What to do about filters for a 1 day workshop in London.

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Linda
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Hi folks. I have 100mm Lee filters that I can use on both my Canon system and the Oly system I have. I know that my shoulder won’t stand carrying my Canon system around all day so I have decided to take my Oly. The tour leader has suggested taking both ND grad and ND in various strengths as well as Big and Little stopper equivalents if we have them. I have only a Big Stopper and the ND Grads and no other ND only filters. I have looked into buying a few screw in ones for the 12-40 f2.8 which could be done for the price of a Little Stopper. So I am after any advice that you might offer. I do some slow shutter work at the coast; I don’t go hiking in the hills with a tripod. What would you do? Have you ever been on a Light and Land Day in London?
 
I'd take what you have & are used to using. A mid-range ND filter will give you some intermediate control over shutter speed and aperture, if that will be useful. I would be interested to know how useful a grad is in London, where it will sod up the look of a building that sticks up into the graduated part unless you do some careful correction in post.
 
What Oly have you got? I find my EM5 II to have a good degree of ISO invariance, i.e. I can underexpose to protect the highlights and then pull up the shadows in post without introducing too much noise, so rarely use grads with it, also grads won't be much use against a horizon with lots of buildings sticking up into the sky. Will the workshop and all the movement in London allow time for long exposures with the big stopper? So I'd ask the workshop leader what they have in mind, otherwise just leave them at home.
 
Most OMD cameras have auto-bracket so I would just do that and forget about grads (I got rid of mine ages ago).

A screw in ND and polariser is all you really need.
 
I would question going on a workshop in London at all when the tour leader is recommending using graduated filters!

If you want a really good workshop in London, doing day and mainly night photography message me and I'll give you my friends details who leads them.
 
Thanks for the recommendations. Craig thanks but I won’t need to book another tour; I chose this tour because I wanted to work with this leader and it just happened to be in London. It could have been anywhere really. I might get a screw in filter for my 12-40 lens - thanks Ned. I will ask about the ND Grads. Have a good weekend. :ty:
 
Thanks for the recommendations. Craig thanks but I won’t need to book another tour; I chose this tour because I wanted to work with this leader and it just happened to be in London. It could have been anywhere really. I might get a screw in filter for my 12-40 lens - thanks Ned. I will ask about the ND Grads. Have a good weekend. :ty:

No worries, have a great time.

My point is simply that a graduated nd filter with a skyscraper skyline would not be my approach. I'm sure he will recommend 2 stop soft max and advise when and where to use it
 
Also can't imagine where in London you'd be using ND grads. Will be interested to see the results. Might be a secret spot in London where they're suitable!
 
Pull your ND grads far enough down and they’ll cover the whole image and work like a full ND filter :)
 
If you have a soft grad (or even a medium) then no harm in taking it given they aren't heavy or anything. If you don't use it, then doesn't matter but if you found yourself needing it but not having it then you might kick yourself!
 
Pull your ND grads far enough down and they’ll cover the whole image and work like a full ND filter :)
:DI wondered about that. I will have a look later when I drag myself away from the tennis. Thanks.
 
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