ND Filter Advice

canon400d

I would appreciate ever so much if someone would be kind enough to give me some advice on ND filters. At the present time in Scotland we are experiencing many sunny days and these are causing me some problem with my landscape shots. I have UV filters fitted to all my lenses and I was wanting to know if an ND filter would be better in very bright sun light.
Also would I need an ND filter to fit each lens or would one do the three lenses I normally use? Also I take it I would have to remove the UV filter before using the ND filter.
Regards
Bob

Art Scott

Lee filters is one of the leading manufactureers of flat photgraphic filters........UK/WORLDWIDE WESITE........US WEBSITE......you should not have to remover the UV filter to use and ND....in you situation You may want to get a Graduated ND for landscapes............lots of info at the LEE SITE............

canon400d

Art Scott wrote:

Lee filters is one of the leading manufactureers of flat photgraphic filters........UK/WORLDWIDE WESITE........US WEBSITE......you should not have to remover the UV filter to use and ND....in you situation You may want to get a Graduated ND for landscapes............lots of info at the LEE SITE............

Thanks for replying Art I will have a look at the lionks you sent. Can you tell me if one ND filter will fit more than one lens. I usually shoot with 10-22 17-55 and 70-200 lenses.
Regards
Bob

pyry

Lee and Cokin make filters that fit a special holder which in turn fit all common filter threads via adapter rings. This allows you to rotate and lift/lower the filters freely. I've got the Cokin P-series holder and filters.

A CP will also be useful in addition to graduated NDs - of which you may need several: there are different darkness and transition sharpness variations that fit different situations.

canon400d

benjikan wrote:

Hello Bob;

Have you considered using a polarizing filter?

Hi Ben,
No I haven't if someone can tell me what the difference is between a polarizing filter and an ND filter I would really appreciate it.
This is the advice I am after.
Regards
Bob

canon400d

pyry wrote:

Lee and Cokin make filters that fit a special holder which in turn fit all common filter threads via adapter rings. This allows you to rotate and lift/lower the filters freely. I've got the Cokin P-series holder and filters.

A CP will also be useful in addition to graduated NDs - of which you may need several: there are different darkness and transition sharpness variations that fit different situations.

Hi there Pyry,
It really is good to hear from you again. What I want is something to stop blowing out the whites and the skies if you know what I mean. I have UV filters fitted to all my lenses and the reason for this is to protect my lenses. OK I am still learning so where do I go from here. I really do have problems with the blowing out of skies in the landscape shots etc etc.
Regards
Bob

Art Scott

Amazon.co.uk ......the link is to some very helpful books on filters.....

As mentioned by Pyry....the cokin and Lee filters allow you to use them on most all of your lenses thru adapter rings that screw into the filter threads on your lenses.....what on does is get the actual filters to fit the largest diameter lens you have, say 88mm....then you buy more adapter rings to fit the filter holder......this type of filters with holders and adpter rings are actually a "SYSTEM"....because they are fitable to more than one diameter of lens.............

Tiziano

Good informative links below:
Understanding Polarizers
Understanding Grad ND's

canon400d

Tiziano wrote:

Good informative links below:
Understanding Polarizers
Understanding Grad ND's

Thanks everyone for the information and sound advice once again.
Regards
Bob

chrisdg

canon400d wrote:

What I want is something to stop blowing out the whites and the skies if you know what I mean. I have UV filters fitted to all my lenses and the reason for this is to protect my lenses. OK I am still learning so where do I go from here. I really do have problems with the blowing out of skies in the landscape shots etc etc.
Regards
Bob

To avoid over-exposing the sky (or under-exposing the foreground, depending upon where you meter the scene), you really need Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters, not full ND filters. Full NDs are primarily helpful for slowing the shutter in brighter situations in order to capture motion blurs and such. Full NDs can be fun when used properly, but you may want to work your way up to them, as they won't fix your current problem. GNDs, on the other hand, are generally considered a must for anyone doing landscapes and NOT wanting to spend a lot of time in Photoshop, blending two or more differently-exposed images together, or attempting HDR post-processing.

Singh-Ray makes some top-end GND filters that will fit the Lee or Cokin filter holders, so you can use one filter on multiple lenses...only the inexpensive adapter changes, as you move the holder from lens to lens.
http://www.singh-ray.com/grndgrads.html
even if these are not in your budget, the info on this site is very helpful in understanding the various GNDs.




WARNING: Anything wider than about 20mm on your 10-22 EFs lens, you will see quite a bit of darkening (vignetting) at the corners of the frame due to the edges of the filter (or filter holder) becoming visible in the frame. This is why this lens generally requires the more costly thin-mount screw-in type filters. So, if you go with the square/rectangular filters from Lee, Cokin, or Singh-Ray, you'll definitely want to remove the UV filter to avoid stacking more than one filter on that lens. If you go with the Cokin P-Holder mounting system, you need their new wide-angle holder instead of the regular holder, and even still it will vignette a bit. Or, with practice, you can learn to literally hand-hold these large rectangular filters in front of a tripod-mounted camera lends to avoid any vignetting.

CIRCULAR POLARIZER:
Like polarized sunglasses, CP's are primarily used to reduce the glare off of waters, leaves, glass, and other shiny surfaces, so they boost color saturation as a result, including the sky. They are the most important filters in landscape photography. They also cut a bit of light, which can be good or bad depending upon your intention. On the bad side, you've lost some light coming into your lens. On the good side, CPs also act like a very mellow neutral density filter, potentially allowing for a bit of nice motion blur of running water, moving objects, etc when used properly. However, used alone, you often still have a sky that is often 2, 3, 4 or more stops brighter than the foreground - and our camera's sensors can't render it properly. In general, a sky that is 1-stop brighter than the foreground is basically where you want to be, and looks natural to the eye. This is where the GND filter comes into play (or HDR post-processing).

For now, don't worry too much about a circular polarizer for the 10-22 lens, since it's too wide to render consistent polarization across the scene (see sample image below). However, for your other lenses, you can get one of the CPs that inserts into the same Cokin or Lee style holders. It's a circular "sprocket" style filter that rotates within the holder, in front of any other filters that slide in. You can also use the CP in combination with the GNDs: CPs for improved color, and GDN for controlling bright skies.

Here's an example of how a CP on a 10-22 ultrawide lens causes an uneven affect on the sky (not the darker section in the middle).

astockwell

First thing, do a search.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=132827&highlight=neutral+density+filter

I would love Lee, but they are expensive. Look at Hi-Tech. Great optical quality, and much cheaper. Buy Cokin Holders and Rings, as they are cheaper than Hi-Tech holders and rings. Cokin holders and rings work with Hi-Tech filters.

-Andy

canon400d

astockwell wrote:

First thing, do a search.

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=132827&highlight=neutral+density+filter

I would love Lee, but they are expensive. Look at Hi-Tech. Great optical quality, and much cheaper. Buy Cokin Holders and Rings, as they are cheaper than Hi-Tech holders and rings. Cokin holders and rings work with Hi-Tech filters.

-Andy

Thanks ever so much Chris and you too Andy for the sound advice you have given me. I really do appreciate it.
Regards
Bob

Scott_Quier

canon400d wrote:

Thanks for replying Art I will have a look at the lionks you sent. Can you tell me if one ND filter will fit more than one lens. I usually shoot with 10-22 17-55 and 70-200 lenses.
Regards
Bob

The 10-22 and 17-55 both take the 77mm filter. So you could move your ND from one to the other. I'm not sure about which 70-200 you have. The f/2.8 lenses also take the 77mm. According to Canon, the f/4 takes a 67mm. If you have the f/4, you could use a step ring to mount the 77mm to the 70-200 f/4 lens.

CP filters are always a good investment for landscape photographers. These filters provide an effect that is not possible to duplicate in post.

Getting square GND filters is also an option (as has already been stated) in that, if you get large enough filters, they can do double duty as either GND or as solid ND filters. And, with these, you don't have to get the whole mounting system. Just hold the filters up against the the front of the lens during the exposure (of course, you have to be careful no to induce camera motion during the exposure ). I'm think my next (last? yeah, right!) filter purchase(s) will be a pair of GND filters (1 a 1-stop and the other a 3-stop), large enough to do the double duty thing.

canon400d

Scott_Quier wrote:

The 10-22 and 17-55 both take the 77mm filter. So you could move your ND from one to the other. I'm not sure about which 70-200 you have. The f/2.8 lenses also take the 77mm. According to Canon, the f/4 takes a 67mm. If you have the f/4, you could use a step ring to mount the 77mm to the 70-200 f/4 lens.

CP filters are always a good investment for landscape photographers. These filters provide an effect that is not possible to duplicate in post.

Getting square GND filters is also an option (as has already been stated) in that, if you get large enough filters, they can do double duty as either GND or as solid ND filters. And, with these, you don't have to get the whole mounting system. Just hold the filters up against the the front of the lens during the exposure (of course, you have to be careful no to induce camera motion during the exposure ). I'm think my next (last? yeah, right!) filter purchase(s) will be a pair of GND filters (1 a 1-stop and the other a 3-stop), large enough to do the double duty thing.[

Hi Scott,
As you know we have spoken before and I am still a learner. To be honest I find it quite difficult to know what to do with these filters. I have tried my best to learn the SC3 and CS4 and I am quite happy with what I can do on them. However, it is the light problem when I take some landscape shots and also close up shots with the light in the back ground to prevent the blow outs. I hope I have made myself clear what I am trying to say.
Regards
Bob