I have purchased an ND4 (2 step) filter primarily to bring color brightness back to what otherwise would be washed-out images on wide angle when facing the sun. The filter arrives on Monday, so I have not yet been able to experiment with it. I have also reviewed dozens of youtubes and articles on ND Filters and while they are informative, they don't address the basic BASICS.

I admit right up front that I am a dummy when it comes to instinctively knowing how to go through the set-up from beginning to end and I cannot find that kind of instruction.

I know it is important to have a low ISO setting. I know using the filter will also create a decrease in the f-stop setting by 2 stops. And as I am not after a blurring effect, I should stay with a fast shutter speed.

Check my setup steps here and correct me where necessary.

I believe I should first start off without filter in Auto and do an Auto focus and take note of my f-stop and shutter speed. I assume here that ISO will be around 100.

Before taking the picture, I should switch to A priority and also set focus to manual on the lens. I should also return the f-stop to whatever was shown when I was in Auto. (The filter will darken it to the equivalent of 2 stops.)
I guess that is one of my first questions? Do I do any manual adjustment to the f-stop setting or do I simply rely on the filter to do the job?

Is there anything else I need to do at that point? I am assuming that Live View will be pretty much useless. The Viewfinder not much better. I think it will be hard to assess just how effective the filter was until I download to a computer for analysis.

After I am comfortable with ND filter use for this purpose, I intend to buy a couple of more filters with higher values to begin to learn how to blur images.

Thank you for your help and your patience with a novice.

For number 1 - You determine the correct exposure without the filter however you like. Also focus. You do this on a tripod. Then put everything into manual and set the aperture to what you had determined. Set the speed 2 stops (factor of 4) slower to compensate for the filter. This should result in the same exposure you had without the filter but the water will be a little blurred. Actually I just realized that this is how you would do it for a 10 (factor of about 1000) or 16 (factor of 64000) stop filter when you can't see after the filter is in place. For a two stop filter, just put the filter on - set the aperture where you want it and, if in manual, then adjust the speed to give the right exposure. If in aperture priority the camera will adjust the speed.

For 2. The reason you need the filter is that without it, if it is bright and you want to use a wide aperture, the exposure may require a speed that is faster than the camera can do. If the speed is within the cameras range, you don't need the filter.

I am no expert on this but I do have a suggestion. I shoot a lot of waterfalls. I have shot them from Virginia to Maine. I have a variable neutral density filter and a 10stop neutral density filter. You have gotten some good advice here from some knowledgeable people. I see you are north of Richmond. A great place to practice with your filter would be Maymont in Richmond. They have many places to practice. A waterfall the Japanese garden and some fountains.I have helped some friends with the use of filters and had some very fine experiences. You can pm me if you would like.I will help in any way I can. :-D If you would like click on my flickr and pull up the waterfalls the exif data might be of some help.

I think that you have purchased the wrong filter but many have already told you that. For me I generally shoot in AV mode because I pay close attention to both my ISO settings and my DOF. If I find that the camera's meter is being fooled by a scene and over or under exposing areas of the image that are of interest I simply change the exposure by increasing or decreasing the EV values or I may take a couple of pics at different exposures and straighten it out in PP.

I am sure that you will find uses for your new ND filter, silky blurred water is pretty cool in streams, waterfalls, and even shots of seashores.