Reverse ND Grad

markrichardson

markrichardson

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Does anyone know if there are any other manufacturers of a reverse ND grad than Singh-Ray? They are just too much of an investment for me at the moment.
 
Never seen that before.
 
surely this is just ridiculous... a filter cant actually increase the amount of light hitting the lens can it? Looks just like an upside-down ND Grad to me.
 
In the words of Mr Ray Singh

A seemingly simple solution would be to physically turn the filter upside down and position the top edge of the filter over your lens parallel with the horizon. Unfortunately, regardless of lens or aperture used, the filter's physical edge bends, reflects or distorts the incoming light. This leaves an unwelcome bard of light or distortion on the image.

The solution to this problem came in a phone call to Bob Singh. With an explanation of the problem and a little experimentation we developed some filters, that, like all graduated filters, were clear at the bottom, however at their horizontal middle started very abruptly with either a 1, 2 or 3 stops of neutral density and then graduate to 1 or 2 stops towards the top of the filter. These three reverse graduated filters have solved many tough lighting situations.
Click to expand...
 
Ah, I get it now. I am glad I didn't say, can't you just turn the filter upside down now.


Now on a serious note, could you use two soft weak ND Grads. Have the tops of them overlapping to an amount.

This could give you, from the bottom,

clear , clear , clear, 5, 10, 20, 25, 20, 20, 10, 5, 5, clear
(numbers are % ND roughly). IT would take two slots up on whatever holder you are using, but is possibly cheaper than a single singh?
 
For what this does I wouldn't say the name reverse ND Grad is particularly appropriate or fitting but there you go.
 
CyBeRkId2002 said:
For what this does I wouldn't say the name reverse ND Grad is particularly appropriate or fitting but there you go.
Click to expand...


Well it completes the grad to the centre point and then reverses it. Simples.............
 
I thought this too....turn it upside down...LOL

having seen the picture i understand now.
never seen those before....you learn something everyday!
makes sense I guess if the sun is very low.....
 
I'm pretty sure every thread which mentions this filter goes through the same discussion about what a 'Reverse ND grad is'. I concur it's not an ideal name, but couldn't think of one better just now.

Still no further forward with finding a non Singh-Ray one but at least more people are aware of the existence of it now.

Bearing in mind the price, it's quite popular - can't understand why no one else has made one of these.
 
coldpenguin said:
Ah, I get it now. I am glad I didn't say, can't you just turn the filter upside down now.


Now on a serious note, could you use two soft weak ND Grads. Have the tops of them overlapping to an amount.

This could give you, from the bottom,

clear , clear , clear, 5, 10, 20, 25, 20, 20, 10, 5, 5, clear
(numbers are % ND roughly). IT would take two slots up on whatever holder you are using, but is possibly cheaper than a single singh?
Click to expand...

That gets you close, but I found that the edge of the filter is obvious on the image. Of course, I'm not using hugely expensive filters either, but I suspect you'd get the same result with any pair.
 
They could make it a bit longer and have a clear bit at each end. Reverse and normal in one filter!


Steve.
 
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