ND or GND

Good day to all.

I just joined this forum last night and the information that I have learned are pretty awesome.

I recently got myself the Canon 550D and still learning the ropes with SLRs. I also just got to filter lens, one UV (for protection purposes) and a ND4 (intended for landscape shoots- especially the smoothing out the water).

I have been reading here that GND are more often used and not ND. Am I correct? Is GND more recommended that just a ND?

If so, what type of GND should I get? A soft edge, hrd edge, or a radial blend? (keeping in mind the intention of landscape shooting of beaches, etc)

Many thanks for the assistance guys.

LOoking forward to a more active posting here.

apcaw

Consider:

So now you are out doors and you may or may not need to knock some glare...but you mostly want to cut back the light so you can slow down water at a waterfall. Do you whip a fixed ND filter? Nope. That is when you put a linear polarizer in front of the CPL. Slowly rotate the linear polarizer amd the polarizers will move from being in parallel to being at right angle to each other; that allows you to vary the effect from around 2 stops to around 8 stops. So purchase a CPL which you need anyway. Avoid the costs of any fixed ND units...and the cost of a varible ND filter (which set you back around $300) by simply purchasing a relatively cheap linear polarizer you put in front of the CPL.

As for a GND....we attended a John Shaw seminar in January. He said he stopped carrying GNDs because it is all so easy to do the effect in post-processing. At a seminar this past weekend another pro was asked about using GND. He said he shots two shots (with different exposures) and then does photo merge using layers to get the effect he wants. So perhaps you can avoid GND costs also...at least for now. In case you do want to try GND units, you might want to go with the relatively cheap Cokin or other plastic units.

yah... I would say to save your money and something that you can't replicate...(although that is becoming a shorter list)


GND in PS

If you were to try a GND a 3-stop hard step is what I'd suggest. You can hand hold it in front of the lens or get a Cokin filter holder (better for longer exposures). Only thing is with a filter holder you need a sprocket CPL as you can't use a screw on CPL. You wouldn't want a screw on GND either, they're too limiting. Many of my best shots were taken with GNDs, often they come straight out of the camera with little or no processing at all. While my HDRs and blends I spend sometimes hours in Photoshop trying to get them looking realistic or just decent although I'm not the world's best Photoshop-user by any means.

Thanks Harlz, RazorbackSam & MCAsan.

That was really informative. Now I see that I need a CPL which I didn't consider buying since I prioritized being able to stop down.

So what brand should I be looking for a cheap linear polarizer and a CPL.

By the way, I didn't know you could place several filters over the other. Hehe. Newbie here.

Stacking filters is usually not the best way to go about your landscape business... The only filters I stack (if I have to) is a CPL and a GND.

Polarizer is very nice to have whenever you have water or blue skies with some clouds in your shots, but they also make nature's greens and flowers really pop. I think it's a must-have filter. Remove the UV whenever you use any other filter though...

A GND is handy to use, but not really necessary since you can also do it with multiple exposures. Razor's tutorial assumes that the whites in the cloud aren't blown out, but this is often the case. In shots like that I'd either use a GND on the shot itself, make multiple exposures and combine them or do it by one RAW file.

Here are a couple of pictures I took using GND filters 4 days ago. Click on link then click on picture after the link opens to get a larger size.
http://www.flickr.com …/37014341@N03/4​743187397/
http://www.flickr.com …/37014341@N03/4​743817902/

I use a GND filters a lot for some of my shots. I bought the Cokin Graduated Neutral Density Filter Kit for "P" Series to see how it works and if I like to use them or not without spending a small fortune on the Singh-Ray version.
http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …utral_Density_F​ilter.html

Take Care,
Cheers, Patrick

I thought we were supposed to avoid linear polarizers at all costs? Linear polarizers are used with film cameras and have negative effects on digital exposures. You want a circular polarizer.

As to whether or not you want to buy filters or use lightroom or blend exposures, I would rather get it right in camera than spend extra time in front of a computer monitor.

Basically that is all a $300 VND is....two linear polarizers followed by a light scattering layer to make sure AF and metering works.

A CPL is linear polarizer on the outside with a scattering layer towards the camera body. This inner light scattering layer makes sure AF and metering works properly.

So for a DIY VND we are putting two linear polarizers in series. Remember that we already have one linear polarizer on the CPL. So all we need is a second linear polarizer...which we screw onto the front of the CPL.

You don't necessarily need a "sprocket" polarizer to mount in the holder. You have a crop camera...plenty easy to mount a regular CPL to your lens, then either hand-hold the GND filter in front, or just mount the adapter ring to the front of the CPL, attach the holder, and slide in the filter.. You shouldn't have any problems with vignetting due to the crop factor, unless you're constantly at 10mm focal length. I shoot with a full frame camera, and at times I do the very same thing without any issues.

As far as GND filters go, IMO its best to use them as opposed to masking/blending multiple exposures. Much better to get it right in the camera and minimize processing time. I'd also avoid the home made variable ND filter thing...I've seen some results from a DIY filter where the IQ was less than desirable (and skip the welding glass too). The real thing (Singh-Ray Vari-ND or Vari-N-Duo) produces excellent results without any type of colorcast or IQ issues. There are plenty of reasons why good filters are somewhat expensive...quality of materials, workmanship, and the end result. I wouldn't scrimp on filters...save and get good ones and you'll be ahead of the game.

Start with a quality CPL and build from there. And as long as you're using quality filters, stacking isn't a problem...just need to be mindful of your focal length as far as vignetting goes. If you do decide on using GND's, get a holder that's convertible (able to add/remove slots) such as the Lee foundation kit holder (better) or the Cokin Z-Pro (so-so). Avoid the Cokin P-holder if you can...fixed slots, not adjustable.

Thanks for all the replies.

So, now I'm thinking of getting a CPL (Phottix Pro Ultra Slim CPL) to match with my ND (LVSHI ND4). Can I use both at the same time? I mean, over lapping the other over the other? Will this create the effect that I want when shooting landscapes (smooth water scenes)?

apcaw wrote in post #10458251
Thanks for all the replies.

So, now I'm thinking of getting a CPL (Phottix Pro Ultra Slim CPL) to match with my ND (LVSHI ND4). Can I use both at the same time? I mean, over lapping the other over the other? Will this create the effect that I want when shooting landscapes (smooth water scenes)?

any reason you are choosing Phottix?

CosmoKid wrote in post #10459196
any reason you are choosing Phottix?

It's just what available in the store where I often buy my camera stuff. Is it a bad brand? Any recommendations? Thanks.

apcaw wrote in post #10478686
It's just what available in the store where I often buy my camera stuff. Is it a bad brand? Any recommendations? Thanks.

Just buy a single ND filter, it will give you the blurred water effect your looking for. This is a pretty good ND filter. http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_110_Neutral_De​nsity.html

Take Care,
Cheers, Patrick