ND Pro and Con ? Hi Everyone , Im new to ND filters as its Very Sunny and hot in London I though i would try out shooting with ND filter .. I got one a Kood 2 stop .. I'm using D300s...

Lukabulla

Hi Everyone ,
Im new to ND filters as its Very Sunny and hot in London I though i would try out
shooting with ND filter .. I got one a Kood 2 stop ..

I'm using D300s with 18- 105.. took a cpl of test shots and found the images had a dark blue cast and colors changed
slightly ... is this normal ?
Does one loose quality by using an ND filter ?

The reason I got one is that in Very sunny conditions results are often ' too bright ' and lack a bit of character ..

tomorrow I'm shooting a big outdoor event so wondering if the ND will hinder my results of improve them ..

Thanks Loads

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

Lukabulla wrote:

Hi Everyone , br Im new to ND filters as its Very ... (show quote)

An ND filter is not supposed to change the character of the light. It should only diminish it so that you can either use a wider aperture for shallow depth of field or a longer shutter speed, which can be used to blur water movement, show a blurred background/foreground while panning, etc.

If you are not looking to do either of the above, then you aren't likely to get any different results using an ND filter.

On the other hand, if you have bright specular reflections, foliage, etc that has lots of reflected sunlight, a circular polarizer "may" help.

The blue cast is undesirable, but if you shoot raw and the scene has a neutral gray target in it, you can use the target to easily adjust the color balance.

When asking for advice and guidance on images, it's usually a good idea to include a sample image or two, with the "Store Original" box checked.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Try doing a custom WB with the filter in place. Should return to a neutral WB,

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

Lukabulla wrote:

Hi Everyone , br Im new to ND filters as its Very ... (show quote)

I only use an ND filter to "slow down" water or clouds or get a very smooth somewhat surreal look for long exposure. Cannot image using it for a wedding. You need to cover the eyepiece so that no light gets in.

PixelStan77 Loc: Vermont/Chicago

Gene51 wrote:

An ND filter is not supposed to change the charact... (show quote)

Gene gave you the correct answer about using a ND filter.

bpulv Loc: Buena Park, CA

Lukabulla wrote:

Hi Everyone , br Im new to ND filters as its Very ... (show quote)

Your reason for using a ND filter is puzzling. If your pictures are too bright, it sounds like your exposure is incorrect. If you are using an automatic exposure mode, there may be a problem with your camera or, if you have a DSLR, the exposure compensation control may be incorrectly set. Check your camera's manual. If your camera is set and working properly, you should not need an ND filter to get the proper exposure.

Lukabulla

Not as easy to describe .. But the effect I'm looking for is Like a person wearing Sunglasses ..
Ive tried going back a cple or so stops , but its not the same .. Too much sun on the persons skin is difficult to eliminate .
Thats why I'm trying out the ND Filter .. to get perhaps a more Moody shot in sunlight thats too bright .

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

Post some results as Gene suggested, it will help us help you.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

Pablo8 wrote:

Try doing a custom WB with the filter in place. Should return to a neutral WB,

That's not the point. You should only use a ND filter if you have a specific reason - to be able to shoot wide open in very bright light, or to use slow shutter speeds in bright light. A good ND filter is color neutral, and if your ND is shifting your color balance, then it is defective.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

JohnSwanda wrote:

That's not the point. You should only use a ND filter if you have a specific reason - to be able to shoot wide open in very bright light, or to use slow shutter speeds in bright light. A good ND filter is color neutral, and if your ND is shifting your color balance, then it is defective.

Or cheap

BebuLamar

Lukabulla wrote:

Hi Everyone , br Im new to ND filters as its Very ... (show quote)

Others have told you about the pros of ND filter. The biggest cons of ND filter is that it wastes a lot of the precious light.

jdubu Loc: San Jose, CA

Gene51 wrote:

An ND filter is not supposed to change the charact... (show quote)

The first 3 lines are the answer to your question. ND filters WILL NOT HELP you shoot an outdoor event in bright sunlight. They will require slower shutter speeds and less depth of field aperture settings to gain proper exposures. 2 things I wouldn't necessarily want to contend with if I were shooting an event.

If I were shooting an event outside under bright sun, I would use fast shutter speeds to control ambient and flash fill to even out subjects harsh shadowing, either manual or TTL. Then I can also control depth of field. CPL may help, but wouldn't be my first thought without specific glare or reflection problems.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

It looks as though Kood is a fairly cheap brand of filter - so it is quite possible that the filter is causing the color shift you note. As you may suspect, the very term "Neutral density" implies that the purpose of the filter is to cut down all wavelengths of light equally (to slow shutter speed, open aperture etc of various reasons) without imparting any color cast.

So odds are that your filter has failed to do its job. Perhaps a better (i.e. - costlier) brand would help.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

f8lee wrote:

It looks as though Kood is a fairly cheap brand of filter - so it is quite possible that the filter is causing the color shift you note. As you may suspect, the very term "Neutral density" implies that the purpose of the filter is to cut down all wavelengths of light equally (to slow shutter speed, open aperture etc of various reasons) without imparting any color cast.

So odds are that your filter has failed to do its job. Perhaps a better (i.e. - costlier) brand would help.

It seems the job the OP wants the filter to do is one that it, or a better ND, can't do.

f8lee Loc: New Mexico

JohnSwanda wrote:

It seems the job the OP wants the filter to do is one that it, or a better ND, can't do.

You may well be right - as I re-read his post it does seem he picked the wrong tool for the job.