Question on Neutral Density filters.

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I am looking to take pictures in bright daylight with a short DOF, essentially using the largest arpeture, am I correct to assume that an ND filter will help me do this? From my research, ND filters block light and allows for stunning waterscapes and sunsets, which is great, but, I havent seen any example of these filters used in bright daylight. Got any?


If I am looking for an ND filter to particularly take shots during the day, which filter (i.e. how many stops slower) should I get?


I just want to make sure before I purchase on these filters.


I use a D7000 + Tamron 17-50/Nikon 50 1.8
 
A ND filter isn't necessary for that. Just lower your ISO and raise your shutter speed to compensate.

For example I took some pictures of some leaves at F2.8, ISO 400 and a shutter speed of 1/8000 and that was perfectly exposed. If you can't get your shutter speed up that high, and are using a larger aperture, then that's when the ND filter comes into play.

A ND filter is also used during the day with a large apature to cut down the shutter speed to your highest flash sync speed. (In the above example, I would have to lower my shutter speed to 1/250th [my highest sync speed], and that would be a 5 stop difference between 1/8000th and 1/250th. So unless I could go down to a ISO of 12, I would over expose the image). The disadvantage to using a ND filter with flash is that your flash has to work that much harder (whatever your ND filter strength is) to overcome the ND filter and properly expose the image with flash.
 
The max shutter speed of the D7000 is 1/8000th of a second.

Sunny 16 rule based on aperture:
@100 ISO
F/16 - 1/100
F/11 - 1/200
F/8 - 1/400
F/5.6 - 1/800
F/4 - 1/1600
f/2.8 - 1/3200
F/2 - 1/6400
F/1.8 third faster than F/2 - 1/8500
F/1.4 1/12800

Larger article

So it looks like if you are in full sunlight with sharp black shadows that F/1.8 is on the edge of your maximum shutter speed. So you probably wouldn't be needing the ND filter in regards to your shutter speed. If your object is at all in the shadows than you'll be metering a slower shutter anyways. If you one day get a F/1.4 lens, the ND filter would be a necessity.

I've seen ND filters and variable ND filters used for filming to get the shutter speed lower. I think the goal is to get it down to near 24, 30 or 60th of a second, so the video is less choppy looking. I have no experience in that area.

Edit: +1 to what Cold_B said about the flash.
 
A Circular Polarized filter is another option that is a bit more exciting than a Neutral Density filter - it would cost a bit more than a single ND filter but has other interesting features that might balance out the single-purpose of a plain ND filter. A CP filter cuts about 2 stops of light, but can also block light of a certain polarization - typically from diffuse or non-metallic reflections. You can rotate the filter to change the polarization of light being blocked relative to your camera. In landscape photography it is usually used to darken the sky (somewhat polarized) or cut down on water reflections, and can make images look a little more saturated.

If you have two of these filters stacked together you can pretty much make an adjustable neutral density filter that reduces light by 4 stops to total visible light blocking.
 
I shoot with a Varible ND filter.. it gives me 8 stops difference.. so I can shoot f/2-f/2.8 in the middle of the day with strobes.. and get great images...
 
darktiger said:
I shoot with a Varible ND filter.. it gives me 8 stops difference.. so I can shoot f/2-f/2.8 in the middle of the day with strobes.. and get great images...
Click to expand...

Exactly. But that only works if you have a really powerful strobe; or your flash (speedlight) is like 4" from your subject. A normal on camera flash, or the camera built in flash, won't be able to put out that much light (for you to be able to light a subject from any resonable distance with a 8 stop filter on in the daylight).

ND filters block all light equally, no matter if it comes from the sun or a speedlight or a big strobe.
 
I think the key word in darktigers post is "Variable". I'd guess he shoots with it set around 4-5 stops normally. That would get him in the range of the fastest flash sync - on my D300s it is 1/250.

Edit: That would be a lot of flash power needed. I'd be curious if my SB900 could pull it off, never tried.
 
Thanks all for the great tips, I love the makeshift variable ND filter, I already have one CPL, so all I need is another.

There was a picture online that exhibited exactly the effect I was looking for, which was said to be done with an ND filter, but I can't find it for the life of me :(
 
I mentioned using 2 CP filters to produce a variable ND filter...I have since read that 1 of the filters needs to be mounted in reverse for this to work properly w/ 2 CP filters. Or to use 1 Linear Polarized and 1 CP filter (I think order makes a big difference). There may be a blue cast to the resulting photo (in addition to vignetting by the filter ring for wider photos), so you would need to have a custom white balance or shoot in RAW to adjust it later. Not as good of a solution as I hopped when I suggested it...but could still work. Sorry about that.
 
Tim_axe said:
I mentioned using 2 CP filters to produce a variable ND filter...I have since read that 1 of the filters needs to be mounted in reverse for this to work properly w/ 2 CP filters. Or to use 1 Linear Polarized and 1 CP filter (I think order makes a big difference). There may be a blue cast to the resulting photo (in addition to vignetting by the filter ring for wider photos), so you would need to have a custom white balance or shoot in RAW to adjust it later. Not as good of a solution as I hopped when I suggested it...but could still work. Sorry about that.
Click to expand...


I've used the 1 Linear Polarizer and 1 Circular Polarizer option. Works decent if you are willing to play with it a little. You will need to reverse one of them to achieve the correct results. Find a couple cheapos on Amazon or Ebay and do it yourself.
 
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