VARI-ND: new type of solid ND filter; any feedback please

hi all

VARI-ND (clicky)

i recently discovered this product while trying to get on top of my subscribed photo blog feeds... has anyone ever used this before and if so, what kind of reviews would you give it?

i was about to buy a solid ND 2 + 4 + 8 set, but seeing this i am considering changing my purchase, as it looks much more versatile and simpler to use

any opinions/advice appreciated

how bout 2 polarizers just rotate until you get the ND you want?

ak_powder_monkey wrote in post #4325419
how bout 2 polarizers just rotate until you get the ND you want?

That's almost certainly how this thing works, actually.

They want minimum $340 for this thing!

I can buy a moderately decent lens for that...

I have one and I love it. Like all Singh-Ray filters I've used, the image quality is excellent. Unfortunately, like all Singh-Ray filters I've used, the price is shocking. But in this case especially, it's worth it to be able to dial in anywhere from 2 to 8 stops of ND without fiddling with more filters.

Here's a shot with it cranked all the way to 8 stops. The exposure was 30 seconds at f/22. I'm going to be getting their new 'Mor-Slo' filter, a 5 stop ND, eventually to be able to go even slower but the Vari-ND will always be the first on the lens.

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The variable filter is expensive, but look at the benefits. A single filter that will give you anywhere from 2-8 stops of light reduction, no need to stack multiple ND's, etc. If you use ND filters quite regularly, I'd say that its probably well worth it. Its probably not for the 'casual' user.

Yeah, I figured the price was likely primarily the result of this being something of a specialty item. Still...yikes!

Out of curiosity, how's the build quality? For that price, I would expect the filter to survive under conditions that a good L lens wouldn't.

It's been out for quite a while. All it is, is a couple of polarizing filters mounted together. It's a trick probably as old as the polarizing filter is.

ak_powder_monkey wrote in post #4325419
how bout 2 polarizers just rotate until you get the ND you want?

i discovered another thread on here which concludes that 2 CPLs stacked don't work, but an LPL stacked over a CPL does... will be trying that shortly but of course without buying both i can't compare the results to the vari-nd

question: with the standard set of ND filters, do the numbers 2, 4 & 8 refer to the number of stops of light they 'block', or are those numbers arbitrary? cos Singh Ray is the only place i've seen a 5-stop ND advertised... i was wondering which of the standard set would be the equivalent?