ND-110 light leaks?

ghinson

I have a new B+W ND110 filter and am taking coastal, daylight long exposures. The last few days I have used it, in bright sun (facing, and facing away from the sun), I have bright streaks across parts of the picture.

Now, both of these days, it was cold. Finger-biting cold. And that blasted 77mm screw on filter is hard to get on when your hands are shaking. So my suspicion is that I haven't screwed it all the way on.

Can you get light leaks if you haven't tightened the threads all the way down? Is that what I am seeing?

hgernhardtjr

You didn't mention the camera type. Taking l*o*n*g exposures often requires that you use the viewfinder eyepiece-cover (that little piece of plastic/rubber thingy attached onto your factory strap). Light can seep through the viewfinder and cause unwanted streaks, etc. That is usually the source ... I have personally never had streaks from an improperly seated ND filter, and I occasionally use an ND-400 sometimes hastily attached. I get streaks if I forget to use the eyepiece cover.

pathfinder

You do not want to ever screw your filter in real tight - if you do, you will probably never be able to remove it again without using a filter wrench at the very least. Screw filters in gently.

I agree - use the viewfinder cover.

Some of the time you were shooting into the sun? What apertures were you shooting? Small apertures? You will get sunstars with apertures smaller than f14 or so too.

ghinson

Did not consider the viewfinder! Excellent advice. I was shooting 16-30 sec exposures, smaller apertures. Sun stars I am OK with. But these were like dramatic lens flares across the water foreground.

I'm new to the long exposure during the day shoots. I'll have to find my viewfinder cover (hope I kept that little thing somewhere!).

Thanks!

pathfinder

Strap it on your shoulder strap - that is where it is made to be kept, at least with Canon's consumer & prosumer cameras. Canon's pro series 1D cameras have a built in shutter with a lever to the right of the viewfinder. Other brands may to, but I am not certain about those.