Cheap Vari-ND? Go for it!

I purchased a cheap $16 Variable ND filter from amazon a couple months ago. I have used it for a couple shots while out and about, but never tested the image quality until tonight. I must say, I am quite pleased!

This first shot is a three-shot combined exposure, from 4 second exposure to 1/2 second exposure

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/26981868@N05/7​553029874/

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com …/26981868@N05/7​553029698/

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

HTTP response: NOT FOUND | MIME changed to 'image/gif' | Redirected to error image by FLICKR

Looks good to me. Toss up a product link if you can. Ive been looking for a cheap one to play with.

Nature Nut wrote in post #14704140
Looks good to me. Toss up a product link if you can. Ive been looking for a cheap one to play with.

http://www.amazon.com …ywords=variable​+nd+filter

That is seriously none too shabby and now I hate myself for paying what I did for mine.

Viva-photography wrote in post #14704352
That is seriously none too shabby and now I hate myself for paying what I did for mine.

Don't hate yourself haha!! Like I said, it's by no means perfect. Build quality is mediocre and the glare can get pretty bad.

The first two look rather soft to my eyes. For the latter two pictures, was a tripod used?

I have a Neewer vari-ND filter. I think it's quite nice...for the price. Acceptable for paid work? Absolutely not, IMO.

Anyone thinking about a vari-ND filter - it's $16. Give it a shot to see if it does what you want first. Then, if you like the general concept, invest in a Singh-Ray or something.

v35skyline wrote in post #14704766
The first two look rather soft to my eyes. For the latter two pictures, was a tripod used?

For some reason every photo I upload to flickr and then post here looks soft. Doesn't matter how great the focus and sharpness is...it always looks soft here. Does anyone know why that is??

Yes, tripod was used in all photos.

v35skyline wrote in post #14704766
I have a Neewer vari-ND filter. I think it's quite nice...for the price. Acceptable for paid work? Absolutely not, IMO.

Agreed, though maybe in a some applications it could.

Exactly.

Of the last 2, my guess is the first shot is with the filter. It seems to have eliminated a small child as well reduce light input. Hmm... can it do that with my kids?
On a serious note, I do appreciate this thread. I've been holding back because all I keep hearing is that they are a waste of $16. Guess who's spending $16 at Amazon in the very near future?

KirkS518 wrote in post #14704881
Of the last 2, my guess is the first shot is with the filter. It seems to have eliminated a small child as well reduce light input. Hmm... can it do that with my kids??

Well, for $16 it can't hurt to try!

Not too bad, with the last pair I think it's fairly obvious, but you're also shooting in low contrast, overcast conditions. Either way, for the cost of lunch you really can't go wrong. Meanwhile, I"m going to head back to the camera cabinet and caress my Singh Ray. . . . .