1 vs 2 stop ND filter

Hey guys!

So I'm going for a bit of a Joey L look--I like to shoot outdoors at wide apertures with a strobe. 1-2 person portraits, etc.

The whole purpose of the ND filter is to be able to shoot at a wider aperture.

Would a 1 or 2 stop ND filter be more suiting to my needs?

I'd go for 3 stops.

mike_d wrote in post #17170251
I'd go for 3 stops.

3? Hory chit p'rate! Why do you suggest that?

Probably because you can shoot RAW and make up 1 - 2 stops difference there; and if you're shooting wide open apertures with fast primes, the difference that you're trying to cover for exposure is likely to be 3 stops or greater unless you're shooting early mornings/late afternoons or evenings.

quadwing wrote in post #17170281
3? Hory chit p'rate! Why do you suggest that?

Do the math.

Sunny 16 + 3 stop ND + 1/200' shutter (typical sync speed for strobes) = f/4

You want to shoot wide open in daylight, right? I find Sunny 16 is often a bit underexposed, so you could open up a little more. How wide open do you want to go?

I may depend on the FL of the lens and model of camera being used.
As well as the desired aperture you choose for the final image you want.

For example. I use a 6D that has a max SS of 1/4000, when I shoot my 50L wide open at f1.2
I need a ND8 (3 stop) multicoated filter. This works great all the way up to f4.0 if I don't go
over 1600 ISO.

With the same equipment I use my 24L II lens wide open at f1.4 and I use an ND 4 (2 stop filter)

I bought filters for each lens, not a step down ring, I use the hood with both lenses as well.
There are time when I wish my 24L II had an ND8 and times when I wish my 50L had an ND4
But I love shooting them wide open even in otherwise harsh light,
my 50L remains dreamy with an ND soft filters.
I do not notice a loss of sharpness, I did a tripod comparison with and without the day my filters arrived.

Here is a link to my thread when I asked and got help on choosing.
https://photography-on-the.net …ghlight=infinit​edivide+nd

quadwing wrote in post #17170250
Hey guys!

So I'm going for a bit of a Joey L look--I like to shoot outdoors at wide apertures with a strobe. 1-2 person portraits, etc.

The whole purpose of the ND filter is to be able to shoot at a wider aperture.

Would a 1 or 2 stop ND filter be more suiting to my needs?

Heya,

1 stop is a waste of time.

You can drop to ISO 50 and make that 1 stop.

2 stops is also generally not helpful. If you're shooting full day light, with powerful strobes at F2 or so, you'll still want a 3 stop to start. Lots of those strobe ND shooters shoot with 6 stops of ND often.

Ideal is a variable ND so you can open it up, focus, stop the light, shoot.

I shoot with full flash in straight Florida sun, at F1.4, at 1/200s. It takes me 5 stops. I drop in RAW another stop or two.

Very best,

Do the math...

What shutter speed do you want to use? The fastest possible might be dictated by the flash you are using. 6D's portable flash x-synch speed is 1/180. If using monolights or portable strobes, it might be as low as 1/125. I don't know about ABs, in particular, but because you want to use a strobe in combination with daylight, you won't have as much flexibility with shutter speeds as you would shooting just by available light where you can use much faster shutter speeds. (Note: High Speed Sync might allow higher shutter speeds with portable flash that can do HSS, but limits flash reach dramatically.)

Now what's the lowest ISO you want to use? 6D is expandable to ISO 50, but do you find the image quality acceptable for your purposes? ISO 100 might be your minimum.

Okay, now what aperture are you trying to use? How about f2.8 to f5.6?

Outdoors in sunlight, the "Sunny 16 Rule" says at ISO 100 you need to use 1/100 and f16. In broad shade or overcast it might be f11 or f8. So you still need to "cut" about one stop for the shutter speed and between two to five stops for the aperture. Up to six stops total, in these examples.

So in this example a 6-stop ND filter should allow for approx. f2.8, ISO 50, 1/100 shutter speed in broad daylight. You may be able to play with the ISO and shutter speeds a bit... I.e. you'll have a range that allows for slightly larger or smaller aperture, and for some variation in light. If you want a larger aperture or a higher ISO, you'll need to use a stronger ND filter.

You can stack ND filters. 1- and 2-stop ND filters are generally used for "fine tuning" really precise settings, where you have a very specific shutter speed, ISO and aperture combo you want to use in particular lighting conditions. Otherwise, if you have some flexibility with shutter speed and ISO, I would think a 6-stop ND or 8-stop ND would be more generally useful, giving you a workable range in broad daylight. But if you are looking for larger aperture or slower shutter speeds, you might need a stronger ND... 10-stop and stronger are available. Or if you want to use a bit smaller aperture and/or faster shutter, a 4-stop ND might be right for your purposes.

So first figure out what exposure settings you want, then work backward to calculate how strong an ND you need to get you in the ballpark. If you can be a little flexible in your settings, you'll actually have a range of settings to work within.

I use a 3-stop for shooting f/1.4 in the day. Works great.

this is a pretty great and informative thread, i'm not too good with f-stop calculations but on my 70-200/2.8 lens I shoot with a 4 stop ND filter, 1/200, f/2.8, iso 50 in the day and it works well

90% of my shots are done this way, ( I know it also depends on how bright it is that day)

I've been trying to figure out how many f-stop nd filter to use on my f/2.0 lens, i'm guessing from my above calculation it'll be either 5~6 stops to get the same effect i'm used to,

I would start with 3 stop. Use ISO50 if you have to. I never shoot in the sun where I need more than 3 stops as light usually plain suckx.

3 or even 4. 1 stop might as well use a circular polarizer. 2 isnt enough.

I'm looking to shoot at around 1/100s, at, at most (if possible) ISO100.

I'm at this point debating between getting a Lee Filters setup, or just going for a variable ND filter. Hard choice!

I see little point in messing with the ISO. 3-stop Lee glass ND is what I use. Works great.

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Looks good! I'm still a little confused as to how it works--I'd have to buy the proper adapters for each of my filter sizes, then attach to the foundation kit to that? Is the "lens hood" any good?

If I have a 52mm mount I want to attach the lee filters to, what's everything I'd need to get?