ophart wrote:
IMHO, it's better to have NO filter than to use a 'cheapo.' Good glass)is just as important in filters as in lens elements. Poor quality (usually inexpensive) filters almost always result in a soft image. If you must use a GND filter, be sure to use an upper end Hoya, Coken, Tiffen, etc. Personally, I prefer a completely silhouetted foreground most of the time for sunrise photos, especially in urban and suburban areas. I think that yours are already very good - especially the first two.
Yes, this make perfect sense to me. The lens I used cost more than my camera, seems like it would be a real waste to put a cheap piece of glass or plastic in front of it. Looking around, the higher end Grad ND filters cost as much as a decent lens - I think maybe for now I will work on it in PP or maybe try some HDR...