Which ND filter? Hi folks, I have a question for this esteemed group. I'm going to Colorado for vacation in mid October. I am shooting with a Nikon D3200, the 18-55mm kit lens and the...

n0irw Loc: Perry, OK

Hi folks, I have a question for this esteemed group. I'm going to Colorado for vacation in mid October. I am shooting with a Nikon D3200, the 18-55mm kit lens and the 55-200mm. I am wondering which ND filter you guys would recommend....I've gotta keep the price down, so probably can't get away with a "set" of ND's....Thanks in advance for the input.

greymule Loc: Colorado

n0irw wrote:

Hi folks, I have a question for this esteemed group. I'm going to Colorado for vacation in mid October. I am shooting with a Nikon D3200, the 18-55mm kit lens and the 55-200mm. I am wondering which ND filter you guys would recommend....I've gotta keep the price down, so probably can't get away with a "set" of ND's....Thanks in advance for the input.

What do you plan to use it for?

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

An ND filter is good for situation in which there is just too much light for the camera to handle on its own. The usually come in 1, 2 or 3 stop densities. It's hard to know how you would use such a filter without knowing what you plan to photograph. My suggestion would be to buy a good polarizing filter, as it acts as a neutral density filter of sorts. It's very useful, and you can just leave it on your lens. Colorado has some great sky that time of year, and a polarizing filter can very handy to have to take advantage of it, as well as the Fall colors.

rook2c4 Loc: Philadelphia, PA USA

I suggest a 3-stop filter (ND8). 1-stop ND filter usually doesn't do enough to be practical. 2-stop reduction is more useful, but sometimes not quite enough when you're considering using an ND filter. And more than 3 stops of reduction often requires a tripod setup.

wolfman

n0irw wrote:

Hi folks, I have a question for this esteemed group. I'm going to Colorado for vacation in mid October. I am shooting with a Nikon D3200, the 18-55mm kit lens and the 55-200mm. I am wondering which ND filter you guys would recommend....I've gotta keep the price down, so probably can't get away with a "set" of ND's....Thanks in advance for the input.

I have the X3 10 stop from this company. Excellent sharpness and color-neutralness. It comes in a variety of stops.
http://breakthrough.photography/product/x3-neutral-density/
A good review of various ND filters:
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/10-Stop-Neutral-Density-Filter.aspx

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Far North wrote:

An ND filter is good for situation in which there ... (show quote)

Another advantage of polarizing filters is that more detail can be obtained. Sunlight becomes polarized as it passes through the atmosphere and it is angke dependent (sun elevation, your angle to North-South). Reflecting surfaces also polarize light to different extents. Sight some leaves, some car hoods, etc and rotate the filter - note whether 'detail' pops out - note whether glare disappears. Glare can make or break an otherwise super image.

NormanHarley Loc: Colorado

I live in Colorado and have a D3200 and both of those lenses. Just a guess here, but are you worried about the sun glare with the snow up in the high country? We have 300 plus days of sunshine here. I use ISO 100 and a polarizer with my lens hood on to get better shots with the snow. But I am still unsure what your needs are. Enjoy your trip!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

It depends on what your needs will be.
The NDs(~2) will reduce light so you can use a slower shutter speed (like blurring water, etc.). Having a set of three will allow more options.
A graduated (soft) will cut the over exposure in the sky, allowing better exposure for the foreground.

n0irw Loc: Perry, OK

Primarily landscape shots...the polarizer sounds like a great idea and maybe a X3.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

You'll like the results of a polarizer!

n0irw Loc: Perry, OK

Thanks everyone!

ImageCreator Loc: Northern California

I have a B/W in 3 stops and a Sing ray variable 1-8. Both are outstanding but find I use the B/W at 3 stops more than the SingRay, because anything past 4 stops starts to vignette and its annoying to have to crop every image to make it usable. Whatever you get I believe you will find a 3 stop will have more advantages. There is also a $200 price difference with the Singray.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

n0irw wrote:

Hi folks, I have a question for this esteemed group. I'm going to Colorado for vacation in mid October. I am shooting with a Nikon D3200, the 18-55mm kit lens and the 55-200mm. I am wondering which ND filter you guys would recommend....I've gotta keep the price down, so probably can't get away with a "set" of ND's....Thanks in advance for the input.

I've settled on the Marumi CPL and Hoya ND. If you get the largest diameter filter you will need, you can use adapter rings to use them on smaller lenses. There's no sense buying three different ND filters.

Also, consider Xume magnetic adapters. I can have my filters on and off in less than a second.

http://digital-photography-school.com/step-by-step-guide-to-long-exposure-photography/
http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/10-Stop-Neutral-Density-Filter.aspx
http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/neutral-density-filters.htm
http://www.alexwisephotography.net/blog/2009/07/23/neutral-density-reference-chart/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNtAXbaNr0

chapjohn Loc: Tigard, Oregon

John_F wrote:

Another advantage of polarizing filters is that more detail can be obtained. Sunlight becomes polarized as it passes through the atmosphere and it is angke dependent (sun elevation, your angle to North-South). Reflecting surfaces also polarize light to different extents. Sight some leaves, some car hoods, etc and rotate the filter - note whether 'detail' pops out - note whether glare disappears. Glare can make or break an otherwise super image.

I would encourage you to consider a CPL as John_F has suggested. If you are still thinking ND, then consider a Variable ND.

zigipha Loc: north nj

doesnt hurt to get more ND than you think you might need. If you bought a ND4 and only need a ND2, you can easily play with iso/exp/fstop to get back the extra 2 stops of exposure