Variable ND filter - what do I need to look out for?

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

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In order to limit the amount of gear I need to travel with to Japan, I am thinking of getting one of these instead of my Lee filter system which is cumbersome to say the least when on the road. Are Variable ND filters any good?

I don't mind going for the B+W ones which are like £150….still actually works out probably less money than a few Lee filters for 1 through to 5x.

Thoughts?
 
Raymond Lin said:
Are Variable ND filters any good?
Click to expand...


Sure they are! I opted for the Tiffen — not cheap either —
but is quite neutral and I like the very smooth linearity of
its effect progression.

Raymond, do you really have blue eyes and blond hair? :D
 
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I have/use one. If used with an UWA wider than about 20mm effective it can create banding in large expanses of sky/water... but for something like a waterfall in the woods that's no problem.
You could also skip the ND's altogether... if you can't get a long enough SS, then just exposure blend multiple faster images (i.e. if you want a 3sec exposure effect but can only get to 1/2 sec, then blend 6 images).
 
They are handy for both stills and video. One of the downsides (especially landscape) is that you are pretty much forced into bracketing/exposure blending as you don't have a holder for a Grad (depending on what you are taking photos of), but that sort of thing is easy anyway. Also if you have various filter size lenses you'll have to buy more than one or get an adaptor in which case get the bigger size filter.

I've only used a B+W which was good so can't compare it to others.
 
Jase said:
They are handy for both stills and video. One of the downsides (especially landscape) is that you are pretty much forced into bracketing/exposure blending as you don't have a holder for a Grad (depending on what you are taking photos of), but that sort of thing is easy anyway. Also if you have various filter size lenses you'll have to buy more than one or get an adaptor in which case get the bigger size filter.

I've only used a B+W which was good so can't compare it to others.
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The biggest filter size I have is 77mm so I'll get that and a step down ring to 72mm. I suspect I will only need it for about 3 photos in the entire trip but I do want to take some video so it will be invaluable in that regard.
 
Vari-NDs are useless with wide-angles, especially at higher densities when a dark cross forms right across the image. Even the most expensive are affected - it's a cross-polarising thing. And further, the more affordable versions tend to use cheaper quality polarisers, and there are two of those obviously, which don't do image quality any favours.

Just put 'vari nd filter problem' into google images and a whole collection of horrors comes up.
 
HoppyUK said:
Vari-NDs are useless with wide-angles, especially at higher densities when a dark cross forms right across the image. Even the most expensive are affected - it's a cross-polarising thing. And further, the more affordable versions tend to use cheaper quality polarisers, and there are two of those obviously, which don't do image quality any favours.

Just put 'vari nd filter problem' into google images and a whole collection of horrors comes up.
Click to expand...

35/85mm. There won't be any thing wider.
 
Bought a B+W 77mm Variable ND in the end, it seems to be cheaper than the 72mm and this way I can use it on my 50mm Art too and use a step down ring for my other lenses.
 
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