looking for an ND filter.....

tingting44

tingting44

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Martin
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Hi guys, for a while ive wanted to get an ND filter as i love seeing these shots with milky water and clouds, it will only be for my canon 18-55mm kit lens as i wont be getting a decent lens for a while so i only need the filter in 58mm size,

dont get me wrong id love to splash the cash on one of the lee big stoppers, they look so awesome and love the slide in/out function, but im dreaming if i think i will be getting one of those lol

i was looking at some of the Hoya 10 stop ND filters, i see the 6 stop one has some really nice reveiws, but now im also thinking of getting a variable one to make life easier when i need to focus.....

I think ive narrowed down my choices to 3..... which one would you guys suggest? as ive never used one of these filters before would love to know what you experienced people would go for :)

Hoya variable
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/271596148251?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

Hoya 6 stop (i know its in the wrong filter size)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231322868158?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

or the Hoya 10 stop (also how do you guys find focusing with these? do you have to take the filter off on this 10 stop to focus? then carefully put on to image? i dont really like this idea, thats why i was thinking variable...)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/231266734615?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

thank you kindly
 
Which version of the 18-55mm kit lens do you have? If it isn't the latest one - the IS STM version - I think you'll struggle to use any dark ND filter with it. The reason is that the front element rotates when you focus, on all versions other than the newest one. To use an ND filter like this, you have to compose and focus without the filter, and then attach the filter to shoot; but attaching the filter without allowing the front element to rotate even a little bit could be hard. With a variable ND you can of course attach the filter before you focus, but even so you need to rotate the filter to make it dark and that might disturb the focus.
 
sorry for the late reply, must have missed the email notification :(

i have the one where the focus ring moves with the filter attached, i know its not ideal but all i have to work with at the moment, not that im into pro togging, its only a hobby for me

love to hear from any one that wants to sell one on, thanks :)
 
I tried the cheap route and bought a Chamonix 10 stop for £10 (72mm size) before buying an expensive filter and it turned out a great deal as there is no colour cast what so ever. Here's a JPeg SOOC to show there is no colour casting. 30sec exposure in the nearly midday sun.
View attachment 34151
 
That is very nice Martin! id go for the 10 stop straight away if my focus ring did not move when focusing :( if i had this one id have to remove each time i want to focus, with a variable i will be able to just turn the variable to focus which saves on unscrewing it which means less chance of nudging focus....

thats the type of shot im after tho :) .... lovely
 
You won't be able to get this shot with a variable ND though. As these exposures are 30 seconds and that's in full midday sun the few seconds that it takes to unscrew/screw the filter seems irrelevant. My focus ring moves as well but the filter screws into the front element thread and this doesn't move when focusing. Does your front end thread move whilst focusing?
Edit Just seen your lens and the front element does move which yes could cause problems screwing the filter on and keeping focus.
 
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Even with a 10-stopper I find my apertures need to be f8 or above, and often the DoF is so great it doesn't really matter where I focus so long as its just a tad back from infinity its fine. So switching to manual focusing and not being ham fisted when attaching the filter and you won't have a problem

Composing is the real issue and its that that requires removing & refitting the ND

Dave
 
DG Phototraining said:
Even with a 10-stopper I find my apertures need to be f8 or above, and often the DoF is so great it doesn't really matter where I focus so long as its just a tad back from infinity its fine. So switching to manual focusing and not being ham fisted when attaching the filter and you won't have a problem

Composing is the real issue and its that that requires removing & refitting the ND

Dave
Click to expand...
hmm now you got me thinking back to the 10 stop hoya...... if focus is not that critical, im not fussed about taking it off to compose the shot....
 
My bad was mixing a variable with a grad. Variable filters can be prone to cross banding over the picture at higher ND levels though.
@Gary Coyle This is Little Fistral, Newquay, Cornwall.
 
thanks guys, think ill go the non variable route then and just get the 10 stop filter and see how i get on :)

edit, one more thing after you have framed the shot do you take it by putting the camera in Av? to calculate the length of exposure?
 
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I always shoot in Manual when using ND's here's a quick reference chart.
Base Exposure ND Filter 10-Stop

1/8000 - 1/8
1/4000 - 1/4
1/2000 - 1/2
1/1000 - 1
1/500 - 2
1/250 - 4
1/125 - 8
1/60 - 15
1/30 - 30
1/15 - 60 (1 min)
1/8 - (2 min)
1/4 - (4 min)
 
cool thanks martin, so im guessing with the filter off if your getting an exposure of 1/4 then with the filter on you would aim for a 4 min exposure? (is that right) think ill have to shoot in bulb mode as max exposure i can get in manual is only 30 secs
 
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Yes that is correct, but it would be low light to be at 1/4. The shot I posted was 1/30 at f22 in full sun resulting in a 30 sec exposure.
 
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