About to buy a Neutral Density Filter which though??

[DonJuanMair]

Im about to get a Tiffen ND filter, so i can take pics of water etc with a nice effect.
But what do i go for?

0.3
0.6
or
0.9

?

Thanks

[TheHoff]

If you're going to be in full sunlight, the darker the better, so the higher number, the less light it lets through. I'd suggest getting two so you can stack them if needed.

If you search ebay for Hoya Neutral Density you will find a seller with good prices on multicoated versions in all sizes. They will be a better quality than Tiffen overall.

[DonJuanMair]

thanks hoff!

[DonJuanMair]

with a 0.9 what type of shutter speed in bright day light will i be able to go up to?

im looking at this one

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/391201-REG/Hoya_XD77ND8_77_mm_Neutral_Density.html

[eddarr]

+1 for hoya. This was taken with an 8x hoya at 5s, iso100 and f/22 in mid day full sunlight.

http://ericdarr.smugmug.com/photos/284582195_doWAe-L.jpg

[Bubble]

If you're going to be in full sunlight, the darker the better, so the higher number, the less light it lets through. I'd suggest getting two so you can stack them if needed.

If you search ebay for Hoya Neutral Density you will find a seller with good prices on multicoated versions in all sizes. They will be a better quality than Tiffen overall.

is it Spotlight Photo (http://stores.ebay.com/Spotlight-Photo)?

[TheHoff]

is it Spotlight Photo (http://stores.ebay.com/Spotlight-Photo)?

Yup, received 3 Hoya MC ND filters, 82mm, all came as advertised. Good service, good prices, and tons of availability for MC ND's; much more than B&H and Adorama combined.

To the OP -- take the "stop" rating, like 3-stops, and apply that to your exposures to see what you would get. So if you're normally able to shoot at ISO 50, f/13, 1/30, then you could get 3 more stops of shutter speed with that filter. Often in bright sun you'll need to stack multiples to get a really slow effect.

[DonJuanMair]

I just ordered the Hoya 8x from spotlight photo, thanks to eddarr fpr posting that pic, very nice!!

hoff im still confused and new to stop ratings, i saw this when getting a grad filter too, are tere any guides or tutorials for the extra stops explanation?

[Gethin]

hi,
it's to do with the basic exposure metering.

say you meter a shot at 1/125 at f8, you get the similar exposure with 1/250 at f5.6, 1/500 at f4, 1/1000 at f2.8 and so on.

effectively, a 3 stop will allow you to use the slower shutter speeds of the aperture 3 stops below.

i hope i've explained that alright..

[slimninj4]

The filters here can be combined? say I can add a +2 and a +4 to make a +6 or only one can go on at a time?

[Gethin]

combining is fine

[canonloader]

The filters here can be combined? say I can add a +2 and a +4 to make a +6 or only one can go on at a time?
Virtually all filters have two threads on them, they can be screwed into each other, as long as they are the same size. But start stacking filters and you might end up with vignetting. What kinds of filters do you want to get? There are many, from screw ins, that go into the end of the lens, and this means a whole set for each lens size, or buy the big ones and get reducers for the lenses.

Then there are the Lee types which have a filter holder that attaches to a changeable adapter ring that screws into the lens thread. They are 4x4 inch holders and there are grooves in the outside end to take a flat sheet of acrylic resin with the particular filter medium on the resin. Then you buy the resin filters, which are 4x6 for Lee's or 4x5 for some others, but fit the holder. These slide into the grooves on the main holder and you can adjust the gradient line up or down or any part around a complete circle, or just put in the solid color filters so it covers the whole opening of the lens.

Lees can get expensive though, although none of them are what I call cheap. ;)

[Mike-DT6]

A 10-stop ND filter is worth looking at for getting the effects you are looking for in bright daylight. With a lower rated filter (3-stop for example) you could well find that you can't get the shutter speed slow enough to get some to the effects you like. Better to have the flexibility of being able to adjust things either way than be forced up against one end of the camera's capability with the lens stopped right down.

Another thing to bear in mind is that if you are stacking multiple filters you are introducing several extra layers of resin (or maybe glass) between the subject and the sensor, which does have an impact on image quality. I sometimes stack three of my ND filters and multiple flare marks are often a problem, depending on the direction of the light. Image sharpness is also compromised.

Mike

:-)

[Mike-DT6]

I forgot to mention that there's a good ND filter group on Flickr, with some good examples. People often give details of the filter used, so you can get an idea of what people are using for the types of photograph you like:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/neutraldensity/

Mike

[tiktaalik]

You could also get the Singh-Ray Vari-ND which varies from 2 to 8 stops of neutral density. They also have a 5-stop filter you can add to the Vari-ND to get to 13 stops with only two filters. I love mine but they are a bit pricey.

[Mike-DT6]

I was looking at those a little while ago before I got my Hitech filters. I nearly fainted when I saw the price!

Hitech can make an 85mm 10-stop ND filter to special order for £30 and a 5-stop for £20. I'm not sure about US prices or suppliers for them though.

Mike

[DonJuanMair]

hi,
it's to do with the basic exposure metering.

say you meter a shot at 1/125 at f8, you get the similar exposure with 1/250 at f5.6, 1/500 at f4, 1/1000 at f2.8 and so on.

effectively, a 3 stop will allow you to use the slower shutter speeds of the aperture 3 stops below.

i hope i've explained that alright..

thank you! i understand a bit better now :)

[eddarr]

Don't forget that your CP also acts as a 1 1/2 stop ND filter when used.

[DonJuanMair]

if someone can help here itd be great

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?p=6360910#post6360910