Neutral Density filter advice?

[Peter De Smidt]

Making a clamping style adapter wouldn't be too hard. Another option is putting a holder behind the lens, i.e. inside the bellows...there use to be a manufactured one....the Xenophan filter holder.

More options, use a slower light sensitive medium, either a slower film or a alternate process. You can also use a film developer that lowers your exposure index. Wait until it get's darker. Shade your subject...

The first step is to do what someone suggest above, and take some meter readings in representative lighting conditions, and figure out how much slower an exposure would be ideal.

[Doremus Scudder]

Down-and-dirty solution:

ND gel filters and tape (I like skin tape since it comes of easily and clean).

[gnd2]

Took some readings in bright shade around the outside of the house and was getting close to f/11 1/30 125, so I guess .6 or .75 could be all I need.

The Lee Gelsnap and a set of polyester filters sure is budget friendly. I get queasy thinking about putting anything other than glass in front of the lens though, I can't help imagining polyester doing horrible things to my image. Maybe I should get over that? The main complaint seems to be durability, but I'm very gentle with all my gear.

[Peter De Smidt]

Polyester filters are very thin. When new, they give excellent quality. But they inevitably get scratched, and that will eventually impact quality.

[r.e.]

Took some readings in bright shade around the outside of the house and was getting close to f/11 1/30 125, so I guess .6 or .75 could be all I need.

Just a couple of questions...

What is your objective in reducing the light by 2 or 2.5* stops at a meter reading of ISO 125, f/11 and 1/30 sec?

Is bright shade the only light that you want to use ND for? If not, I'd like to suggest that you do quite a few more readings in the various light conditions you want to photograph under before deciding what ND filter or filters you need. I'm suggesting this because buying ND filters piecemeal can become an expensive way to do it.

* Where are you getting .75/2.5 stop ND from? If a solid (not graduated) .75 ND filter exists, I've never seen one. Normally, after .6/2 stop comes .9/3 stop.

[gnd2]

Just a couple of questions...

What is your objective in reducing the light by two stops* at a meter reading of ISO 125, f/11 and 1/30 sec?

Get closer to wide open at the 1/25 or 1/50 speeds offered by my slowest shutter with fp-4 or portra 160. Maybe not necessarily all the way to 4.5, but at least 5.6.

Is bright shade the only light that you want to use ND for? If not, I'd like to suggest that you do quite a few more readings in the various light conditions you want to photograph under before deciding what ND filter or filters you need. I'm suggesting this because buying ND filters piecemeal can become an expensive way to do it.

It's the brightest condition I plan to shoot it, so I'm using it as the highest value filter I'd need, then thinking one or two more lower value filters to fill the gap until it's dark enough I don't need a filter.

* Where are you getting .75 ND from? If a solid (not graduated) .75 ND filter exists, I've never seen one. Normally, after .6/2 stop comes .9/3 stop.

From post #2 B&H has a couple of Lee filters of this value. .7 has a few more options. But ya, I was originally just thinking whole stop increments, .3, .6 and .9, but I'm trying to keep an open mind

[r.e.]

From post #2 B&H has a couple of Lee filters of this value. .7 has a few more options. But ya, I was originally just thinking whole stop increments, .3, .6 and .9, but I'm trying to keep an open mind

Lee's .75 ND filters are graduated ND filters in soft, medium and hard weights. They have a different function from solid ND filters. If you're going to start buying graduated ND filters, I'd suggest that you think about what you need very carefully. They are not cheap.

Lee also makes polyester and resin solid ND filters in a number of non-standard values, such as the .7 you mention above.

Keeping an open mind is great, but there's such a thing as a rabbit hole

[gnd2]

Solid
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...m_neutral.html

I actually have a set of soft grads that I got a good deal on several years ago (at the time I didn't realize how good of a deal it really was). I've hardly used them though since I don't do much that needs them, but it sure is nice to have them if I do need them.

But so far I still haven't found a good way to securely attach resin or glass filters to these lenses. The gel snap + poly filters seems the best option for the short term.

[r.e.]

Solid
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...m_neutral.html

Thanks. I didn't know that Lee makes a resin solid, as well as a resin graduated, half stop. It's a different situation with glass. The Lee ProGlass IRND filters are all full stop, as are B+W's, Heliopan's and every other glass screw-on filter that I'm aware of. Panavision's and Schneider's theatrical motion picture ND filters, which sell for many hundreds of dollars each, are also all full stop.

I have no idea what the market is for resin half-stop ND filters.

[Eric Leppanen]

But so far I still haven't found a good way to securely attach resin or glass filters to these lenses. The gel snap + poly filters seems the best option for the short term.

I have both of these Lee press-on holders. They are pricey but can work well on large barreled lenses. Additional barrel diameters can be accommodated via custom doughnut adapter rings, I had SK Grimes fabricate several for me.

https://www.robertwhite.co.uk/filter...er-holder.html
https://www.robertwhite.co.uk/lee-fi...-100-90mm.html
https://www.robertwhite.co.uk/filter...er-holder.html