Fader Mark II Vari ND: Keep or return? Examples included

Just got a Fader Mark II Variable Nd Filter from Adorama for $170. Tried it out on a sunny sky and got some cross pattern. I'm using a Tamron 18-270 and the cross pattern only showed up when I was shooting at wide angles. When I zoomed in, no cross pattern. Examples attached below were both shot at 18mm and (1) ND filter at max, f/3.5 shutter 1/20 and (2) ND filter at min, f/3.5, shutter 1/2000.

I want to use an ND filter to shoot moving water and waterfalls with the silky effect and landscapes. So, do I return this, give up the idea of variable ND filters, and buy say two individual filters? If so, what strength ND filters should I buy? Or do I say, "good enough", make sure I zoom in a little and keep the filter?

PS. No, I'm not buying a Singh Ray. I love you all and I know top dollar buys top quality, but this is the most I'm willing to spend. This is my hobby, I'm not a professional. Thanks!

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buy multiple ND filters

Those results are typical with variable ND filters when shooting at very wide focal lengths and the filter set to or beyond max density. As you've discovered, the problem goes away once you zoom in a bit (usually to about 35mm and longer). My Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo reacts the same way...its simply the nature of the beast. As long as you're aware of the focal length limitations, a variable can be your best friend at times. I'd be more concerned about the overall IQ than with this, however...

argyle wrote in post #12359806
Those results are typical with variable ND filters when shooting at very wide focal lengths and the filter set to or beyond max density.

Agreed that by all accounts, every variable ND will yield this pattern at the higher ND settings. Lower quality Variable NDs will yield a stronger pattern at lower ND settings, but eventually all of them will exhibit this pattern. You can also avoid the X pattern by rotating back to 6 ND or less. Did you calculate how many ND you are getting prior to onset of the X pattern?

Thanks for your help!

@SMP_Homer What strength filters do you suggest I buy?

@argyle I took those pictures really quick because we had some weather coming in. I wanted to get some pics of the sunlit sky before it clouded over. So it's more the fault of the photographer than the filter. I attached two more pics: (1) w/o filter, f/3.5, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/8, (2) with ND filter dialed in about halfway, f/3.5, ISO 100, shutter speed 1/4. Both were shot wide at 18mm and cropped. Does that give you a better idea about the image quality? Or should I shoot with the filter a different way to let you check the image quality?

@Mike K The filter does have marks on it, but they're only labelled max and min with marks in between. There is a total of 10 "units" from min to max. The filter is advertised as going from ND2-ND400. I know the scale isn't linear, but I can't quite figure out the units. Anyway, if I dial it back two "units" the cross hatch disappears, so that helps.

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[QUOTE=repete7;1236087​5]Thanks for your help!

@Mike K The filter does have marks on it, but they're only labelled max and min with marks in between. There is a total of 10 "units" from min to max. The filter is advertised as going from ND2-ND400. I know the scale isn't linear, but I can't quite figure out the units. Anyway, if I dial it back two "units" the cross hatch disappears, so that helps.


You can tell the strength of the ND simply by shooting in Aperture priority, without the filter, and different filter settings. Assuming the lighting is constant and the resulting histograms comparable, the difference in shutter speeds will provide you the ND strength. A 2x difference in shutter speeds is 1 stop in ND strength, a 32x difference in shutter speed is a 5 stop difference, etc. Conversely if one had a 10 stop ND, you would meter without the filter then increase the shutter speed by 1000X with the filter. For example a sun lit stream may meter a 1/500 sec and with a 10 stop filter would be 1/500X1000 = 2 sec. With your LC Fader, the amount of ND at each rotational position would depend in large part on the nature and direction of the light source, as they have both circular and linear polarizers in them.
Mike K

@ Mike Unfortunately, I haven't had any sunny days to really test the filter in real life scenario to see when the cross pattern appears. Hard to do this indoors with artificial light.

Tried some more indoor shots and I'm not really satisfied with the IQ. These were taken at f/4.0, ISO 100, first shot without a filter at 1/10 second, second shot with the ND filter at 1.0 sec. Both on tripod with self-timer. The second shot looks softer to me. I suppose it should be expected that the longer shot would not be as sharp, but would I do better with an individual ND filter vs the variable filter? Thanks for your help.

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I gave up on the Fader. Returned and I'm getting individual ND filters. Thanks for your help.