shutter speeds for nd fillters

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stephen
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just bought a sett of nd fillters for seascape shoot but how do you work out the shutter speeds for low light iff i need to use the bulb setting :help:
 
Trial and error. Try a few seconds, have a look and adjust accordingly. The cameras meter will still guide you roughly as the nd filter will block the light to the lens and the camera well tell you what it thinks it needs for a good exposure.
 
It's not trial and error, there is a way your can get the correct speed. Put you camera into Aperture mode and make a note of the shutter speed, now put it into Manual mode and adjust the shutter speed according to the filter you are using.

There are quite a few charts which tell you what the shutter speed should be, have a look here. If you have an iphone then there is an app called LongTime, you put in the shutter speed and filter you are using and it will calculate what the shutter speed should be.

I'm not sure what the minimum speed it is on your camera before it goes to bulb mode (my D90 is 30 seconds). If you go into bulb mode, you will need to keep your finger on the shutter button for the appropriate amount of time, or get a remote timer which automates the process.

One last tip, if your doing long exposures turn on Long Exposure NR in your camera.
 
Last edited:
correct speed for What ?
there are lots a variables depending on what he wants to use or the outcome of the picture
A half grad just to darken the sky down or
A loooong exposure to blurr the sea
then your callculation chart a waste
as I said it depends on what you want
 
The OP said that he is using ND filters (not sure where you got half grads from). So depending on how strong they are he will need to set the shutter speed appropriately for correct exposure, especially is he is shooting in low light.

So maybe the chart isn't such a waste?
 
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