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Jamie Palmer
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Hi There Everyone.

I'm going to America for 3 months in the Summer, really looking forward too it, but obviously my camera bag wants the trip too :)

My question is, do you think I will need an ND4 or ND8 in the middle of the summer? As I dont think my lenses will be that effective without, especially to get blue skies :)

Would u recommend getting a ND4/ND8 for each of my lenses (52mm, 58mm, 77mm)

Or getting a Cokin/Lee Filter Holder with adaptors?

Cheers
Jamie
 
Getting a plain ND will only allow you to lower your shutter speed, it won't do anything to even the exposure of sky and land, for that you'll need an ND grad which I don't think you can get as a screw in, and even if you can they would dictate your compostion by having the graduation at a certain level that can only be rotated rather than moved vertically.

Personally I think a holder and adapter system is far more versatile
 
Any links for a cheapish one :)

I'm a student can't afford much at the moment :(
 
Rick sums it up nicely for you. Somewhere I've got a screw-in ND grad and whilst it does have its moments, composition is pre-determined for you:crying:

I expect you'll be seeing how much a set of filters & holder system, with variously sized lens adapters will cost.
 
I don't understand why you would want one at all!

Are you thinking about GRADUATED ND filters?

If so go for a 1 or 2 stop hard filter, don't bother with a holder or adaptors. Hold the filter gently against the rim of the lens when you take the pic.

On the other hand, if you're not using a tripod....its swings and roundabouts whether to get the holder or not. You can hold the filter against the lens but it takes a bit of pracice.

A polariser is absolutely essential for landscape photography, and will help you get blue skies. It is most effective at right angles to the sun.
 
I thought I would need an ND filter for slowing down the shutter speed etc
And also a CP Filter to get nice blue skies?
 
With it being bright sunlight all day I assume I would have stupidly high shutter speeds, so having a ND filter will slow it down slightly?
 
But why do you want a slower shutter speed? It is onlt beneficial when trying to get a sense of speed

If shooting landscape it won't make a difference as DoF would be dictated by aperture
 
Fair enough no worries then :D

So just a CPL will doo me then?
 
J4MIE_P said:
Fair enough no worries then :D

So just a CPL will doo me then?
Click to expand...

Yes, but you might want to think about trying out a Graduated ND filter as well. It's very useful when you want to reduce the exposure in the sky, which is almost always several stops lighter than the land. Neither film nor digital can correctly expose all aspects of a scene like this. If you expose for one the other will be out. Grad ND's can balance out the difference. A 2 stop hard would probably be the best starting point. You can get great skies with one of these and a polariser together. But you do need to learn to use both of them separately as well.
 
What aperture were you intending to shoot? The 400D has a maximum speed to 1/4000, which I was finding limiting even when shooting some street people in London recently. Sand might be over-exposed
 
Hi J4mie, I suggest a CP and a .6nd hard grad, ......and experiment !
Trust you have a great trip.
 
Also, when I have been to america, the abundance of photography shops astonished me. Personally, I wouldn't buy a camera there, without first determining whether it really was a good deal or not (I am no haggler, but one guy went down to 30% with barely an argument), filters though, there should be no problem with.
 
Not buying over there guys, just asking what I should get before I go "coldpenguin"

And I have bought a Cokin Filter with CPL and ND Grad and ND8
Will experiment :D
 
I understand that you would prefer to get before you go, just trying to say, don't worry if you do not get something before hand which you find you need whilst you are there.
My missus dropped a couple of my filters whilst I was out in Florida last year. I would have preferred it not to happen, but, it was easily rectified (better than in the UK I reckon, as they were 72mm filters).
 
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