ND Filter Question (Page 4): This is going nowhere. For some uses simply using the adjustment range in the camera is sufficient. For others ND filters are necessary.

Jrhoffman75 Loc: Conway, New Hampshire

This is going nowhere. For some uses simply using the adjustment range in the camera is sufficient. For others ND filters are necessary.

r1ch Loc: Colorado

gwilliams6 wrote:

None of the VND naysayers have actually used any o... (show quote)

I think you should rethink what you are saying and your my belief in your opinion has dropped dramatically. If you are a professor of photography, you should not be teaching. What you are teaching is not true.

I did considered the Canon VND filter but it is GARBAGE (according to the video) and it is $400. I found a video that proves(to some degree and may not be definitive) that VND introduce minimally white balance issues to maximum extreme color shift, vignetting and distortion. The $149 Meike proved to be a decent performer but still had to be color balanced (actually all of them did) The test was Feb 2 2022.

https://youtu.be/l061YS30Qno

r1ch Loc: Colorado

Architect1776 wrote:

So you have nothing.

Proved see my other post with this link...
https://youtu.be/l061YS30Qno

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Amadeus wrote:

This may be fairly simplistic but I want to experiment with ND’s. To reduce shutter speed for purposely blurring some action. My question is, is there a quality difference between the variable filters I see advertised and individual filters. Obviously there’s an advantage to the variables. And a difference between brands?

Taken with and without VND.
No color shift or Xs.
Went from minimum to maximum setting.
Hoya VND
Some exposure variation but these are SOC.

r1ch Loc: Colorado

Architect1776 wrote:

Taken with and without VND.
No color shift or Xs.
Went from minimum to maximum setting.
Hoya VND
Some exposure variation but these are SOC.

Image 2 has a strange vignette looking dark area in the upper right corner I think it is in the lower left corner as well. This would be unacceptable to me. If you are going to posting results, post downloadable images so we can view EXIF data and also how many stops the filter set to, stuff like that.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

r1ch wrote:

Image 2 has a strange vignette looking dark area in the upper right corner I think it is in the lower left corner as well. This would be unacceptable to me. If you are going to posting results, post downloadable images so we can view EXIF data and also how many stops the filter set to, stuff like that.

NO way EXIF.
Vignnetting is natural on lenses. Or you forgot that.
Filter had NO effect. Which photo?
Remember not all are with the VND or did that slip your mind?
ALL your magic whatever lenses vignette you own do that.

r1ch Loc: Colorado

Architect1776 wrote:

NO way EXIF. br Vignnetting is natural on lenses. ... (show quote)

They don't vignette like image 2. which has dark areas in opposing corners but not in the others You seen to be another person that needs to go on the ignore list. My list is getting big now.

Amadeus Loc: New York

So much for my "simplistic" question. Sorry I caused all of this.

tgreenhaw

r1ch wrote:

That is great, you should share what brand.

It was a Neweer from Amazon. I cannot say that the one I bought years ago is the same as what they sell now though.

I was going to travel to Costa Rica where there were waterfalls and wanted to experiment without lugging a ton of gear. The experiment worked, the shots were fine except for lack of excellent focus on both with and without the VND filter. These are SOOC and I'm not sure vignetting would have been a huge issue and if there is a color cast shift, it's acceptable for this kind of shot

(Download)

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

Amadeus wrote:

This may be fairly simplistic but I want to experiment with ND’s. To reduce shutter speed for purposely blurring some action. My question is, is there a quality difference between the variable filters I see advertised and individual filters. Obviously there’s an advantage to the variables. And a difference between brands?

There are differences between brands but the differences are not always optical in nature. Variable ND filters - implying that you can twist them to increase/decrease transparency - are universally limited, regardless of price. While B&W, Heliopan, and a few others make expensive, high optical quality filters, so do Hoya and Kenko. All ND filters have a color cast, but this is easily corrected in post processing.

There are lots of reviews online. Here's a good starting point:

https://petapixel.com/2020/09/22/a-comparison-of-variable-nd-filters/

joecichjr Loc: Chicago S. Suburbs, Illinois, USA

tgreenhaw wrote:

It was a Neweer from Amazon. I cannot say that the... (show quote)

Gorgeous shots

r1ch Loc: Colorado

Amadeus wrote:

This may be fairly simplistic but I want to experiment with ND’s. To reduce shutter speed for purposely blurring some action. My question is, is there a quality difference between the variable filters I see advertised and individual filters. Obviously there’s an advantage to the variables. And a difference between brands?

So, after doing some research I think this video is the best I have seen. Gerald undone does a pretty good explanation. For me I think I have come to the conclusion I don't want to deal with the limitations of the VND filter and they are not that great. They introduce problem and artifacts always, some to a lesser degree but if you shoot at the wrong angle to the sun then those issues are magnified. The regular ND filters have less issues and you can get decent ones that color cast very little (especially compared to VND) and a lot less or none (depending on how many stop of light they shut down)

https://youtu.be/mL-BxhQvdIE