do you think of this filter holder?

Unfortunately, I would say it is impossible to tell without actually using it. Features like fit, finish, how well it works, etc cannot be determined from an image. The attachment screw looks to be in an awkward location and I am not a fan of the aluminum construction. Aluminum is a soft material and can easily scratch the relatively soft plastic of the filters.

I have a friend who has used the Lee, Formatt Hitech and NISI holders and prefers the Lee by a large margin. I own the Lee and have used the NISI, and I also prefer the Lee holder as it is simpler and more robust to operate. I have heard that the Format-Hitech lens mounting mechanism is a bit fiddly.

[zen]

I always liked and used Heliopans, mainly because of the brass rings, making the threads almost jam-proof. But they DO add a cool cast to the images. And for that reason, I am switching to B+W's as the need arises. I'd rather the warm cast than cool. And, as it turns out, the B+W's are also brass rings . . .