Can closing down the aperture substitute for a ND filter.

My understanding is that a ND filter deletes a few stops of light. Would just closing down the aperture accomplish the same thing? i.e., shooting a landscape scene at f16 instead of f8, what that accomplish the same thing as a 2 stop nd?
is my thinking correct here or am i missing something.

Usually, ND filters are used because one wants to use a specific aperture and shutter speed combination (or one or the other is already at the max/min setting) and are already at the lowest ISO setting but still need to further reduce the amount of light getting into the camera.

For example, you might want to use the widest aperture available to get the shallowest DOF possible, or a very slow shutter speed so that you can shoot a landscape scene with a cottony waterfall.

When you stop down, your DOF increases. So no, it does not accomplish the same thing. When I have shot waterfalls, I stop all the way down AND use an ND filter.

Stefan

Then there's the Graduated NDto use on skies:
.

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simmonsrandal wrote in post #5708376
My understanding is that a ND filter deletes a few stops of light. Would just closing down the aperture accomplish the same thing? i.e., shooting a landscape scene at f16 instead of f8, what that accomplish the same thing as a 2 stop nd?
is my thinking correct here or am i missing something.

The only thing that it will accomplish, similar to an ND, would be cutting your light by two stops. Unlike an ND, on the other hand, you'll be increasing the DOF by doing so (which may help/hinder your composition), and will begin to introduce the effects of lens diffraction (which will make you images appear OOF or "unsharp").

PhotosGuy wrote in post #5709357
Then there's the Graduated NDto use on skies:
.

What did ND filter graduate to?

Does the graduated ND filter take you up to the next level of photography?

Inquiry minds want to know.




Yes, I know. Blame it on the oppresive heat we've been having around my neck of the woods lately.

"I am a high school grad-u-ate"
-- Lilly Tomlin