Vari HD... any good?

[SteveKarr]

Hi Everyone,
So like some, I like to shoot outside at my fav. F-stop WFO! Ha!

So having only a Packard shutter at 1/15 or so I thought this Vari-ND would be just the ticket.

Set film speed, set shutter speed & turn the little filter 'till the meter read the f-stop desired. Seems simple right? I tried this with 2 B&W pols and they would not work unless you flipped one of the glasses 180 deg.... which you can not do with B&W's. (even a great Tech tried)

So has anyone a thought or better an experience with this filter:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Fader-ND-Filter-...ht_2296wt_1167

Thanks again fore answering my silly questions...
Steve

[vinny]

Haven't used one of those. Were the polas you tried linear or circular?

[SteveKarr]

Hi Vinny,
Hmmm... good question, circular. Is that a factor?

Thanks!
Steve

[jb7]

I wish I could read the f-stop desired on my camera,
simply by turning the filter-

It strikes me that these things are designed for ttl metering,
and that the results might be hit and miss otherwise-

I'd be suspicious that the colour wouldn't be neutral either-

Simply stacking 2 polarizers would be an another option, but their combined thickness might cause vignetting, depending on the lens you're using-

[Doremus Scudder]

Stacking two linear polarizers will do the job (but may result in some vignetting unless you are careful and/or get the slimmest ones you can find). Circular polarizers stacked will not do the job.

Best and good luck

Doremus Scudder

[Steve Hamley]

Singh-Ray makes one also, and I'd bet the color would be neutral. But it's 3 times the price.

I don't see why you couldn't "calibrate" it with a spot meter though.

Cheers, Steve

[Marko]

Two polarizers should work fine, as long as at least one of them is linear. If the other one is circular, then linear needs to be on top, if I remember correctly, but that's easily confirmed visually.

Metering could easily be done with a spot meter, the only thing you would have to do is make orientation marks on both filters so you can match the position on meter and on camera.

Or you can really calibrate the set as Steve suggests by measuring and marking f-stop positions.

P.S.

Two linear polarizers are in fact cheaper than this filter and they can be used separately.

[venchka]

...P.S.

Two linear polarizers are in fact cheaper than this filter and they can be used separately.

And if the outer one is larger and attached with a step up ring, no vignetting.

[Peter K]

Metering could easily be done with a spot meter, the only thing you would have to do is make orientation marks on both filters so you can match the position on meter and on camera.

Only if the spotmeter has no mirrors or prism. But with a circular polarizer as the second filter faulty measurements by depolarization inside the spotmeter can be avoided.