ND grad, need some help please

[McMacro]

Morning folks,

Heading across to the west coast of Scotland soon and fancied trying out some landscape shots. I've never had an nd filter before so not sure where to start. The issue I have is the numbers, 0.6, 0.9, 4, 8 or 16 What do i need? Are the Hoya pro-1 any good? Don't have a budget limit and prefer to not cut costs if it will effect quality.

I'm using a Canon 10-22 if this makes a difference.

Any advice would be appreciated!

[RobDickinson]

Do you want an ND filter ( all dark grey, slows shutter speeds)

Or a ND grad? Part grey balances out sky and ground exposure?

The numbers are

1 or 0.3 = 1 stop
2 or 0.6 = 2 stop
3 or 0.9 = 3 stop

You can get hard or soft grads , which refers to the transition between the clear and grey.

[McMacro]

I want to be able to take shots like you Rob

I suppose slow shutter speed would be ok, got a remote for the 7d and sturdy tripod already. Not sure between the grad and filter though.

Edited by McMacro on Saturday 28th April 08:35

[RobDickinson]

ND filters are used when you need to slow the shutter down, thats all. So mainly for waterfalls and sometimes seascapes, milky flat water etc.

ND grads are used for balancing out the bright sky with dark foreground.

I use ND grads more, and typicaly hard ND grads. But I also use soft and sometimes a reverse nd grad too ( mainly a sunrise/set special).

[binliner]

I find the most useful ND grad if you are just getting one is a 0.6 (2stop, also called ND4 by some manufacturers) or 0.9 (3 stop, ND8). Rectangular ones that slot in a holder are the best as they allow you to position the graduation precisely

[K12beano]

McMacro said:

I want to be able to take shots like you Rob

So do I!

I am thinking of moving.


Personal preference but I don't like filters. If you have to / want to control lighting across a scene (waves/water movement/light trails/moving people against static backdrop) then you have little choice but to add a filter or even the extreme if a welding glass trick as demonstrated so expertly in other threads on this forum.

For balancing up water/landscape/sky combinations the computer screen, bracketed exposures and a little time and patience always wins over fiddling-in-the-field to my way of thinking. I know a lot will still say "get it right first time", and I still aspire to that, but the technology is there to allow the final touches over a nice cup of tea. And it's not much different to Ansel Adams sweating over some burning and dodging even when he got it pretty good with the Zone System in the first place.

Just my 2d. YMMV. The value of exposures can go down as well as up. Your house may burn down if you set light to it. Seek medical help. Et cetera.

[RobDickinson]

Yes theres a bunch of techniques to work around large dynamic range scenes.
And filters arnt right for every situation, or even needed all the time.

Just another tool in your bag and it pays to know when to pull them out.

[GetCarter]

I use Lee .6 hard and .9 hard grads.

Used to use them a lot more than I do now. Generally expose for the sky and use curves to bring out the detail in the land. V.bright sky with dark foreground, and out comes the grad.

P.S. wave if you're passing.

[dibbly dobbler]

Welcome to a shot of my Lee stuff if you want Neil ?

I've a .6 a .9 and a big stopper with adapter ring and holder which would suit your 10-22

(I always just stick on whichever one I happen to pull out first )

[markmullen]

I've got 1,2 and 3 stop hard and soft edge Lee, by far the most often used are 2 and 3 stop hard, sometimes even together.

[McMacro]

Thanks for the advice people.

DD, I might take you up on that offer, thanks! Will drop you a text

Steve, two sugar and milk please. Looking forward to crashing at yours, thanks for the offer! That is what you meant, right?

[GetCarter]

McMacro said:

Thanks for the advice people.

DD, I might take you up on that offer, thanks! Will drop you a text

Steve, two sugar and milk please. Looking forward to crashing at yours, thanks for the offer! That is what you meant, right?

Actually it meant buy me a pint in me' local.