El cheapo ND filter kit

double_entendre

Haven’t done anything with ND filters yet, but have been intrigued about it. Unfortunately, it’s a tight time, financially.

Even so, this is a mistake, right?

I’ve been keeping an eye on BH Photo’s used pages.

My intention is to play with the surf here in SoCal and do some street photography (in the sense of cars on them). Any guidance?

ziggy53

Cheap filters are generally a bad idea for a number of reasons:

1) Image degradation. Cheap manufacturing methods rely on some combination of cheap raw materials, cheap tooling, cheap labor and low standards and testing. Many of these deficiencies directly, and negatively, impact image quality before the lens affects the image.

2) Attachment/detachment. Cheap filters are often difficult to mount and remove from the lens. In the worst cases I've encountered (with my own equipment or helping other peoples' equipment) the filters can cross-thread and even deform the front threads of a lens, resulting in relatively expensive repairs to the lens (generally to replace the ring which contains the filter threads).

3) Cracking. Cheap filters are often cut from the original glass sheet with rough edges and even chipped edges, and covered by trim pieces. Over time and with vibrations and temperature variations this can lead to stress fractures across the filter. Too may times you don't eve notice the problem until you need to use the filter.

... The list goes on but you get the idea. Any time I really needed some equipment I found a way to generate the money for the purchase. Create your own opportunities!

double_entendre

@ziggy53 said:
Cheap filters are generally a bad idea for a number of reasons:

1) Image degradation. Cheap manufacturing methods rely on some combination of cheap raw materials, cheap tooling, cheap labor and low standards and testing. Many of these deficiencies directly, and negatively, impact image quality before the lens affects the image.

2) Attachment/detachment. Cheap filters are often difficult to mount and remove from the lens. In the worst cases I've encountered (with my own equipment or helping other peoples' equipment) the filters can cross-thread and even deform the front threads of a lens, resulting in relatively expensive repairs to the lens (generally to replace the ring which contains the filter threads).

3) Cracking. Cheap filters are often cut from the original glass sheet with rough edges and even chipped edges, and covered by trim pieces. Over time and with vibrations and temperature variations this can lead to stress fractures across the filter. Too may times you don't eve notice the problem until you need to use the filter.

... The list goes on but you get the idea. Any time I really needed some equipment I found a way to generate the money for the purchase. Create your own opportunities!

Heh. Ain't no one buying my photos. Though dog knows I take better shots than some of the stuff that they sell at Huntington Beach's "farmer's market." No idea why they call it that. It's more like a hideous kitsch fest.

ziggy53

@double_entendre said:

Heh. Ain't no one buying my photos. Though dog knows I take better shots than some of the stuff that they sell at Huntington Beach's "farmer's market." No idea why they call it that. It's more like a hideous kitsch fest.

In photography, I suggest either changing your style or speciality of photography by repurposing your existing equipment, or change your method of marketing your current crop of images. Sooner or later you should strike a level of improved sales enough to afford some new equipment purchases.

Alternately, you could take on some part-time position or service even if it's not directly about photography. The goal is to generate sufficient additional funds to purchase what you need in photography.

double_entendre

Thanks, @ziggy53. I'm a real estate guy by trade and enjoy photography as a hobby. I've never even tried selling anything. Considered it, but never really looked into it. Have yet to take anything that I'd pay money for. Print and put in my house, sure. But sell? Of course, people bought Thomas Kincade stuff.....

You're right, of course, about the el cheapo ND filters. Part of me wonders how bad they are, but mostly it just seems unwise to find out, eh?

colourbox

Now and then there are studies of good vs cheap filters. Here's an interesting read from the fine folks at LensRentals.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters/

ziggy53

@colourbox said:
Now and then there are studies of good vs cheap filters. Here's an interesting read from the fine folks at LensRentals.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2011/06/good-times-with-bad-filters/

double_entendre

That's awesome. A guy after my own heart. "Hey, what would happen if we did this......"

The idea that someone would rent a good lens and return a cheap one boggles my mind.