# An Introduction to Neutral Density Filters and Why You Need Them for Landscapes



## D-B-J (Jun 17, 2014)

Just as the title states, I've decided to make an introduction to all things neutral density and why you need them for landscapes. 

So what are they?  They are filters (glass or resin) that are placed in front of the lens elements to alter the exposure in some way.  There are many different types, but the most common types are solid neutral density and graduated neutral density filters.  There are also reverse graduated neutral density filters, but we'll discuss those later.  They can be the screw on type, or they can be plate filters (typically in 100x100mm - 4x4in and 100x150mm - 4x6in). 

What are they for?  The solid filters are for extending exposures... that is to say, they limit the amount of light over the whole image, allowing you to take longer exposures.  You can take 4 minute exposures in full sun!  Or use a wide aperture (1.8? 1.4?) in full sun!  There are many different types.  1 stop, 2 stop, 3 stop, 4 stop, 6 stop, 10 stop, etc.  Lee makes whats called the big stopper (10 stops of light reduction) and the little stopper (6 stops of light reduction).  I have both the big and little stopper. The split filters, or graduated neutral density filters, are for reducing the exposure in one section of the image.  The top is "dark," and the bottom is clear.  They come in soft transition (the transition between dark and clear is gentle), and hard transition (the transition between dark and clear is almost a perfect line).  They are often used in areas where the sky is much brighter than the foreground.  This means you need to "darken" part of it, but leave the rest "clear."  This will make more sense later when I post examples.

Now... What do I choose?  How do I know which ones are for me?  I started out with the LEE system.. YES, it's very expensive.  But I figured with good quality filters and holders, I'll never have to replace them unless I break one.  So I decided thus.  Other companies commonly talked about are Cokin, Hi-Tech, Singh-Ray, and B+W.  But Lee and Cokin are the two most common in terms of holders. 

Next, we need to decide which filters to get. I picked up the LEE holder, a wide angle adapter (it sets the holder closer to the lens, and thus reduces vignetting).  I first started with a set of 3 soft graduated neutral density filters (100x150mm, 4x6in).  1, 2, and 3 stops.  That is to say, the top cuts three stops of light, and the bottom doesn't.  Why soft?  It is more versatile, and used for landscapes where the horizon is not perfect.  Hard edged transitions are good for shots where the horizon is a neat line, like the water.  I then added a big stopper (10 stops, 100x100mm, 4x4in). Then a Little Stopper (6 stops, 100x100mm, 4x4in).  Then a reverse graduated neutral density filter of 2 stops (darkest in the middle, hard edged transition, lighter again towards the top, 100x150mm, 4x6in). 

Now on to examples.

The top has no filters, and the bottom has a 2 stop and 3 stop graduated neutral density soft edged filter.  Just look at that second histogram!




An example of the setup, mounted on my Tokina 11-16mm 2.8




The Plate-Systems allow you to rotate and move the filters, while the screw-on types do not. 




No filters whatsoever..




With the reverse graduated neutral density:






And now for two examples with the big and little stopper:

Here's the big stopper, used in conjunction with 5 stops of soft graduated neutral density filters tilted to cover/darken all but the shadow area: (90 seconds at f11)



In the Shadows by f_one_eight, on Flickr

And here's a shot with the little stopper and I believe a 2 stop soft graduated neutral density: (15 seconds at f14)





Liquid Fog by f_one_eight, on Flickr





So why choose these?  They allow you to "get it right" in camera, more easily shoot landscapes and sunsets, and they allow for a lot of creativity: cloud movement, soft water, etc.

Here's a few of my favorites:

Before I had filters, I used to use HDR..



A Calm End by f_one_eight, on Flickr


Lee Big Stopper and a 3 stop soft graduated neutral density:



Fog on the Water by f_one_eight, on Flickr

A 3 and a 2 stop soft graduated neutral density:



What's Hidden Underneath by f_one_eight, on Flickr


And the 2-stop reverse graduated neutral density and a 1 stop soft graduated neutral density.



The Setting Sun by f_one_eight, on Flickr


Cheers!
Jake


P.S., This is by no means a comprehensive write-up on neutral density filters.  I just hope to answer some questions many may have on these filters, as I feel they have become quite popular as of late.


P.P.S., See below for images showing different types of vignetting and pictures of the filters themselves.


Addition (7/22/14).

I've heard much talk of filters degrading IQ.  I'd like to debunk this a bit.  I was shooting Chapman Falls on the eightmile river in CT yesterday, and I shot the images you see below.  Both have 4, yes FOUR, filters in front of the lens elements.  A 77mm Circular Polarizer (tiffen, maybe 70? bucks, so not even a fancy one), a Lee Little Stopper (6 stop ND), a 3 stop GND from Lee, and a 2 stop GND from Lee.  FOUR filters, and yet, the images are tack sharp.  Why? My theories are this: good quality filters (minus the tiffen), good stable tripod, and the long exposure. 




Looking Up by f_one_eight, on Flickr




Devilish Hops by f_one_eight, on Flickr

So don't let a fear of IQ loss stop you from using filters.  They are your friend.  Honestly and truly.


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## D-B-J (Jun 17, 2014)

And the typical process I follow is this. 

Test exposure--Find what's a good exposure, filter free.

Filter Exposure: Make sure the graduated's work well.

ND Exposure: Add the solid ND's if I want.

Final Exposure: The final shot with everything together, keeping an eye on the histogram. 

Then edit and post!


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## D-B-J (Jun 18, 2014)

I'll try and add pictures of what each type of filter looks like later this evening to help.


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## JustJazzie (Jun 18, 2014)

Thanks so much for posting this! I've been looking into ND filters and this was super helpful!


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## TreeofLifeStairs (Jun 18, 2014)

Are you able to move or rotate the graduated and reverse filters around to adjust for where the horizon is?

You mentioned using HDR to do it before. Since I don't do all that much landscape photography is there really a reason to make such an investment if I can do everything that the filters do in post? I do have a 6 stop nd filter for longer exposures.


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## sscarmack (Jun 18, 2014)

No. I have two filters. A 6 stop and a 9 stop I believe. You will....I will never need more than 15 stops haha. 

I've had them for four years. I've used them maybe twice. But they sure did come in handy when I needed them. 


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## sscarmack (Jun 18, 2014)

I lied. One is a 3 stop and the other is a 2 stop. Still. That's only 5 stops and I've never needed more.


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## PropilotBW (Jun 18, 2014)

Could you use a screw on filter in conjunction with a plate system?


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## D-B-J (Jun 18, 2014)

TreeofLifeStairs said:


> Are you able to move or rotate the graduated and reverse filters around to adjust for where the horizon is?
> 
> You mentioned using HDR to do it before. Since I don't do all that much landscape photography is there really a reason to make such an investment if I can do everything that the filters do in post? I do have a 6 stop nd filter for longer exposures.



Sadly, the horizon is stuck in the middle. That's why the plate style are so useful--they allow you to love the horizon up and down, twist it, etc.


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## D-B-J (Jun 18, 2014)

PropilotBW said:


> Could you use a screw on filter in conjunction with a plate system?



You could, as long as you aren't using a wide angle, as you'll likely get vignetting. 

Jake 


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## Life (Jun 19, 2014)

Great. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this, very helpful!


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## D-B-J (Jun 19, 2014)

Life said:


> Great. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this, very helpful!



No problem!


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## CAP (Jun 19, 2014)

Good to know.

I use Singhray they see to be the best pro option.


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## keyseddie (Jun 19, 2014)

Excellent tutorial.:thumbup:


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## D-B-J (Jun 19, 2014)

CAP said:


> Good to know.
> 
> I use Singhray they see to be the best pro option.



I knew I forgot a brand! I'll add it to the original post. 

Cheers!
Jake 


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## D-B-J (Jun 22, 2014)

Here's some examples of the holder/CPL on my Tokina 11-16mm 2.8 (on the D7000, so a crop sensor.  Multiply the mm by 1.5 for the FX equiv.)--there were questions about it, so I'll post a few examples.  The top right and left in the original has slight bit of black edge from the umbrella... whoops.

Nothing @11mm:




CPL @ 11mm:




CPL @ 12mm:




CPL @ 13mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @11mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @12mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @13mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @14mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @15mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @16mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @11mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @12mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @13mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @14mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @15mm:




CPL and Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @16mm:




Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters @11mm:




Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @11mm:




Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @12mm:




Lee Wide Angle Adapter with filter holder setup to hold 3 filters twisted 45 degrees @13mm:




Hope that helps somebody!

Cheers!
Jake


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## D-B-J (Jun 22, 2014)

And here's pictures of the filters I have and use. Excuse the hand.. haha.

2 Stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density, Hard Edged, Hitech:




Lee 1 stop Soft Edged Graduated Neutral Density:




Lee 2 Stop Soft Edged Graduated Neutral Density:




Lee 3 Stop Soft Edged Graduated Neutral Density:




Lee Big Stopper (10 stops):




Lee Little Stopper (6 stops):





Cheers!
Jake


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## pgriz (Jun 23, 2014)

Pretty good exposition, Jake.  What you're showing here is that if someone has questions about their setup, they should test it and see what they actually get.  I know that with my own setup (1.6x crop factor, 10mm lens) I see vignetting with a CPL filter (regular mount, not thin mount), and certainly if I stack the filters.  However, with a B&D 3.0 (10 stop) filter used alone, I get minimal vignetting at 10mm.  I generally don't use the CPL filter with the wide-angle as it results in bands of extinction due to the extreme angle of view, that is not usually very appealing visually.


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## D-B-J (Jun 23, 2014)

pgriz said:


> Pretty good exposition, Jake.  What you're showing here is that if someone has questions about their setup, they should test it and see what they actually get.  I know that with my own setup (1.6x crop factor, 10mm lens) I see vignetting with a CPL filter (regular mount, not thin mount), and certainly if I stack the filters.  However, with a B&D 3.0 (10 stop) filter used alone, I get minimal vignetting at 10mm.  I generally don't use the CPL filter with the wide-angle as it results in bands of extinction due to the extreme angle of view, that is not usually very appealing visually.



Glad you like it!


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