ND Filters: Since I hate to get up early, or go to bed late, I find myself shooting in full sun a lot of the time. :sm01: Would using ND filters help with the very bright sun? I do try...

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Since I hate to get up early, or go to bed late, I find myself shooting in full sun a lot of the time.

Would using ND filters help with the very bright sun? I do try to use the HDR when I can.

Leitz Loc: Solms

Toment wrote:

Since I hate to get up early, or go to bed late, I find myself shooting in full sun a lot of the time.

Would using ND filters help with the very bright sun? I do try to use the HDR when I can.

No.

Strodav Loc: Houston, Tx

Depends. For landscapes / seascapes, I often use a soft gradient filter on bright days to bring down the sky a bit. I prefer Lee glass filters. Before pulling out the filters, what you might to do is get the exposure right using base ISO where your camera has the highest DR. Take a shot and look at the histogram. If it's banging hard on both the shadow and highlight side you've got a problem. You can change exposure to keep the highlights or shadows, but not both with a single shot, or you can bracket a couple of stops up and down and fix it in post.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Terse, thanks.

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

Toment wrote:

Since I hate to get up early, or go to bed late, I find myself shooting in full sun a lot of the time.

Would using ND filters help with the very bright sun? I do try to use the HDR when I can.

When you mean help, what are you hoping for?

An ND (non-graduated) will impose an exposure reduction across the field - it will not change contrast. Get up early and shoot late into the afternoon for best light. Second best light is bright overcast - and stormy skies for drama.

johngault007 Loc: Florida Panhandle

Getting up early and going to bed late is what gives you that amazing depth with shadows and the warmer/cooler light to work with. Using ND filters mid-day won't provide that for you, but it will allow you to slow your shutter speed to smooth out clouds and water.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Gene51 wrote:

When you mean help, what are you hoping for?

An ND (non-graduated) will impose an exposure reduction across the field - it will not change contrast.

Good point

Toment Loc: FL, IL

johngault007 wrote:

Getting up early and going to bed late is what gives you that amazing depth with shadows and the warmer/cooler light to work with. Using ND filters mid-day won't provide that for you, but it will allow you to slow your shutter speed to smooth out clouds and water.

Thanks

Toment Loc: FL, IL

Strodav wrote:

Depends. For landscapes / seascapes, I often use ... (show quote)

Thanks

billnikon Loc: Pennsylvania/Ohio/Florida/Maui/Oregon/Vermont

Toment wrote:

Since I hate to get up early, or go to bed late, I find myself shooting in full sun a lot of the time.

Would using ND filters help with the very bright sun? I do try to use the HDR when I can.

ND filters in bright sunlight are primarily used to shoot wider open and create a shallow depth of field. Or, slow your shutter speed down so you can blur and smooth still or moving water.
If these do not apply to you, ND filters may not be in your future.

Toment Loc: FL, IL

billnikon wrote:

ND filters in bright sunlight are primarily used to shoot wider open and create a shallow depth of field. Or, slow your shutter speed down so you can blur and smooth still or moving water.
If these do not apply to you, ND filters may not be in your future.

Thanks

Canisdirus

Graduated ND's ... you bet.
Full ND's ... no.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

An ND filter cuts down the amount of light entering the lens. Interestintg link below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNtAXbaNr0

Comparisons of ND filters.
https://improvephotography.com/40253/nd-filters-30-filters-reviewed-compared/
http://nofilmschool.com/2016/02/5-filters-go-head-head-neutral-density-shootout
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/10-Stop-Neutral-Density-Filter.aspx

Lots of "How to Use Them" articles online.

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

Both, a ND filter and a graduated ND filter have their uses. The ND filter is primarily used to be able to slow the shutter down. The graduate ND filter is used to control contrast in an image, like when photographing to tone down a bright sky.
Your chances to get a better photograph, as has been already mentioned, is to get up early and go to bed late. Just look at what happens with a sunrise or a sunset. It is impossible to get those beautiful colors unless you are there at the right time. In a majority of occasions and like 20 min. after the sun sets the colors get absolutely beautiful and those colors with the appropriate subject render wonderful opportunities to make beautiful photographs.

Keep a ND filter in your camera bag for those occasions when you need to blur action, soften moving clouds or even slow the water of a waterfall down. For the skies a polarizer could be more useful if what you want is to darken the sky. A polarizer is actually a 2 stops ND at full polarization and in many occasions I have used it as a ND filter for those 2 stops of light.

User ID

Toment wrote:

Since I hate to get up early, or go to bed late, I find myself shooting in full sun a lot of the time.

Would using ND filters help with the very bright sun? I do try to use the HDR when I can.

No.

It’s still midday lightning even if you had a sensor that worked down to ISO UNO.