Difference between ND filter and EV adjustment: Please pardon me if this is especially dumb ... HOWEVER when shooting in bright sunlight with a large aperture vintage lens at around...

glyphtrix

Please pardon me if this is especially dumb ...
HOWEVER when shooting in bright sunlight with a large aperture vintage lens at around F1.4 to F2 is there a PRACTICAL difference between using EV reduction electronically VS stopping down with ND filters?

Thanks for your help -and patience with this one.

Bill_de Loc: US

Without the ND filter one or more of the following will have to be adjusted: ISO, Shutter Speed, or Aperture.

If you go below the native ISO it could adversely affect the image.
Adjusting the Aperture will affect the depth of field.
Adjusting the shutter speed will have an effect on how motion will be recorded.

--

jerrye1000 Loc: New Jersey

ND filters can reduce the light by a factor of up to 10 stops(that I am aware of). Usually EV reduction is up to about plus or minus 3 stops.
ND filters are perfect for slowing down the shutter speed to get the creamy affect of flowing water as 1 example.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Let's say the fastest your camera can shoot is 1/8000. Now say you want to shoot at f/2, but the light is too bright for even a 1/8000 shutter. What are you going to do? EC can't make the shutter faster. You can close down the aperture, but you must have wanted to shoot at f/2 for some valid artistic reason. You've even lowered the ISO to ISO-50 assuming your camera provides this option.

Do you see now that an ND filter is not the same as exposure compensation? Adding a stop or more of light blocking via an ND can get the exposure inside the parameter limits of your camera and the desired aperture.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

jerrye1000 wrote:

ND filters can reduce the light by a factor of up to 10 stops(that I am aware of).

Lee makes 6x, 10x and 15x NDs in their Stopper line.

rwilson1942 Loc: Houston, TX

If you dial in a negative EV, you end up with an underexposed image.
With an ND filter you can get a correct exposure at different shutter speeds and/or apertures.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Think of it as ND filters permit a major adjustment, where EV a minor adjustment in exposure.

srherrmann Loc: Baton Rouge, Louisiana

rwilson1942 wrote:

If you dial in a negative EV, you end up with an underexposed image.
With an ND filter you can get a correct exposure at different shutter speeds and/or apertures.

martinfisherphoto Loc: Lake Placid Florida

ND Filters reduce, block light like wearing a pair of sun glasses. Where as EV changes the cameras settings to reduce by either{ Exposure Time /Shutter speed}, {Amount of light/Aperture}{ Sensitivity to light/ISO}.

glyphtrix

CHG_CANON wrote:

Let's say the fastest your camera can shoot is 1/8... (show quote)

Bingo!
Thank you CHG Canon!
I was chasing Bokeh against foliage with a vintage lens.
The EV option wasn't cutting it and Stopping down under F2 destroyed the artistic intent too.
I had purchased ND filters But I didn't bring them.
I didn't catch on about the EV only drops -3v but ND could go -10 till members reinforced that.
Thanks VERY much!

glyphtrix

rgrenaderphoto wrote:

Lee makes 6x, 10x and 15x NDs in their Stopper line.

Thanks.
I didn't fully understand that the EV could only drop -3.

glyphtrix

rwilson1942 wrote:

If you dial in a negative EV, you end up with an underexposed image.
With an ND filter you can get a correct exposure at different shutter speeds and/or apertures.

Yup, found out the hard way.
Fortunately, I was able to correct the gamma channel in post..- But I wanted to learn how to avoid that mistake during the capture.
Thanks!!

glyphtrix

martinfisherphoto wrote:

ND Filters reduce, block light like wearing a pair of sun glasses. Where as EV changes the cameras settings to reduce by either{ Exposure Time /Shutter speed}, {Amount of light/Aperture}{ Sensitivity to light/ISO}.

Thanks.

BebuLamar

glyphtrix wrote:

Thanks.
I didn't fully understand that the EV could only drop -3.

Some camera can have the exposure compensation of +/- 5 EV but still it makes no difference. It doesn't work. If for example you set your exposure compensation to -3 you will have an underexposed image unlike when you use the ND filter you have a correctly exposed image when you use large aperture and/or slow shutter speed.

glyphtrix

Bill_de wrote:

Without the ND filter one or more of the following will have to be adjusted: ISO, Shutter Speed, or Aperture.

If you go below the native ISO it could adversely affect the image.
Adjusting the Aperture will affect the depth of field.
Adjusting the shutter speed will have an effect on how motion will be recorded.

--

I happened to be trying to:
Capture a sunlit, wind-blown flower, with a shallow depth of field, to create bokeh using a vintage lens, (-instead of an under exposed motion blurred image.)
I stopped down which helped with the detail but of course ruined the bokeh- I changed the shutter speed but that didn't work well for Bokeh either.
Eventually got it in half a dozen tries AND a few corrections in Post..
NEXT TIME i'll do it the ND filter way.

Thanks for the help.

Thanks