[SA Chris]

I'm mainly interested in using them for "seascapes" so will definitely be going for hard grads.

[SA Chris]

Ok, so last question. Looking to get an ND and a Hard ND Grad to get started. What strengths to go for? 0.6 for both? I will probably buy a polariser sometime soon too, which I guess can be used to stack up the density a bit if combined with the ND?

Thanks

[Johnny Brown]

I mainly use a 0.3 (1 stop) and a 0.6 (2 stop), both hard. I wouldn't bother with a soft. With those two you can also combine for a 0.9 - line up for hard, stagger for soft. You can even turn the 0.3 upside down and make a 'reverse' 0.6 - denser at the horizon where it overlaps, then a 0.3 over the rest of the sky.

A polariser will can be used as a 2-stop ND yeah.

[dave]

Are you anticipating using the ND simultaneously with the grad? If not then just buy the grad as you can usually get away with using the solid end of a hard grad as a straight ND assuming it covers the lens. I do this when I need ND, I don't actually own an actual ND filter (but then again with ISO 50 film you rarely have need for ND....)

Otherwise a 0.6 grad is a popular starting point.

A polariser gives you about 1.5-2 stops of faux-ND. If you're after long exposures it might make sense to get a 0.9 ND to complement this. Or just get a 0.9 ND grad and use it as a straight ND plus another grad, might be better value overall.

[SA Chris]

Are you anticipating using the ND simultaneously with the grad?

Yes. I'm keen to do more coastal landscapes, and want to keep detail in sky as well as get some of the blurred wave / water effects. Good point on using solid end to cover whole lens. Will probably get a 0.6 grad to start, see if I can get it to cover whole lens and if not then buy a 0.3 ND to go with it, or a 0.3 grad if I can.

Thanks for the help.

[Johnny Brown]

Sorry, missed the fact you were after a plain ND and a grad. I definitely wouldn't bother buying a 0.3 plain ND, waste of time. As a grad a 0.3 is useful as its virtually invisible. With digital, I tend to err on the side of weak grads and add more in LR as required.

[Paul B]

I'm sure some Canon forum would give the required setup for your 17mm, otherwise its just a case of trial and error.

You'd think wouldn't you? Instead I was told to buy Lee because they cost more than Hitech. You know I'd usually go with this logic but he failed by not mentioning Singh Ray... 

Trial and error it is...

[Johnny Brown]

Didn't realise you could get Singh-Ray in the uk tbh. I wouldn't spunk £££s on a Lee setup unless you're sure it'll achieve what you want.

[dave]

I think blingh-ray are only cokin-p sized anyway. Never seen em in the UK. I'm sure they are good even if they do seem to milk the galen association a bit.

Interesting fact about Lee/hitech filters, being they came about by two kodak filter guys who left the company and started up on their own. And there was another guy who made similar 100mm filters for sinar (they've since stopped doing em). So the technology behind lee and hitech won't be that different if at all.

[Control freak]

Are you anticipating using the ND simultaneously with the grad?

Yes. I'm keen to do more coastal landscapes, and want to keep detail in sky as well as get some of the blurred wave / water effects. Good point on using solid end to cover whole lens. Will probably get a 0.6 grad to start, see if I can get it to cover whole lens and if not then buy a 0.3 ND to go with it, or a 0.3 grad if I can.

Thanks for the help.

Just beware that some grads will provide a color cast when stacked (this is why people pay $$ for Lee filters that don't do this). This can be anything from a mild blue to a vivid orange depending upon what brands you put together. Pretty much all of my seascapes are shot with a single 0.6 soft and then exposure blended in PS

Ive just got a Lee big stopper (10 stop ND) as well that can give some great results, but theyre like rocking horse shit to get hold of at the moment

[SA Chris]

I've got a Lee 0.6 Hard to start off with along with a big polarisers, will probably go for a 0.75 or 0.9 Lee ND next, once funds recover from the big hit! . The big stopper looks like a nice piece of kit, not only hard to get hold of, but also fucking expensive, especially since laptop is going through death throes, and I think it's time to invest in a half decent desktop to do this photography malarkey properly.

[Paul B]

I've seen comparisons between the Lee big stopper and the Hitech Pro Stop MK II. The original Hitech supposedly had a horrendously odd colour cast that was hard to correct amongst other issues.

Side by side comparisons of the Lee and new Hitech showed each to have distinctive colour shifts but the Hitech had a stronger, blue cast. This was shown to be easily correctable with something such as the LR white balance tool.

The other advantages of the Hitech over the Lee stated were price and if you drop them they're a hell of a lot less brittle.

[dave]

Sounds like what people really need is a camera system that lets you take really long exposures without having to resort to shooting through a glorified piece of welding glass, without colour casts, hot pixels, noise, batteries going flat etc etc.

[SA Chris]

f64?

[SA Chris]

Hopefully last question. Any good tips for how to carry all these fiddly things about? adaptor rings, filters, etc etc. Something sturdy that will keep them clean, i think the case and tissue paper they came wrapped in aren't a viable long term option.

[jwi]

Sounds like what people really need is a camera system that lets you take really long exposures without having to resort to shooting through a glorified piece of welding glass, without colour casts, hot pixels, noise, batteries going flat etc etc.

Pinhole directly on photosensitive paper perhaps?

http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1109339--year-long-exposure-of-toronto-skyline-produces-dreamy-image

[DubDom]

+1 for hitech, I have some of their glass ones and they're great. On the other end of the price bracket, i hear good things about Kood filters too.
 If you want square resin filters the http://vandiemenbroadcast.co.uk/epages/eshop406899.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop406899/Categories/Products/Filters seem better value than Lee

[dave]

Hopefully last question. Any good tips for how to carry all these fiddly things about? adaptor rings, filters, etc etc. Something sturdy that will keep them clean, i think the case and tissue paper they came wrapped in aren't a viable long term option.

Sorry only just seen this.

Adapter rings stay on the lenses ideally, if this isn't practical then stick em in a pocket in your bag.

For storing 4x6" filters get a Lee triple wrap.

[SA Chris]

Ive just got a Lee big stopper (10 stop ND) as well that can give some great results, but theyre like rocking horse shit to get hold of at the moment

Managed to track one down, and bit the bullet. Not cheap!

[Fras]

Any good tips for how to carry all these fiddly things about? adaptor rings, filters, etc etc. Something sturdy that will keep them clean....

I use an old, hard-shell CD holder (think it's a 12 CD pocket version - just over an inch thick). Mine takes 3 adapter rings and 3 filters (85 x 100mm HiTech ND grads, kept in the cardboard sleeves and can be slotted in the plastic pouches) The filter holder goes in camera case itself, but at a push I could maybe get it in the CD holder too.

[SA Chris]

Wish I'd thought of that. Ended up buying an expensive Lee wallet for them.

Anyone used a Big Stopper much? I was using mine early the other morning and notice the sea comes out very blue (which can be easily corrected). Was wondering though if this was a colour cast from the filter, the warmth of the light, or some refracting (or is it diffracting?) effect from the long exposure.

[Paul B]

Wish I'd thought of that. Ended up buying an expensive Lee wallet for them.

Anyone used a Big Stopper much? I was using mine early the other morning and notice the sea comes out very blue (which can be easily corrected). Was wondering though if this was a colour cast from the filter, the warmth of the light, or some refracting (or is it diffracting?) effect from the long exposure.

The Lee stopper is meant to be about as neutral as they come isn't it? Certainly the comparisons I've seen show it that way. Despite this the Hitech is on my list simply as if I drop it, it won't break (and I will drop it!).


New Pro Stop from Hitech vs. Bigstopper from Lee by Paulo "Santa Cruz" Dias, on Flickr

[Johnny Brown]

Never really seen the appeal myself.

[SA Chris]

The Lee stopper is meant to be about as neutral as they come isn't it?

Yeah my impression too, hence the question. Anyway, here's the unedited jpeg of the photo in question. Trust me the sea here never looks this blue!



Need to revisit with a rougher sea and sort out depth of field.

[Paul B]

could it have been massively effecting your white balance or something?