Shooting on a higher shutter over buying an ND filter?

[theuserjohnny]

I've been wanting to buy an ND filter but after messing around with a higher shutter rate I feel that I don't need to drop the cash. The only major issue I have is that I just have to be really carful with my movements (example at 20 seconds). Anywho what do you guys think of the video

BY NO MEANS AM I TRYING TO BE PROFESSIONAL, just one of those "once in a while" videos for a hobby.

http://youtu.be/BtBcIP704lo

EDIT: GREAT NEWS! I guess my Dad did have an ND filter... I just don't know if the filter is enough to give me enough stops to maintain the 1/50th with a 1.8.

 

[leGreve]

I think your video proves why I spend good money on buying the Heliopan var ND filter...

If you like the jagged feel, then bygones, but it is really not a wishful trait for most jobs. For creative work and paying customers I would never go above 1/120.
Look up how to couple framerate and shutter speed, there is such a thing as the best possible setting, and then you filter down to those settings if your environment is overexposed.

Having said that... remember Saving Private Ryan. That's an example of when high shutter speeds might add something to the feel of the film.

 

[akiskev]

Nice video but you'd gain a lot by using an ND filter!

 

[asmundma]

you also need to hold your camera steady, else it feels to amaturish

 

[theuserjohnny]

I think your video proves why I spend good money on buying the Heliopan var ND filter...

If you like the jagged feel, then bygones, but it is really not a wishful trait for most jobs. For creative work and paying customers I would never go above 1/120.
Look up how to couple framerate and shutter speed, there is such a thing as the best possible setting, and then you filter down to those settings if your environment is overexposed.

Having said that... remember Saving Private Ryan. That's an example of when high shutter speeds might add something to the feel of the film.

Down the line I will but idk for some reason I really like that jagged feel. And I by no means plan on doing this as professional work for paying clients hahah. More of a "once in awhile" type thing.

 

[archangelrichard]

unless your camera has issues you shouldn't be seeing a difference (that "jagged edge" between the two - the sensor resolution remains the same because of shutter speed; however the filter may be reducing sharpness.
Every piece of glass, including elements in a lens or filters reduces sharpness a bit, the more pieces you have the less sharpness you have

If you are using some afterprocessing software smoothing" (like a software ND filter ) might cause tjhat (it drops the resolution / smooths the edges)

You don't mention using smaller apertures as another alternative nor slower iso settings -- have you tried this?

 

[Flake]

Used moderately an ND filter can give a pleasing effect, but like all photographic fads some need to take it to the max so that the effect is utterly spoiled. How many sea shots which look more like fog than sea?, or rocks surrounded by a greyish haze?

ND can be used to blur movement, so people cannot be recognised, movement through an office reception or shopping centre, it's also useful in lowering the light levels when using a wide aperture lens, and these effects are much better acheived in camera than in post.

 

[NormanBates]

I'm sorry, but I found that video terribly unnerving: it looks even more adrenalitic than a fight from gladiator, yet it's supposed to be sweet and nice - it doesn't work at all for me, I was expecting some maniac to come out of the bushes and start killing people, otherwise my brain can't make sense of it

you may be interested in this:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/tuten/630.html

and you probably will find my ND tests useful too:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsn.html

 

[theuserjohnny]

^^^
Yeah I'll give those a read. Again I'm just messing around with the camera, sometime down the line I may purchase an ND filter but for what it is now I was pleased with it. I shot a short in which I dropped down my apature to maintain the 1/50th speed but I was utterly pissed at how I lost my depth of field. With this video I made the apature my main focus and changed the speed and I loved getting my DOF back. A majority of the people who I showed it too don't see the shutter effect like me and most of you on this thread do.

However I do thank you guys who have watched it and have given feedback.

GREAT NEWS! I guess my Dad did have an ND filter... I just don't know if the filter is enough to give me enough stops to maintain the 1/50th with a 1.8.

 

[NormanBates]

for shooting 1/50s f/1.8 on a shiny day, you need a hell of a lot of filtering: around 6 stops

if you just want to use it for casual videos, and don't use long lenses (i.e. stick to 70mm and below), an ND fader is the least painful option (on long lenses, it kills your images; check my tests above)

 

[Maui5150]

Not sure why you need to spend $300 on an ND especially at your level.

You can easily find decent ones for half that or much less. I have added a .6 ND and a .9 ND (B+W 77mm) to my bag in the last month and MAYBE spent $170 total and they are decent glass. You go Hoya or Tiffen and you should be able to get 3 or so ND filters in a variety of stops for under 200.

yes you can always change the shutter, but it does affect your shot and affect what you can and can't do. I would rather be able to keep a shutter and ISO and be able to open the aperture up. As folks have mentioned, it will reduce sharpness ever so slightly, but I also find I get less noise and better highlight and shadows with a slower shutter, higher aperture and an ND filter vs pushing the shutter extremely fast.

You are just doing video, so won't make as much as a difference, but if you start to shoot flash, the curtain and sync speed come into play and being able to keep the shutter 250 is a necessity

 

[NormanBates]

^ that's also very true

my current ND filters cost me $25 each, and they deliver very nice image quality (there's a bit of IR spill, but not any sharpness issues, even when stacking all filters)
http://www.similaar.com/foto/equipment/us_acc.html#filter

the biggest problem with that is that changing filters is slow and painful; the LCW fader ND is a cheap alternative that's a breeze to use, but it has some sharpness issues (which become huge on long lenses)

 

[daveswan]

My filter wallet contains a set of HiTech filters in P size, from 0.3 to 1.2 and a circ pol as well as ND grads.

When filming outside, even in England I'll likely have the pol and an ND if I want a wide aperture. The pol is to control glare off grass and leaves as well as sky (Depends on orientation of Sun).

 

[Axilrod]

I've been wanting to buy an ND filter but after messing around with a higher shutter rate I feel that I don't need to drop the cash. The only major issue I have is that I just have to be really carful with my movements (example at 20 seconds). Anywho what do you guys think of the video

BY NO MEANS AM I TRYING TO BE PROFESSIONAL, just one of those "once in a while" videos for a hobby.

http://youtu.be/BtBcIP704lo

EDIT: GREAT NEWS! I guess my Dad did have an ND filter... I just don't know if the filter is enough to give me enough stops to maintain the 1/50th with a 1.8.

Dude with video your shutter stays locked, it's out of the equation. 1/50 if you're shooting 24fps and 1/60 if 30fps. You can use higher shutter speeds for action sequences or things of that nature, but not more than 1/200 or so, definitely not 1/2000.

 

[daveswan]

Where I will deviate from 1/50 for 25p is when shooting moving water (esp waterfalls) when I often go down to 1/30 as I find the increased motion blur aestheticaly pleasing, as well as avoiding a kind of "broken image" that I get with 1/50

Others are, of course, free to differ