ND Grads - Hard or Soft Graduation?

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Strobe

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Simon
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Hi,

I am looking to purchase a set of ND Grad filters, Lee's are just too expensive and the Hi-Tech's look to be the next best bet.

I see that Formatt do two 3 filter ND Grad sets - soft or hard graduation. I am buying specifically for a trip to Skye in March, but they will also see much use around my local area in the New Forest and the Jurassic Coast (Dorset).

My question is ... which will be the best set to go for - soft or hard?

I am using a Nikon D90 with a Tokina 12-24 F4 II and Nikon 16-85 VR.

Many thanks,

Simon.
 
The site linked doesn't seem to answer the question so I'll have a go.

Hard grads for hard horizons (seascapes, fen land, etc) - soft grads for more interupted horizons (cliffs, mountains, etc)

Therefore I would suggest that the soft grads are more versatile, especially for Skye and the Jurassic coast.
 
Sorry, personally I would go for soft grads. The link is to show that you don't need to spend mega money on cokin filters etc the kood ones are good filters.
 
I think the problem is particularly with ND filters that they can provide a colour cast. I haven't used Kood but I know the Cokins do. The Formatt filters are, in my personal experience, a good compromise between the high costs of Lee whilst still providing high quality.
 
It does depend on what you want to shoot. I use the Lees, both hard and soft. I find the soft just don't cut it on the seascapes, especially sunrises and sunsets, but the soft would be much better on the more lumpy horizons, like Skye. :)

P.s I don't think the Lees have any colour cast, (but they do come at a price)
 
Whilst I do have some ND grad filters, I'm beginning to question their value for digital shooters if you're competent with image editing.

I reckon it's probably easier to bracket some shots [at whatever difference you like be it 1 stop, 2 stops whatever], then layer them in photoshop and then mask them using whatever gradient you like on the mask.

This way you get the choice of soft or hard grad and at however many stops you fancy.

The only downside I can think of is of course for moving subjects where there will be movement between the exposures.

The gradient tool in Camera Raw and Lightroom can do a similar job too on just the one exposure.

Film is of course a different matter, but am I missing something?
 
Thanks. I have been recommended the Hi-Tech's as viable alternatives to the Lee's (Lee are 3x the price!). I think I'll start off with the Softs and see how I get on, may pick up a 2/3 stop hard grad for seascapes later on. Re the Koods, perhaps a tad too much towards the budget end.
 
On the post processing side of things, I am very lazy in this regard, I have Lightroom 2.5 and Elements 8 but, tbh, they get very little use (catalogue, crop, levels, that's about it). I do try and get the shot right out of the camera where I can.
 
Hi - I recently got some Lees. I am based in Dorset and so went for 1, 2, 3 stop hard to use with my 10-22 lens. If I was doing it again and was on a budget I think you could probably get away with a 2 stop hard and soft and also a 2 stop ND (not graduated).

Hope this helps.

Mark
 
Deckard said:
Whilst I do have some ND grad filters, I'm beginning to question their value for digital shooters if you're competent with image editing.

I reckon it's probably easier to bracket some shots [at whatever difference you like be it 1 stop, 2 stops whatever], then layer them in photoshop and then mask them using whatever gradient you like on the mask.

This way you get the choice of soft or hard grad and at however many stops you fancy.

The only downside I can think of is of course for moving subjects where there will be movement between the exposures.

The gradient tool in Camera Raw and Lightroom can do a similar job too on just the one exposure.

Film is of course a different matter, but am I missing something?
Click to expand...

I like you was of this opinion.

Obviously you can't get away from the necessity for a polariser or non-graduated ND filter - this you can't do PP. However like you state above I always believed that you could just bracket and blend - no need for grad filters.

However I have recently got myself some grads and really don't think there is any comparison between my blending / grad PP methods and my latest photography with grads.

Maybe that means my Photoshop skills aren't where they should be.

But if anyone asks me what my best purchase this year was (and I've spent quite a bit :bonk:) it would be my filter set :)
 
Also bear in mind that the grad will appear harder with shorter focal lengths and smaller apertures.
I prefer using filters and getting it right on the day, instead of spending hours fiddling with levels on the computer.
 
User Name said:
Also bear in mind that the grad will appear harder with shorter focal lengths and smaller apertures.
I prefer using filters and getting it right on the day, instead of spending hours fiddling with levels on the computer.
Click to expand...

So assuming 12-14mm focal length and say F11 and smaller, a soft grad would be better/more flexible?

I'm inclined at the mo, to get one of the Lee starter kits and tag on a set of three Hi-Tech ND soft Grads, should be able to get this for £200 or thereabouts?
 
Strobe said:
So assuming 12-14mm focal length and say F11 and smaller, a soft grad would be better/more flexible?
Click to expand...

I think so. As mentioned, focal length and f/number make a big difference to how hard the cut is. I think it is generally much easier to harden-up a soft cut with a higher f/number than the other way round.

I'm also increasingly in agreement with Deckard about post processing being a better way of doing it. You hardly ever see a grad shot where something like the top of a building or hill hasn't cut into the sky and got given the darkening affect it doesn't want. Very hard not to and it looks obvious and a bit naff IMHO.

If you set auto-bracketing, you can bang off three different exposures in half a second and blend them in post. I hate post processing as much as anybody but sometimes it's just better. And it costs nothing, and you've got much more control.
 
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