Norken47

Hi there I am new to uhh my kit is d 800 and d 700 Nikon 28 300 sigma 105 sigma 150 600 tamron 90 tokina 16 28 tokina 17 35 hat I need to know which will give me the best milky feature I have some nd filters and I have gitzo tripod ball head ken

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

For that milky effect, the lens is irrelevant. What you need is a tripod and maybe a ND filter. A longer shutter speed will get that effect.

http://www.digitalcameraworld.com/2012/03/09/waterfall-pictures-set-up-your-dslr-to-shoot-moving-water/

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

You would need to pick the right lens for the composition you want, and make sure you have at least a 6 stop or greater ND filter for it. Avoid the variable ND. In many situations the can work, but there is a nasty uneven lighting effect that comes into play, particularly with wider angle lenses that is not easy to correct for. Plain old ND is what you need. I use an ND32 and an ND400. In bright daylight, I can get about a 5 sec exposure at ISO 100 and F11 with the ND400, which removes almost 9 stops of light.

Whatever you end up with, since your face will likely not be up against the camera, you WILL get light coming through the viewfinder, and affecting your image. It will look like fog, strips or clouds of light. More than likely you camera came with a slide on device to block the light, or as in the D700 cameras and up, there is a little shutter on the left side of the eyepiece that is used for this purpose.

It goes without saying - use an amazing tripod and head, and if you are using a longer lens, mirror lockup - in order to minimize shutter and mirror-borne vibrations.

Cdouthitt Loc: Traverse City, MI

As mentioned before, a ND filter (6 -10 stop, depending on the effect you want), tripod, mirrorlockup with timer or remote.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Could you explain how, since the mirror is up during exposure, light entering through the viewfinder can affect the image? I know it cannot affect film, and have never experienced it with digital.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

The light path from the viewfinder can enter the sensor area, particularly when the mirror is up and can't block it. It's the reason most mfgr's offer some solution to this.

Here is a reference for you:

http://davidduchemin.com/2013/01/long-exposure-light-leaks/

It happens most frequently with long exposures in daylight with ND32 to ND400 filters. Night exposures are rarely an issue, unless you are shooting into the darkness from a brightly lit area and your exposure is long.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

I appreciate the information. Probably because I either have my eye to the DR3 or turn it down when exposing, I had not encountered the problem. (Now I have to go find a different excuse for my lousy exposures.) :lol:

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

Sorry 'bout that! :)

Tom47 Loc: Gettysburg, PA

I usually start with a 20 or 24 mm wide angle lens add an 2 or 4 ND filter with and a polorizing filter. I set the camera for anywhere from 1 to 3 sec exposure and cover the eye piece with tape or a cloth that I carry with me. I seem to never be able to find that little eye piece cover when it is needed actually the cloth or tape works better for me not as hard to remove as the eye piece cover.

Jbat Loc: Charleston, SC

If you will be able to get anywhere within close range of the waterfall, a wide angle such as the 16-35 or whatever you have will work out great as you can get the entire waterfall in the shot. As noted by others, a ND filter is necessary if you have bright sunlight. I would suggest a 7 stop which will handle most bright sunlight and add a circular polarizer to it which also gives you another couple of stops. If you don't need the 7 stop when the fall is in shade, still use the polarizer and you have its effect plus about 2 stops.

Jackdoor Loc: Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

D800 has an eyepiece blind. Good luck.

wellshorton Loc: Central New York State

I shoot lots of waterfalls and the use of what filters and what lens "depends."

As said before, you need a way to keep the camera rock solid steady. This is best accomplished with a good tripod, but it is possible with a bean bag or other device. I find a good tripod the best for me.

Lens? There are waterfalls the I can photograph from only a few feet away using a wide angle lens while some I shoot using using a telephoto lens. One waterfall I even shot with a 400 mm focal length. Framing and perspective!

I rather photograph in low flow periods verses heavy flow. This is especially true when attempting to obtain the silky look. High flow often washes out the pleasing silky texture.

Almost always in photographing waterfalls set your ISO for the lowest your camera handles. Most have mentioned the use of a ND filter. Generally it is the best way to go, but not always. I love being out in a light rain using an umbrella to keep raindrops off the lens. Other times a dark dreary day works great. The light is often low enough that I don't need a filter. I went through a phase of photographing all my waterfalls with a 10 Stop ND filter but under some conditions such as when it is raining, it's too much. Also Be sure to block light coming from the viewfinder when using such a filter. If a purple haze creeps into you photographs it's from light leaking in from the viewfinder. Sometimes the use of a polarizing filter can be used to slow the shutter speed.

Earlier I mention setting your ISO low such as 100 or 200 depending upon your camera. In a pinch I've had success with setting my ISO on my D800e to L 1.0 thus allowing me to shoot at slower speeds without the use of a filter.

It's possible to get great photographs with the use of subtle hdr photography. Often a falls is deeply hidden from the sky above and the mosses and wet rocks are too dark compared with the bright/white water. If you are framing with some rocks in the foreground and the lighting is not too dark it can help the photo if you make the effort to splash water on the nearby rocks in the frame. It often helps the composition.

Take care in protecting your camera around falls. It's often wet and slippery. Upstate New York is filled with wonderful waterfalls of all sizes to photograph, but some falls are hard to photograph due to difficult terrain.

Have fun with the falls!
Wells

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

it all sounds fishey to me . some one with the equipment you have . and asking a question like that . and no D3 or D3s?

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

wow I must have dajavoo I asked where your D3 is before I even seen this
let us know when you get it. --- (get it)

Bram boy Loc: Vancouver Island B.C. Canada

sorry bout that dident see the R