Why hasn't this been done before? I just ordered a new CPL from Breakthrough Photography (Their filters are not cheap but they're incredible). It's a mix of 3 stop ND and CPL my two...

rydabyk Loc: Florida Panhandle

I just ordered a new CPL from Breakthrough Photography (Their filters are not cheap but they're incredible). It's a mix of 3 stop ND and CPL my two most used filters. Why has this not been done before? Am I missing something. I know that I can stack filters but that is another issue altogether. Looking forward to getting this in my hands tomorrow.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

rydabyk wrote:

I just ordered a new CPL from Breakthrough Photography (Their filters are not cheap but they're incredible). It's a mix of 3 stop ND and CPL my two most used filters. Why has this not been done before? Am I missing something. I know that I can stack filters but that is another issue altogether. Looking forward to getting this in my hands tomorrow.

Why don't camera makers make a dedicated L bracket that comes with the camera when you buy it ??

rydabyk Loc: Florida Panhandle

imagemeister wrote:

Why don't camera makers make a dedicated L bracket that comes with the camera when you buy it ??

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

rydabyk wrote:

I just ordered a new CPL from Breakthrough Photography (Their filters are not cheap but they're incredible). It's a mix of 3 stop ND and CPL my two most used filters. Why has this not been done before? Am I missing something. I know that I can stack filters but that is another issue altogether. Looking forward to getting this in my hands tomorrow.

Seriously, I think that it's because the two uses are pretty distinct. There are lots of times I would like to use a polarizer, but am fighting for light. Subtracting another two stops via an ND filter often makes the difference between hand holding or tripod work.

If you shoot mostly tripod work, I can see it, but there are many times when I want a polarizer and no ND. Fewer occasions, I think, when you'd need an ND filter but the polarizer would interfere.

But that's just me.

Andy

BebuLamar

AndyH wrote:

Seriously, I think that it's because the two uses ... (show quote)

I agree because I would use a CPL but not the ND filter.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

imagemeister wrote:

Why don't camera makers make a dedicated L bracket that comes with the camera when you buy it ??

Because it would add cost, and it's of relatively low usefulness to a majority of photographers? There are a lot more cameras sold than tripods, last time I checked. That said, every camera maker ought to have an affordable OEM version available. Amazing that some apparently do not.

Andy

BebuLamar

AndyH wrote:

Because it would add cost, and it's of relatively low usefulness to a majority of photographers? There are a lot more cameras sold than tripods, last time I checked. That said, every camera maker ought to have an affordable OEM version available. Amazing that some apparently do not.

Andy

If I remember correctly that in the old days some camera manufacturers did make tripods but they didn't sell well.

rydabyk Loc: Florida Panhandle

AndyH wrote:

Seriously, I think that it's because the two uses ... (show quote)

Thanks for the thoughtful reply and I agree 100% since there are a lot of times I only want a CPL but also so many times walking around in the woods shooting moving water and foliage that I want both. I guess I should have somehow prefaced the question with a reference to mostly tripod work.

Rich1939 Loc: Pike County Penna.

rydabyk wrote:

I just ordered a new CPL from Breakthrough Photography (Their filters are not cheap but they're incredible). It's a mix of 3 stop ND and CPL my two most used filters. Why has this not been done before? Am I missing something. I know that I can stack filters but that is another issue altogether. Looking forward to getting this in my hands tomorrow.

Seems to me that a polarizing filter has always acted as a 2 stop ND. Maybe 'Breakthrough Photography' is trying to sell a fault (even more density) as a feature?

bleirer

Is it a graduated ND? If not don't you already lose 1-2 stops just with a regular CPL?

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

rydabyk wrote:

Thanks for the thoughtful reply and I agree 100% since there are a lot of times I only want a CPL but also so many times walking around in the woods shooting moving water and foliage that I want both. I guess I should have somehow prefaced the question with a reference to mostly tripod work.

I can totally see it as useful in a lot of moving water, day for night, and other similar tripod work. The advantage would be that you won't have possible vignetting at wider focal lengths. As with an L-bracket, I just don't think I'd personally find enough use for it. Having a critical mass of potential buyers makes the difference between whether your dream gear item is manufactured in quantity or not, eh?

Still another example of why, even in our hobby, one size most definitely does not fit all!

Andy

rydabyk Loc: Florida Panhandle

bleirer wrote:

Is it a graduated ND? If not don't you already lose 1-2 stops just with a regular CPL?

No, it's not a GND, it's a circular screw on CPL/ND combo and yes, you do lose roughly 1 stop of light with a CPL but so many times I'm looking for just a bit more to smooth out water etc. I know it's not for everyone and I guess the somewhat limited market kinda answers my question.

rydabyk Loc: Florida Panhandle

AndyH wrote:

I can totally see it as useful in a lot of moving ... (show quote)

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

rydabyk wrote:

I just ordered a new CPL from Breakthrough Photography (Their filters are not cheap but they're incredible). It's a mix of 3 stop ND and CPL my two most used filters. Why has this not been done before? Am I missing something. I know that I can stack filters but that is another issue altogether. Looking forward to getting this in my hands tomorrow.

Actually, it has been done before.

Combination CPL + ND filters have been around for many years. Singh-Ray for sure, but in recent years Nisi and Schneider (who make B+W filters) have been offering them too.

B&H also has some brands I'm not familiar with: Ice and PolarPro.

The Breakthrough CPL + ND are sort of "Johnny-come-lately".

There also are other CPL combination types.... CPL + Warming, CPL + Enhancing, Gold-Blue CPL, Orange-Blue CPL.

A standard CPL has been able to act as approx. a 1.25 to 2.5 stop ND anyway. The modern "high transmissive" type are less... approx. .75 to 1.5 stop.

Steve Perry Loc: Sylvania, Ohio

Yup, as amfoto1 says, there are companies who have done it - I had the one from Singh-Ray in fact. The trick is they are more expensive and if you don't really need one or the other, than it's more cost effective to skip the combo.

The bigger issue is however, that the stacked filters are thicker and often vignette on wider lenses or the wider end of zoom lenses (I couldn't use the one I had on my 24-70 at 24mm~28mm).