# ND filters (first timer here)



## Good24 (Feb 25, 2016)

I'm want to get my first ND filter, for my 16-35 2.8 L II, was thinking of a 6-stop filter. What is the difference between the brands? I'm looking at B&H and I don't see anything in the descriptions for the various brands to suggest what accounts for the price difference. E.g.

B+W 82mm 1.8 ND MRC 106M Filter -- $287.

Hoya 82mm ProND64 Filter -- $87.

What does the B+W bring to the table that the Hoya does not? I'm not opposed to shelling out $287 if I understand what it's for, and certainly would rather do that once than feel like I wasted $87. on something that doesn't perform well. 

I'd be shooting on a 5D3 and mostly for now just wanting to play around with it and test out the possibilities, would probably entail some shooting around dawn and dusk but perhaps also in plain day, to capture movement of water and/or clouds.


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## AcutancePhotography (Feb 25, 2016)

Like most things, people have their favourite brand so it is important to separate people's opinion vs any measured study. Dig around a bit as there are some objective testing results that can help you. 

Among other sites, check out 2filter.com as they have some nice reviews.

I shoot with Marumi filters and have found them of high quality at a reasonable price. 

Good luck with it.


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## neuroanatomist (Feb 25, 2016)

B+W uses brass rings which are less prone to getting stuck. Also, you're comparing the MRC-coated B+W to a single-coated Hoya. Still, B+W's single coat is >$200. The MRC coating does two things – reduce light loss due to reflection and make cleaning easier. You probably won't be leaving a 6-stop ND on the lens so cleaning won't be frequent, and the whole point of an ND is to reduce light – a single coated filter should be fine. Neither filter will be perfectly neutral, both can be corrected in post. 

I'm a fan of B+W filters, but not so much that I'd pay an extra $200.


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## match.head (Feb 25, 2016)

Check out this article here: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/10-Stop-Neutral-Density-Filter.aspx
It explains the difference between a few brands of ND filters. I've owned a B+W 10- stop filter and found it to be impossible to completely remove the color cast it left in the images. Now I own a Breakthrough Photography 10-stop, and I must say it's the best I've owned in terms of quality and value... and no color cast.

I would also recommend going with a 10-stop over a 6-stop. A 10-stop opens up more possibilities for longer exposure shots, especially in bright daylight. I often find myself shooting at f/22 iso100 to get 10- 30 second exposures during the day, even with the 10-stop ND. You can't get the same effect with a 6-stop, but you can always open up the aperture a bit or push the ISO up to get a shorter exposure with a 10-stop.


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## Good24 (Feb 26, 2016)

Thanks for all the replies and input! I'll check out that article and read up a bit more about the coatings, etc. I'll try to post a picture of my eventual results.


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## slclick (Feb 26, 2016)

I used screw on filters in the past but have become a fan of 4 x 4 and 4 x 6 (Cokin Z Pro size) filters. Especially Formatt Hitech Firecrest ND 2.4 (8 stops) A high quality glass filter as opposed to a resin is an amazing leap in clarity. Plus the Firecrest have little to no perceivable cast. 10 stops can be a bit much and it's easy to misuse them. I found that 8 gives me more latitude with a wider range of waxing and waning light.


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## cycleraw (Feb 26, 2016)

I also use to use screw on filters but since I have lenses which use 82mm and 77mm filters I bit the bullet and now use the Lee system (which I think is great and often use the Little Stopper and a ND Grad together). I have the Lee Big Stopper (10 stops), Lee Little Stopper (6 stops) and the Lee Pro Glass 3 stop. I use the Little Stopper (6 stops) the most and that filter has very little color cast. The Big Stopper does produce quite a bit of color cast which is pretty easy to fix in post. The Lee Pro Glass 3 stop is GREAT, no color cast.

I'd recommend the Lee system.


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## AcutancePhotography (Feb 26, 2016)

At the risk of posting the obvious, consider buying a filter large enough for your biggest diameter lens and then use step up rings when you use smaller diameter lenses. Step up rings are a lot cheaper to buy than multiple filters.


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## Flamingtree (Feb 26, 2016)

Fstopers did an interesting video on this, I just watched it last night, not super scientific, but it may help you choose.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7-0eHoirW4


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