Wonderful use of the filter -- I really want one but continue to be confused about what to buy. Did you do the kind where you can adapt to different lenses or did you dedicate one to a particular lens. And is 10 stop the basic kind to get?
Thanks, btw, on your views and comments today! I really appreciated the fav on the station photo. I had liked that one a lot and value your opinion!
@taffy No problem. You are a far more talented photographer than me Taffy, though I am flattered that you value my opinion. My recommendation for NDs is to buy a Lee Filters starter kit (link at the bottom) Then you buiy adaptor rings to fit various lenses, but IMHO you only need them to fit you rwode angles and wide angle zooms, ie landscape lenses. To this I would add a Big Stopper, which is a 10 stop grad filter. It has the effect of increasing your shutter speed by x 1000 so you can take long exposure shots in the middle of the day (like I did here). If tyou can't track down an equivalent or th eLee products for a sensible price in the USA, let me know, i would happily buy and send them to you. The 10 stop Big Stopper is hard to get hold of over here, it took me a year to find someone selling them!! Don't be tempted by a HiTech 10 x Grad, I have one and it is awful!! http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lee-Digital-Starter-DSLRSK-202222/dp/B00EDKEHMK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1383155582&sr=8-3&keywords=lee+digital+starter+kit http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lee-Stopper-Neutral-Standard-BS10100U2/dp/B00E4FNHFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383155917&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+big+stopper
@taffy Sorry that didn't fully explain things. There are 2 types of filters that I have. ND and ND Graduated. The ND are the same all the way across the glass or resin and have anywhere from a 1 to 10 stop affect on exposure. The Graduated are typically half of the glass is darkened by anywhere from 1 to 10 stops so that you can darken a sky whilst not having the same impact on a landscape. You need some skill in lining up the horizon as I found last week on some duff shots taken on a very windy and wet day!!! When you buy one of the Lee Kits you also get a lovely book about using the filters and useful card that tells you what to increase shutter speed to once you have metered the shot without the filter. Being a man, that stayed in my pocket and I just experimented after taking my initial meter reading!!
Amazing what these filters produce, with the skill and knowledge of the photographer of course. Great shot Sean and thank you for taking time to view, leave comments, and Fav my photos.
@seanoneill So bottom line, given that I'm quite willing to learn (though suffer from the same problem of not actually reading the books that come with things until I absolutely have to -- using the theory that I have to already know something about it for the book to make sense), what would you recommend I order as a starting point (I also have a birthday coming up in the next few months so can put a somewhat more extravagant version on my list). I love long exposure shots and have been frustrated for a long time at my limited use of it in daytime. I love the ND shots I've seen here, but have been intimidated in ordering, figuring I'd order the wrong thing. Buy the Lee kit? Start with full ND filter or graduated? Commit to one lens and practice only with that or start with the most flexible system since I use different lenses fairly frequently? Is the 10 stop lens 10 different lenses and do I buy a full set or do I buy parts of the 10 stop system and add to it? I'm sorry to be so dim on this, but I really have not been able to make sense of it despite reading some pretty detailed and wonderful posts. I know there are lots of choices so am basically asking the question, as a beginning yourself, what did you do and would you say it's a reasonable recommendation? Or what would you have done now that you've started if you could do it over again? THANK YOU for any help at all. I know how busy you are!
Love this shot, Sean! The long exposure and B&W are wonderful together. Very atmospheric interesting image. Thank you also for your help with ND filters. I, too, would like to get one but have been confused by all the above. FAV
@taffy I would buy the two things I linked you to, and make sure you add the correct adaptors to adapt to your landscape lenses. The 10 stop is a filter not a lens, and it fits into the holder that comes with the starter kitm the holder goes onto a lens adaptor and the lens adaptor screws onto the front of your lens. One thing to note. If you have a UV or polarising filter on your lens, take it off to avoid colour casts. If you bought them today you would be about 3 half decent photos behind me! I would say use the card that comes with the kits to advise you on exposure, and take a metered reading on your camera. As for which filter to use, that largely depends on what sort of photo you want, how long you want to expose for, what sort of finish you want on your clouds, water etc. I fully expect you to be giving me advice in a month or twos time, once you've bought and mastered the art of LE photography. @pflaume You are welcome, I am no expert, but can get you to a buying decision at least!
@seanoneill DUH!!!! I totally missed that first message with the explanation and links! No wonder you said something about explaining things and a link! Thank you so much for the extra time you spent on explaining! I'm going to get these, but realize I don't understand metering -- I use spot metering but must use auto on that because I don't change anything other than the spot, the middle spot, and the whole frame choices. Ah, fun! Something new to learn!
@taffy No problem. I think there ar emany ways to do it, but I would pick the main focal point of your shot and meter in camera what the shutter speed would be at somewhere around f/11. That should then enable you to fit the 10 stop filter and see what you need to increase shutter speed to by looking at your aide memoire that comes with the kit.
@seanoneill Great -- thanks! I'm visiting my mom this weekend and will have time to sort out the order, so I should have it by next week if all goes well. I'm really psyched about this -- now to start thinking of where I can find running water to shoot in Chicago!! Fountains are probably the first place to try.
@taffy Hi Taffy, sorry I haven't got back to you, a very busy evening, and a busy morning tomorrow so please don't think I am ignoring you. I will try and respond after lunch tomorrow.
@seanoneill No rush -- given the cost, I can easily put it off til you have time! I just appreciate your willingness to guide me in this purchase. I don't want to make a mistake.
@taffy They are what I have Taffy, though it looks like the book doesn't come with this set, but it is on Amazon US for $20 http://www.amazon.com/Lee-Landscape-Photographers-Guide-Filters/dp/B000QUFM34/ref=pd_sim_sbs_k_6
The Big Stopper is £100 in the UK, which is approx $160, so your price is a bit high, but they are very hard to get hold of. The Starter kit is about £160 in the UK which is about $260, then you need the adaptor rings for your lenses which look like they would be about $30 each. Like I say, you would need to add these to screw the filter holder onto your lens. If you wanted to cut the cost down to try it out I would buy one adaptor to fit a wide angle landcape style lens. (I used mine on the Nikon 16-85mm which needs a 67mm adaptor.) plus the big stopper and the filter holder. You can then add the Grads later. I hope this helps. Of course, to get the cost down even further you could try a system like Cokin. I just googled Chicagi camera stores and this guy seems to have good reviews for hi sknowledge and Cokin filters. http://www.centralcamera.com/home.php
@seanoneill Thanks so much Sean! You've been incredibly helpful in this! I'll let you know what I end up doing...off to catch a flight to Colorado for a visit to my mom, brother & family. Hoping for sun there as we haven't seen it here in awhile!
Thanks, btw, on your views and comments today! I really appreciated the fav on the station photo. I had liked that one a lot and value your opinion!
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lee-Stopper-Neutral-Standard-BS10100U2/dp/B00E4FNHFC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1383155917&sr=8-1&keywords=lee+big+stopper
And then the big stopped (like you said, hard to find as they are out of stock) is on eBay, but seems pricey. At this point I'm just making sure I'm finding the right things. If I buy these two things, then the last part is to buy the rings that will fit my lenses -- I think. Am I on track? Thank you thank you for your patience! http://www.ebay.com/itm/Lee-Big-Stopper-100mm-10-Stop-Neutral-Density-Filter-ND-4x4-/271306212155?_trksid=p2054897.l4276
The Big Stopper is £100 in the UK, which is approx $160, so your price is a bit high, but they are very hard to get hold of. The Starter kit is about £160 in the UK which is about $260, then you need the adaptor rings for your lenses which look like they would be about $30 each. Like I say, you would need to add these to screw the filter holder onto your lens. If you wanted to cut the cost down to try it out I would buy one adaptor to fit a wide angle landcape style lens. (I used mine on the Nikon 16-85mm which needs a 67mm adaptor.) plus the big stopper and the filter holder. You can then add the Grads later. I hope this helps. Of course, to get the cost down even further you could try a system like Cokin. I just googled Chicagi camera stores and this guy seems to have good reviews for hi sknowledge and Cokin filters. http://www.centralcamera.com/home.php