82mm 10-stop ND?

[coigach]

Hello,

Am looking for a 10-stop screw ND filter in 82mm. Not keen on Hoya, ideally looking for something with brass threads. Also, an 8 or a 9 stop will do as a compromise. Anyone know who makes something in this size and where I can get it? I live in UK, but would buy online elsewhere in Europe if necessary.

Cheers,
Gavin

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

I'm fairly sure Heliopan makes one, but it's likely to be a special order item. Probably B+W as well.

 

[coigach]

B+W don't make the 10-stop in that filter size to the best of my knowledge. Will check out Heliopan though.

Cheers,
Gavin

 

[David A. Goldfarb]

With larger filters that aren't very common, they are often made to order anyway, so if you have a retailer that sells B+W in general, they may be able to get it from the manufacturer even if it isn't a normally listed item.

I get the sense that digital has really cut into the market for filters for still cameras, so more and more filters seem to be special order, even from major retailers like B&H.

 

[Lee L]

B+W has delisted several filters that I've been after over the last couple of years, including 55mm 113 ND, 55mm 470 (blue-green, or minus red to simulate Ortho), and several denser 67mm ND filters. This is info that I got from B&H after ordering and having the order rejected from B+W. Digital blurring techniques also seem to have taken their toll. I saw a stack of B+W Softar I filters, new old stock in 55mm, going for under $10 each at a local photo swap. (Available new at B&H for only US$199, special order.) Should have bought the lot and resold them, but didn't have the cash.

Lee

 

[richard littlewood]

Try Robert White. Or if you are working in black and white and feel adventurous try an arc welders hood glass. Green tinted, optically OK (if not a little thick - bad for extreme wide angles) and come in 'shades' from about 10 stops to 20. Also cost about £2 each. I've been using a shade 11 (13 stops) for a while now and with the exception of really wide lenses it works a treat, in fact so well I've lashed out another £3.50 on a shade 9 and 10.

 

[mark]

I have no answer to your question but I am curious. What would you use a 10 stop ND filter for?

 

[Arvee]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say long exposure time.

fred

 

[wildbill]

Gavin, I did this same search last year when i wanted that exact filter. I searched everywhere and no one had one. No one wanted to special order it for me either, b&h, calumet, nobody!
Finally i found a guy on the east coast that quoted me about $380. I settled for the $100 77mm 6 stop size as it doesn't vignette on even my 45mm medium format lens with 82mm rings if i tape it on. If you do a search here and maybe the lf forum you'll find my posts. If you want to spend the big bucks, pm me and i'll try to find the guys email and company info.
vinny

 

[mark]

I am going to go out on a limb here and say long exposure time.

fred

Really long

 

[Lee L]

What would you use a 10 stop ND filter for?

One use is as a reciprocity test. Shoot a target or scene at whatever f-stop you need for a shutter speed of 1/8th second (0.125 seconds decimal). Without changing the f-stop or lighting, add a 10 stop ND filter and make a 125 second exposure. Bracket f-stops holding time at 125 seconds and the image that matches your original is the number of stops you need to adjust for reciprocity failure at that time. From this you can figure a Schwarzschild number to give your characteristic reciprocity failure for that film.

Another is shooting Delta 3200 at f:1.4 in full sun.

Blurring pedestrians and traffic out of a daylight scene... I could go on...

Lee

 

[coigach]

Thanks for your help folks. Pity b+w don't make them in this size. Might have to change tack. Can anyone recommend a 6 stop+ slot filter then to fit my Lee filter holder. I want something as strong as possible as I don't want to stack filters.

Why do I want such a strong ND filter? I'm wanting to experiment with very long exposures in daylight - I've an idea for a small body of work based on a stretch of coastline in the west highlands of Scotland I've being working at over the last few years. For info, here's a wonderful photo taken by Early Riser using a 10-stop recently posted in the gallery:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

Cheers,
Gavin

 

[mark]

Curiosity satisfied. Thanks.

 

[Struan Gray]

Thanks for your help folks. Pity b+w don't make them in this size. Might have to change tack. Can anyone recommend a 6 stop+ slot filter then to fit my Lee filter holder. I want something as strong as possible as I don't want to stack filters.

If you can live with 3" square, Wratten filters come in strengths of 3.0 and 4.0 ND (roughly, 10 stops and 13 stops). Lee sell cardboard holders for smaller filters which makes it easy to fit them into the slots on your holder. I would take care to check whether stray light is fully under control: you may need to enclose the filter slot in blackout material.

If you don't have a photographic source, Edmund Optics sell the filters (www.edmundoptics.com). They have a UK arm which charges in pounds and ships locally, so you avoid tax hassles and large postage charges.

Otherwise, Formatt sell ND 1.2 filters in large sizes. You could stack two, or, if you really don't want four air-glass interfaces, remove the glass from one and glue it to the other (with optical cement, naturally). It'll be thick, but with only two interfaces.

 

[keithwms]

If you want long b&w exposures in daylight then why not just shoot near-IR film like the Rollei or sfx with a #87. I typically use 10-13 stop exposure comp for those with that filter! I quite like the effect! I've done exposures out to 30 sec or so that way.

I suppose R3 and a red filter may get you there too, since you can develop it for what, ISO 25? R3 isn't half bad with a red filter.

Less attractive results can be had with a UV filter (403) and just about any b&w film. The sky detail will go, and skin tones are leathery, however.

But anyway, IR and UV filters can get you your long b&w exposures without requiring you to stop down excessively.

 

[Arvee]

Gavin,

Not sure this helps, but I bought a Nikon ND400 (about $20 and which may be no longer available) which allowed me to shoot 400 film at iso 1 or so. Worked great on moving water, removing people/cars from busy intersections, and so forth. I used the 52mm filter on my F3. I enjoyed playing with it.

Fred

 

[coigach]

Thanks for info everyone.

Cheers,
Gavin

 

[coigach]

For anyone interested in very strong ND's that will fit the Lee system, Formatt (makers of Hi-Tech filters) will make 10 stops+ to special order. See about half way down this thread:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/604648/2

Cheers,
Gavin

 

[coigach]

For anyone interested in very strong ND's that will fit the Lee system, Formatt (makers of Hi-Tech filters) will make 10 stops+ to special order. See about half way down this thread:
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/604648/2

Cheers,
Gavin

10 stop ND 100x100 size (same filter size as Lee) is £47.50 including UK p+p.

 

[CBG]

2filter ((there was a url link here which no longer exists)) just does filters so they are a very good resource for this sort of thing. 2filter.com says it is not a standard item.

Since gels are available, maybe you might find a specialist where you can get a glass/gel sandwitch made up in the size you want, but maybe if cost is a factor, the square filters mentioned before would be the best solution.

C

 

[coigach]

Have bought the 10-stop Hi-Tech - will experiment a bit and post anything halfway decent :rolleyes: in the gallery...!

 

[Jim Cole]

Singh Ray makes a 82mm 8-stop varaible ND filter that can be stacked with another 5-stop filter to provide a range of 2-13 stops.

See the link below.

http://singh-ray.com/varind.html

 

[eclarke]

I Made this with a 10 stop nd, 77mm B+W.. A 10 stop , 2 6 stop and a 4 stop Nd are in my bag at all times...Ec

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[RobC]

These people should be able to help you. 10 stop and more ND filters are used for viewing solar eclipses and are quite common amongst the astronomy community.

http://www.thousandoaksoptical.com/

[edit] too late you already bought one. But having just read the above site, it looks their standard solar filters are density 5.0 (17 stops). So maybe exposure times would be too long but they do cheap sheets of ND material for making your own.
[/edit]

 

[PKM-25]

The largest 10 stop N/D filter B&W makes is a 77mm. I have one and got it from B&H who now says it is out of stock. I like the effect so much that I just got one for my three bay 60 hassy lenses, now I can use my hoods and get rid of the flare.

Funny thing is that was the last Bay60 10 stop N/D B&H had, it now shows out of stock as well...

This was shot about two weeks ago on Agfa APX 25, one minute, 77mm 10 stop filter on bay 60 step up ring, 50mm F/4 FLE at F/16...