ND filter!!!! A genius addition.

[roanjohn]

Finally got some chance to play with the ND filter on my trip 2 days ago to Lake Minawaska on New Paltz, NY.

Here are some pics:

http://www.pbase.com/image/24664286.jpg

and

http://www.pbase.com/image/24664353.jpg

What do you guys think??

Some of the shots came out blurry as I did not have a tripod. It was freezing and I have to support the camera on my knee sitting down. All in all, I got lucky with a few :-)

I plan to use this thing on other situations!!! can't wait.
And this time with a tripod......

Ro1

P.S. Just learned how to embed an image!!! yay!!!

[gail]

Look at some of your photos. They are really very beautiful ... love the Nature pictures they were very nice done. How do you all get such beautiful pictures?
Do you use manual setting? I want to be able to get pictures like that one day LOL. Really nice. I enjoy viewing them. And what is a ND filter? if you don't mind me asking. as you can see I'm still learinng all this.
Thanks,

[Ballen Photo]

John, I really like the second shot of the waterfall, and the way the light was hitting it. Very pleasing to the eye. BTW, all your nature shots look good.
.............Bruce

[roanjohn]

Thanks gail :-) Most of those nature pics are using the s400 so hardly (if any) manual settings are applied. I guess I was just lucky to be at that exact moment in time, hehe. The waterfall pics on the other hand are all done manually as I was really experimenting with the f/stops and shutter speed.

The ND filter is a special feature onboard with the G3 that allows you to take a much slower shutter speed to properly expose an image............I think.....It somehow darkens the scene. It is mainly used on blurred daytime shooting as a slow shutter speed would overexpose the photo.

I'm sure there's a better explaination..........I'm new at this thing too so I can't really give you a real technical answer.

Hope that helps........

Ro1

[John_T]

...not exactly like that John. The G3/5 has an actual physical neutral density filter that, when enabled in the Menu, is slid into the lens chain enabling you to get good shots especially in over bright or reflective conditions, like sun on the water. You do have to remember disable it in the Menu when you are shooting in other light conditions where it is not appropriate.

I think the G3/5 is the only camera that has this built in feature.

[phili1]

John very nice pictures, I like the two water fall pics, good job, its hard to knee hold a 1/3 to 1/5 sec shots.

A neutral density filter works like this. lets say your reading says 1/2000 of a sec at F16 and your camera is only capable of shooting as is the G3, at 1/2000 of a sec at F8 the neutral density filter being a 1 stop filter allows you to shoot the picture as if you had an F16 setting on the camera.

[sdommin]

The ND filter is actually 3 stops, and it is indeed a "genius addition". I'm surprised more cameras don't include one.

[phili1]

Sorry I miss read it. You are right 3s stops.

[pradeep1]

You can actually see the ND filter slide into place over the aperture hole when you enable it.

Good work on your photographs.

[roanjohn]

you're right!!! You do see it slide.....amazing!!! I wonder why other cameras don't have this option...oh well.

GO CANON!!!

BTW, is this the same as a graduated filter?? or is that entirely different??

[gail]

So how do I find this ND filter on my camera? I have the G3, Sorry I'm new to this still. Is this the neutral" setting on the camera?

[phili1]

put iy in program mode and In the menu section/little camera scroll down and it is there, use arrow to put it on and hie menu again.

[roanjohn]

It should be under "MENU" - ND Filter - ON. You'll know it cuz the screen will get a shade darker.

[gail]

Thanks much! I found it so what do I use this setting for? in taking what kind of shots is it good for? I notice how the screen got darker then lighter when I took it back off.

[roanjohn]

Gail :-)

As you can see with the waterfall shot, the water almost looks like smoke. This is due to the blurred effect from a slow shutter speed. Slow shutter speed is usually used on night photography (when there's not enough light), but during daytime w/ ample lighting, a slow shutter speed will let in too much light, thus overexposing the photo. This is where the ND filter comes in :-) It blocks some light so you are forced to use a much slower shutter speed to get a proper exposure - then voila!!! smokey waterfall.

You should give it a try on a running faucet. First w/o the ND filter and then w/, see how it changes the appearance of the water...............Oh, and make sure to have a tripod ready cuz a slow shutter speed will most likely blur your photo.

Ro1

[roanjohn]

Here is an example

Fast shutter speed:

http://www.pbase.com/image/24747131.jpg

Slow shutter speed:

http://www.pbase.com/image/24747256.jpg

The first shot is with the s400 at f2.8 and 1/400 ss.
The second shot is with the G3 at f8 and 1/5 ss.

Kewl huh??

[yallcome]

Thanks for braving the cold to show us what the ND will do. Can't wait to play with it, but it's too chilly for me as yet. m2