ND filters

[neuroanatomist]

2. 82 mm Schneider Kreuznach is really difficult to order outside the US. Neuro, how is yours going? I need to put a 82 on my 21 CZ Distagon and want to step down to 72 and 67 over adapters.

Finally had a brief chance to try it yesterday, in between rain and work obligations.  The scene is a busy area of downtown Boston, the reflecting glass is side of the Hancock Tower, the tallest building in New England, dwarfing the Trinity Church across the street. Shots are with the 5DII + TS-E 24mm f/3.5L II, +10 shift.

The first shot is a 1/6 s exposure, the second is a 30 s exposure during which several pedestrians walked through the scene, along with cars passing between the buildings. Thanks to the long exposure, they're not visible.

Like my B+W 77mm 10-stop ND, this 10-stop filter does warm up the color temperature a bit - I didn't correct in post because in this case (dull gray, overcast day), I think it's beneficial.

[gmrza]

I guess that is a reason for another trip to Tassie after I get hold of some black glass....

If you'll be down south try giving Walch Optics in Hobart a call, I haven't been in there myself yet (been meaning to) but a few people have told me they carry good stock of some more obscure and/or professional items. They might also be able to order one and have it ready for you to pick up.

Thanks for the hint - I got hold of Francis at Walch Optics, and organised to buy a B+W 10 stop ND while I was in Hobart.

The day after that I was off to Mount Field National Park.
This was one of my first shots at Russell Falls:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/specular-images/6451030707/
(7D with 17-40mm f/4.  My wife was shooting with the 5DII and 24-105mm f/4, which gave some more pleasing results, having a wider angle.)

The only real problem I have experienced is with my 2 year old daughter getting impatient with me while I am setting up a shot and she is perched in a carrier on my back....
I have no idea why she had a problem dangling over the water while I balanced the 7D on a log using a Gorillapod to set up this shot:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/specular-images/6451934319/

[niccyboy]

I guess that is a reason for another trip to Tassie after I get hold of some black glass....

If you'll be down south try giving Walch Optics in Hobart a call, I haven't been in there myself yet (been meaning to) but a few people have told me they carry good stock of some more obscure and/or professional items. They might also be able to order one and have it ready for you to pick up.

Thanks for the hint - I got hold of Francis at Walch Optics, and organised to buy a B+W 10 stop ND while I was in Hobart.

The day after that I was off to Mount Field National Park.
This was one of my first shots at Russell Falls:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/specular-images/6451030707/
(7D with 17-40mm f/4.  My wife was shooting with the 5DII and 24-105mm f/4, which gave some more pleasing results, having a wider angle.)

The only real problem I have experienced is with my 2 year old daughter getting impatient with me while I am setting up a shot and she is perched in a carrier on my back....
I have no idea why she had a problem dangling over the water while I balanced the 7D on a log using a Gorillapod to set up this shot:


http://www.flickr.com/photos/specular-images/6451934319/

fantastic, what was the exact filter you got and how much?

I grew up in Devonport... hope you didn't get sea sick on that ferry

[gmrza]

fantastic, what was the exact filter you got and how much?

I grew up in Devonport... hope you didn't get sea sick on that ferry

I got the B+W 10 stop, which set us back $159, in Melbourne the few shops I took a quick look at were asking $220 or more, whereas at B&H, I think it was $125 plus shipping.  As Neuro mentioned, it has a bit of a warming effect - I was initially a little less complimentary about that, referring to is as a "brown cast".  That is easily corrected in Lightroom however.

Walch Optics is like a trip back in time as far as camera shops go - loads of interesting stuff - you don't really get camera shops like the any more - even Michael's in Melbourne (expensive as they are) has way to "polished and commercialised" a feel.

The ferry ride was quite uneventful, but great fun for the kids.  Fortunately my sea legs are good, and you are not on the water long enough to experience any after effects when back on dry land.

The trip to Tassie gave some great photo opportunities - only 2 weeks was way too short.  Also, having kids in tow made it difficult to be at interesting places when the light was good.  I will have to make another trip there!

[NormanBates]

I have run a lot of tests with different ND options (tiffen cheap-ish ones, LCW fader ND, resin filters for cokin P system)
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsn.html

[PeterJ]

Walch Optics is like a trip back in time as far as camera shops go - loads of interesting stuff - you don't really get camera shops like the any more - even Michael's in Melbourne (expensive as they are) has way to "polished and commercialised" a feel.

Great shots and glad the Walch Optics suggestion worked out well. Definitely must get in their now after hearing an opinion from someone in Melbourne where there's a lot more shops. Not sure how many times in the past I've put it off given it's an 'epic' journey of about 10 mins for me .

[gmrza]

Walch Optics is like a trip back in time as far as camera shops go - loads of interesting stuff - you don't really get camera shops like the any more - even Michael's in Melbourne (expensive as they are) has way to "polished and commercialised" a feel.

Great shots and glad the Walch Optics suggestion worked out well. Definitely must get in their now after hearing an opinion from someone in Melbourne where there's a lot more shops. Not sure how many times in the past I've put it off given it's an 'epic' journey of about 10 mins for me .

Thanks for the suggestion.

I'm not sure what their prices are like on other things - I only really paid attention to the ND filter.  They seem to have loads of 2nd hand gear, a lot of it looking fairly decent.  You certainly get a better attitude and great customer service, which is just lacking at places like Teds and Digital Camera Warehouse.

[thepancakeman]

So here's a question--how do you decide which lens(es) to get ND filters for?  So far I pretty much suck at anything but sports photography, but I'm having fun playing.  My wife has a whole bunch o' lenses (see my sig) that I can play with and the ND filters look like fun.  Any suggestions?

[neuroanatomist]

So here's a question--how do you decide which lens(es) to get ND filters for?  So far I pretty much suck at anything but sports photography, but I'm having fun playing.  My wife has a whole bunch o' lenses (see my sig) that I can play with and the ND filters look like fun.  Any suggestions?

If you're willing to forego the hood, get a filter sized for your largest-diameter filter threads, then get inexpensive adapter rings to use the larger filter on smaller lenses. 

[gmrza]

So here's a question--how do you decide which lens(es) to get ND filters for?  So far I pretty much suck at anything but sports photography, but I'm having fun playing.  My wife has a whole bunch o' lenses (see my sig) that I can play with and the ND filters look like fun.  Any suggestions?

My view is that you would probably look at which lenses you use to shoot landscape, as those are the ones you will generally use a ND filter with.  Your 24-105mm and 70-200 both have 77mm threads, so you may want to look at a 77mm filter (I don't think you had anything bigger than 77mm).  I would guess those are the lenses you are most likely to use a ND filter with.  You probably would be shooting with the aperture stopped down as well to get sharper images and reduce vignetting (mainly an issue with the 24-105 on full frame however), so you probably would not want to bother with using a ND on a fast prime.  As neuro said, you can also get adapter rings.

Our main use of the ND (although only recently purchased) has been with the 17-40mm f/4L on the 7D and the 24-105mm f/4L  on the 5DmkII.

[neuroanatomist]

You probably would be shooting with the aperture stopped down as well to get sharper images and reduce vignetting (mainly an issue with the 24-105 on full frame however), so you probably would not want to bother with using a ND on a fast prime.  As neuro said, you can also get adapter rings.

For landscapes, true.  Also true for a 10-stop filter. 

But another common use of ND filters is when using fast primes for outdoor portraits - on a bright day, at f/1.2 even 1/8000 s may not be short enough.  Also, using even f/2.8 on a bright day where you want to use fill flash will result in overexposure if you're limited to your max sync speed - so, you can either use HSS if your flash supports that (and blow through your batteries), or use an ND filter to knock down the light (as long as you have enough flash power).

In addition to my usual 82mm and 77mm filters, I have a 72mm 3-stop ND for outdoor portraits - it's great that the 35L, 85L, and 135L all use a 72mm filter...

[gmrza]

You probably would be shooting with the aperture stopped down as well to get sharper images and reduce vignetting (mainly an issue with the 24-105 on full frame however), so you probably would not want to bother with using a ND on a fast prime.  As neuro said, you can also get adapter rings.

For landscapes, true.  Also true for a 10-stop filter. 

But another common use of ND filters is when using fast primes for outdoor portraits - on a bright day, at f/1.2 even 1/8000 s may not be short enough.  Also, using even f/2.8 on a bright day where you want to use fill flash will result in overexposure if you're limited to your max sync speed - so, you can either use HSS if your flash supports that (and blow through your batteries), or use an ND filter to knock down the light (as long as you have enough flash power).

In addition to my usual 82mm and 77mm filters, I have a 72mm 3-stop ND for outdoor portraits - it's great that the 35L, 85L, and 135L all use a 72mm filter...

I have to admit I was thinking totally in "landscape mode" - which is the main use for a 10 stop ND.  I would agree about the 72mm 3 stop - as its use is mainly for portraits.  On a crop frame body, a 58mm may be a good idea for use with a 50mm f/1.4.  My 3 stop ND is still a square Cokin (from film shooting days) so I just need the appropriate size ring for each lens.  Those are a lot more cumbersome to work with though.  - For my wife's work, Cokin filters aren't an option as she doesn't have the time to mess with them, but then she finances my gear addiction.