Reasons are simple, use it to slow down shutter for special effects (let me just say shoot a highway with high traffic that comes out car free). I did not think this was a subject of my question.Polarizor do not do the same thing as ND filters. Polarizors work on light coming in at certain orientations and the angle of the sun light. ND filters darken uniformly. ND2 darkens two f/stops. ND3 darkens three f/stops. Variable ND filters darken across a range of f/stops. The first questions are what do you need a ND filter for and why, not how many can one buy. In over sixty years of photography I cannot remember even one time that an ND filter was necessary. So start with your reason(s) and then we can help you find the answer.
Reasons are simple, use it to slow down shutter for special effects (let me just say shoot a highway with high traffic that comes out car free). I did not think this was a subject of my question.
VD ND filters are marketed, some by rather well known brands. But @Maris has brought an important point. I never looked into how they were made to limit light. I think I'm already straight onto getting fixed values as they were meant to be.
The OP was asking about user feedback on VD ND filters. It makes no difference what it is to be used for.The OP was asking a question which sounded as though "I see one but there are a whole bunch I could buy. Which ones should I buy?" The first thing is to find out what the OP wants to do, not what you want to do, which is well thought out but has nothing to do with this particular OP.
Anyone uses them, any recommended make?
As title song of the Couplings states ... Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps.I don’t think you need to be an optical engineer to understand that a so-called variable ND is 2 polarizing filters attached to each other.
I have a Marumi DHG VARI ND2-400 in 77mm. Here are a few general comments about it.
-- Like all variable ND filters, it works via cross polarization. In effect, it's two circular polarizers placed face-to-face. So you will not see the same effect as you would with a standard polarizer.
-- Color shift with any actual filter, even a UV filter, is a reality. Marumi polarizers tend to transmit a little less green than blue or red. So if you need to color match with and without a filter, you'll find it hard to do so.
-- For any polarizer, the degree of polarization depend on the angle to the light source. This causes uneven exposure, which is especially noticeable on sky shots with wide angle lenses. For sky shots with a variable ND filter, you can get an ugly "X" exposure pattern. At high ND settings, you may even be able to detect the pattern on 35mm film with a 50mm lens.
As a result, I've used the Marumi less than I thought I would. We'll see if that changes once the pandemic passes and I'm shooting more.
I use a VR ND filter quite a bit for both video and still work. Works like a charm. If I NEED 3.6ND I can get exactly what I need.
I also use fixed graduated ND filters. So I'm sure to go to hell!
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