HOYA NDx400 HMC 9-stop ND filter anyone ? ..or 'long exposure discussion' (;

[nick mulder]

Hi,


Has anyone had any experience with the HOYA NDx400 HMC 9-stop ND filter ?

I'd like to play around with long exposures with shallow DOF with my cameras as I've just got some fast lenses for each of them (2.8 for the RZ, 0.98 for the Bolex 16mm Cine and a 1.2 for the Canon 35mm) -

At the moment I'm using three Cokin resin 3-stop ND (or 2 ND and one red with B&W) filters stacked in front of the lens - but these are prone to give ghost images in bright light/dark situations, I can see slight warps in the surface and they are also a hassle to set up with my 50mm RZ lens that would otherwise vignette with the cokin system holder or any other combination of more than one screw type filter (I use rubber bands and tape with the Cokin P type resin filters and thin plastic shim frames to keep them the apart in the meantime)...

9 stops is just the baseline as I also put a polarizer in front also, getting when stopped down well into the reciprocity failure zone of hour + long exposures - and I suppose at a snip I could put the ol' cokins in front of that also if I wanted grain as well as long exposure and shallow DOF - maybe even handheld 1 second stuff

... However .... the filter in the required 77mm size for the RZ67 is a good $190US - with that sort of cost I'd to know any impressions of the filter or anything similar

love em, but want to try to get away from the vast DOF I usually shoot...

looking forward to hear back -

cheers + take care all

nick (;


p.s. Also would be interesting to hear of any alternative long exposure set-ups any one else here has had good success with.

 

[nick mulder]

heres what they look like:

http://www.dvdreamtime.com.au/catalog/index.php?cPath=73_114_129

and I've just found a cheaper online store here:

http://www.madsens.com.au/hoyacart/hoya/pricelist.php?f=fs_hoyand_hmc

 

[Ole]

If you're shooting BW, you could try an IR filter. I used a Lee IR filter to shoot a solar eclipse at 1 sec, f:8 - and I can see sunspots on the negative. 25 stops or so?

EDIT: The film was AXP 100, not exactly known for it's IR sensitivity

 

[nick mulder]

If you're shooting BW, you could try an IR filter. I used a Lee IR filter to shoot a solar eclipse at 1 sec, f:8 - and I can see sunspots on the negative. 25 stops or so?

I thought about that - but would like the color option available ...

But 25 huh ? sheesh - that sounds like fun -

 

[Lee L]

There are ND filters available from B+W in 77mm at 10, 13, and 20 stops:

BW106 (ND1.8) (exposure adjustment = 6 stops)

BW110 (ND3.0) (exposure adjustment = 10 stops)

BW113 (ND4.0) (exposure adjustment = 13 stops)

BW120 (ND6.0) (exposure adjustment = 20 stops)

These are going for $105 from B&H in 77mm.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home;jsessionid=D831xt0p8J!-2065425818?A=search&Q=&b=0&a=27_307&a=71_524&shs=&ci=114&ac=&Submit.x=13&Submit.y=10&Submit=Go

In his book on astrophotography, Robert Reeves recommends the glass B+W brand over the Wratten #96 gel from Kodak (now supplied by Tiffen) because of "leakiness" in IR with the gel. He doesn't mention the Hoya or its spectral transmission.

That cuts your cost almost in half, and B+W makes very nice filters. I use the B+W 110 in 43mm to test reciprocity failure.

Lee

 

[nick mulder]

There are ND filters available from B+W in 77mm at 10, 13, and 20 stops:

These are going for $105 from B&H in 77mm.

Lee

Well, how bout that - I just bought one ! tho not from B&H - from that website in Aus - I got the 10 stop but in the slim 3mm profile at a higher cost - but it means (I'm hoping) I can use it and my polarizer on my RZ 50mm lens - B&H have a bad policy on postage overseas also where I am forced to use the super-sonic option which puts the price up considerably, I only purchase things from it and adorama (for the same reason) if I am buying bulk film, big things, chems etc.. all in one go

The 10 stop ND B+W only stops the redder end of the spectrum by closer to 9 stops so is warmer:

"Its principal field of application is the observation and documentation of industrial processes with extreme brightness, such as steel furnaces, incinerators" etc..."

Which is fine by me for black and white - and I'll be using it with Tungsten balanced film in 16mm color - or not (;

B+H filters also don't have as good specs in terms of reflection as the Hoya HMC in the 10 stop ND filter as it is only single coated - buy anything is better than 3 Cokins stacked huh

The slim style design and approx extra stop sold it for me - arriving next week (;

 

[Lee L]

The slim style design and approx extra stop sold it for me - arriving next week (;

Have fun. You'll also probably find that the brass threads bind much less than most other brands.

Lee

 

[nick mulder]

cheers mate -

(;

Now all I need is a step up ring from 32 to 77mm and a 40-77mm hmmm and a etc...