Which graduated nd filter

These are top filter brands and the results from these products are amazing. The most important thing to remember is to invest the time in getting the technique right and knowing how to use the equipment.

Photography is all about practice and getting the technique right. Yes, good equipment helps, but the most important thing is practice. Once you have mastered the technique with a cheaper filter, then consider making the investment in the more expensive ones. A final image after being processed in Photoshop. A set of ND grads in varius strengths. Table of contents Landscape Photography. Responsibilities of Landscape Photographers. The Three Dangers of Landscape Photography. How to Plan the Perfect Landscape Photo.

The Importance of Scouting for Landscape Photographers. What is Your Favorite Landscape Location? Painting with Light in the Landscape. Aspect Ratios in Landscape Photography. How to Photograph a Minimalist Landscape. Include Clouds In Your Landscapes. Landscape Photography and the Human Element. Using Water to Lighten Landscape Photos.

What is a graduated neutral density filter ND Grad? When should you use an ND grad filter? Essential Accessories for Landscape Photography. How to Shoot Landscapes at Sunset. Tips for Winter Landscape Photography on the Prairie. Time for Landscape — Weather and Landscape Photography. In general, wider angles of view are often enhanced more, primarily because these encompass a correspondingly greater range of brightness.

They're called graduated neutral density filters because they have i a graduated blend, ii this blend is from from clear to neutrally -colored gray and iii the effective density of this gray increases, thereby blocking more light. The second advantage is why many photographers often apply GND filters even when the scene's dynamic range fits within the capabilities of the camera.

This might include giving clouds more definition, for example, or making them appear more ominous by darkening them relative to everything else. The applications are amazingly diverse. Of the two, the filter strength is perhaps the most important consideration. Commonly used strength specifications are listed below:. What strength do you need? This can be estimated by first pointing your camera at the darker half of the scene, taking an exposure reading, and then pointing your camera at the lighter half and taking a second exposure reading.

The difference between these two exposures is the maximum strength that you'll need to use, although you'll likely want something weaker for a more realistic-looking photo. However, as you'll quickly realize, this isn't strictly a numbers game; the optimal strength is also highly dependent on the subject matter and look you're trying to achieve.

The most versatile strength is perhaps the 2-stop variety ; anything weaker is often too subtle, and anything stronger may appear unrealistic. In either case, it's often not difficult to reproduce the results of a 1 or 3-stop GND filter in post-processing by starting with an existing 2-stop GND photo.

The second important characteristic is the rate of transition. Most manufacturers have just two types: hard and soft. However, these terms unfortunately aren't standardized, so their precise rate can vary substantially from one filter brand to another. In general, wide angle lenses require harder gradients , primarily because brightness varies more abruptly when a broader range is squeezed into the image frame.

Softer transitions are often much more forgiving when they aren't optimally positioned, but their location is also much more difficult to identify in the camera's viewfinder. Although the GND transition region is clearly visible when looking at the filter on its own, it's location is often far from obvious when you're looking through the camera's viewfinder. The depth of field preview button can be of great help, but one ultimately needs to know what artifacts to look out for.

Three GND filter characteristics are under one's control: i the position, ii the strength and iii the rate of transition. Of these, only the first is controllable for a given filter, but all three are adjustable if you're applying the grad filter digitally more on this later.

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Are you tired of not capturing images you're proud of? Take your photography to the next level, starting today! Share via. Facebook Messenger. Copy Link. Powered by Social Snap. Copy link. It's a perfect option for capturing a low sunrise or sunset where the majority of the light is emanating from the middle of your scene.

When looking for the best ND filter for you, one of the most important things to consider is the physical size of the filter. The bigger it is, the more lens diameters it'll cover and the more flexibility you'll have in positioning the transition area to suit your composition. In this round-up, we're exclusively showing xmm rectangular filters, as this size gives you maximum versatility for an affordable price.

Finally, these really are the best ND grad filters — all are quality options that won't reduce image sharpness or introduce an unwanted color cast. We're confident you'll be happy with any filter on this list. These are not the only camera filters of course. We've also got guides to the best ND neutral density filters for long exposures and blurred seascapes, and the best polarizing filters for intensifying blue skies, suppressing reflections and increasing saturation.

Benro is relatively new to the filter game, but judging by these ND grads, it means business. A waterproof multicoating is also applied to repel dirt and liquid, and it also resists scratches.

It all sounds good, and thankfully our testing of 2-stop and 4-stop sample filters backs it up. Benro Master Filters come in a few size variants, but we reckon the x option is the best balance of versatility and cost.

Choose from 2, 3, 4, or 5-stop densities, in soft, hard or reverse fades. Lee claims this makes it easier to dye the tinted portion, resulting in a more accurate density across the filter and greater precision when controlling the transition line.

Resin is also said to have lower intrinsic reflectivity, negating the need to apply an anti-reflective coating. These filter set comprises three densities - 1, 2 and 3 stops - so they'll cater for a wide variety of lighting conditions — and come with a choice of transitions soft, medium, hard and extra hard.

You can also buy individual Lee grads, in soft, medium, hard and extra hard variants. Like Benro's Master Filter range, each is constructed from uncompromising Shott glass. Cokin also applies a water and oil-resistant coating, and it works brilliantly. Soft grad and reverse grad kits are available, as well as an unusual centre grad option where the tinted region goes across the centre of the filter and both top and bottom are clear. The unique feature of Firecrest Ultra filters is that they have the tinted coating in the centre of the filter, sandwiched between two sheets of 1mm glass.

An added benefit of having two bonded sheets of glass rather than a single pane is greater rigidity. This manufacturing process certainly pays dividends when it comes to optical quality.