ND Filter: System

Darryl Roberts

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Hi,

I'm looking for my first ND filter system. I shoot architechture. Any recommendation, especially brand?

Thank you and happy shooting.
 
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Sirius Glass

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What speed film? What is the camera? We need to know more. For starters a 2ND would be good for general work.
 

Sirius Glass

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Start with 2ND and add 3ND or 4ND if you find it necessary.
 

AnselMortensen

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I suggest you go to www.filterfind.net website, and under "Data", there is a very informative section on ND filters. i.e. density ratings & nomenclature used by different mfgrs.
Then you can check available listings, under "Index", for the size/format you're looking for.
Tim is wealth of information about filters.
 

Sirius Glass

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pentaxuser said:
Is there any reason why architecture needs ND filters or is the ND filters unconnected to that particular interest? Just curious

Thanks

pentaxuser
Click to expand...

I cannot figure that out either. Greater depth of field comes from smaller apertures.
 

MattKing

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I think it is really helpful for people to indicate what sort of work they do when asking for advice.

If the OP had said he mostly did environmental portraits, his needs might be better served by a different range of Neutral Density filters - thus different advice.
 

DREW WILEY

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You gotta be careful with ND's when shooting color film. Most are not really color neutral. Tiffen and other less expensive brands tend to be slightly greenish. Heliopan is a better choice. Also, they're not always the exact density as labeled. I never trust that until I've made an actual densitometer reading through the specific filter in question.

But I've never found a need for ND's in architectural shooting, except for grad "center filters" on extra wide angle lenses, which are a different category. Not even in landscape shooting. So your whole question is a bit of a mystery to me.

These seem more like a product trend looking for an application, rather than a problem looking for a solution. I've been shooting large format in both color and black and white for the past 45 yrs, and have never once carried an ND filter along. Are you perhaps trying to slow exposures down for sake of blurred running water etc? In black and white film usage, ordinary contrast filters can do that.
 
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Sirius Glass

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The only time I use an ND filter is on my WideLux F7 with the fastest shutter is 1/250 second and smallest f/stop of f/11 which in not a good combination for ISO 400 film on a bright sunny day.
 

tom43

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You are talking about square filter systems? Have a look at the recommendations for digital cameras. There is nothing really different…NiSi, Kase, Lee, Singhray to name a few.
 
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