Luminous Landscape Forum

Equipment & Techniques => Beginner's Questions => Topic started by: tad on November 06, 2007, 10:46:53 am

Title: polarizer/Grad ND /ND
Post by: tad on November 06, 2007, 10:46:53 am
I just purchased Nikon 17-55 lens.  

1. How do I get the benefit of the polarizer(slim) for glare/reflections in damp waterfall scenes and the ND to slow down exposure? There are no threads on front of polarizer

2. Similar situation on coastal sunset/sunrise scenes with grad nd

Do I purchase different lens for these situations? Polarizer?

D200 camera
Title: polarizer/Grad ND /ND
Post by: Paul Sumi on November 06, 2007, 01:28:03 pm
Quote
I just purchased Nikon 17-55 lens. 

1. How do I get the benefit of the polarizer(slim) for glare/reflections in damp waterfall scenes and the ND to slow down exposure? There are no threads on front of polarizer

2. Similar situation on coastal sunset/sunrise scenes with grad nd

Do I purchase different lens for these situations? Polarizer?

D200 camera
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=150905\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I can't help you with #1, but I often hand-hold rectangular split NDs (Lee, Singh-Ray, etc) flat against the front ring of filters in your second situation.

It's much faster than using the split ND filter holder and I use this method in situations where I am quickly changing filters and lenses.

You've got to be careful that your fingers don't end up in the shot and there is some danger of scratching the split ND.

Regards,

Paul
Title: polarizer/Grad ND /ND
Post by: wollom on November 14, 2007, 08:23:37 am
Quote
I just purchased Nikon 17-55 lens. 

1. How do I get the benefit of the polarizer(slim) for glare/reflections in damp waterfall scenes and the ND to slow down exposure? There are no threads on front of polarizer

2. Similar situation on coastal sunset/sunrise scenes with grad nd


[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=150905\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hey TAD.
1. Set your camera to manual exposure. The ND means you can use a slower shutter speed (1/8th., 1/30th?) so there is a nice water blur.  The Pola will help with even longer exposures (1 sec, 1/2 sec) AND rotate it to reduce reflections in the water.

2.  Actually, a very different situation.  At sunset the sky is very bright (but pretty), the ground is very dark.  A graduated ND helps balance the exposure.  Put the ND on the lens so that the dark part is at the top.  Try exposures– darker , lighter– to find what looks good.

Wollom
Title: polarizer/Grad ND /ND
Post by: cethert on November 14, 2007, 10:11:32 pm
Don't buy a new camera - you made a great choice; buy a rectangular split ND and either hand-hold or use a Cokin filter holder.  On my 18-70 Nikon zoom, I get vignetting with my SinghRay split ND (standard size), so watch the edges and the corners.
C
Title: polarizer/Grad ND /ND
Post by: francois on November 15, 2007, 04:11:14 am
You can also use gaffer tape to hold your split ND filter…
Title: polarizer/Grad ND /ND
Post by: fike on December 17, 2007, 04:22:02 pm
It sounds like you are asking how to deal with the slim filters that don't have threads on the front of the filter for stacking.

You can buy a different filter that has threads (for at least one of the two you are stacking).

If you are afraid of getting vignetting at wide angles, there are a few choices: Crop off the vignetting or get a step-up ring and use larger diameter filters (they will extend outside the current diameter of the lens.    

You may still have a problem at the wide end of the lens, but I would doubt it if you are using a cropped sensor camera.   At longer focal lengths, you shouldn't have problems stacking two filters.