Graduated nd soft filter advice please

SsSsSsSsSnake

SsSsSsSsSnake

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I’ve never ever used one.
I want to try one on my D610 with 50mm1.8 lens to get nice effect with sunsets or just blue sunny skies in daytime.
As I’m new to this can you recommend a decent but not expensive make and any tips on using. I know I need a 58mm filter
and I believe a 3 stop soft grad is probably the ideal for me?
Thanks
 
They are usually a square format so you need filter holder encumbrance on your lens.
It's not worth it, shoot raw and blend two or more images or add a grad in post.
The problem with a physical filter is it darkens everything so only works well in a seascape or very flat open scene.
 
4wd said:
They are usually a square format so you need filter holder encumbrance on your lens.
It's not worth it, shoot raw and blend two or more images or add a grad in post.
The problem with a physical filter is it darkens everything so only works well in a seascape or very flat open scene.
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This really.

They were a bodge we'd use for film cameras because masking in the darkroom was tricky, if people ever printed their own images at all. No reason you shouldn't try one : cokin was a reasonable maker at one time.
 
You seem to be thinking along the lines of a circular filter that you screw on to the lens. This wouldn't work with an ND grad. You need to be able to position the filter where you want it which is impossible with a circular filter. A soft filter is definitely usable because the gradation is..... well....soft..... so there isn't so much of a problem with darkening parts of the image that you don't want to darken.
 
jerry12953 said:
You seem to be thinking along the lines of a circular filter that you screw on to the lens. This wouldn't work with an ND grad. You need to be able to position the filter where you want it which is impossible with a circular filter. A soft filter is definitely usable because the gradation is..... well....soft..... so there isn't so much of a problem with darkening parts of the image that you don't want to darken.
Click to expand...
You mean I could buy a soft graduated circular filter to put on camera lens?
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
You mean I could buy a soft graduated circular filter to put on camera lens?
Click to expand...
But I suppose doing LR edit I could get similar effect but not so much if I used a polarising filter,ie in Lightroom edit not so easy to get same effect.
Ps I’ve not been drinking but just typing incoherently :D
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
You mean I could buy a soft graduated circular filter to put on camera lens?
Click to expand...

You can but the graduation starts in a fixed position, therefore you ahve to position your horizon at this point, you have no flexibility in altering the horizon position, unlike working with rectangular filters which you can position to suit in the holder.

Personally I'd just buy the polariser, you can mimick the grad affect in post afterwards - the only issue here is camera dynamic range in the first place and what you are trying to achieve, hence lots of people doing bracketed shots.
 
SsSsSsSsSnake said:
You mean I could buy a soft graduated circular filter to put on camera lens?
Click to expand...


No, a circular screw-in ND grad is useless because because you can't position the edge of the clear section where you need it. And I would advise against Cokin - they may have been popular back in the day but there are now better options. There must be comparison tests on the web.
 
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