8 replies to this topic

[Tony892]

I am hoping to carry out some day light long exposure shots and understand that it is recomended, particularly if you are photographing waterfalls etc, to use ND filter. I live in the UK and I am looking for recomendations for UK sourced ND filters for my D7100. I already use 52mm UV filter on a couple of my lenses. Being a Scot, I am also looking for reasonable priced ND filters that won't break the bank. Can anyone assist or share some tips about the use of them, particularly on D7100?

[alden]

What does an ND filter do? 

 

By the way, I'm a Scottish-American (last name is Rutherford- Border folk) so I'm always on the lookout for a good bargain. 

[Tony892]

What does an ND filter do? 
 
By the way, I'm a Scottish-American (last name is Rutherford- Border folk) so I'm always on the lookout for a good bargain.

Nice to see the Scottish blood is floating aorund the world, even here in England. The ND filter reduces light and I understand can be used to achieve different things. I am looking to use them for long exposure shots, this link you may provide you with some additional info.
Using Neutral Density Filters

[Afterimage]

I was yapping about these in another post... the "cliff notes" are the cheap ones work but have IQ, color and polarizing problems (especially the variable ones). Get a 2 or 4 stop ND filter from a decent name brand (Tiffen comes to mind) and have fun with it. It won't break the bank and it will work as advertised. If you find you really use it a lot look at upgrading. Maybe consider a high $$ variable?

 

A nice way to save some money is to buy an 82mm filter w/ step-down rings. That way it will fit all your lenses!

[alden]

Step down rings? How do they work?

[Afterimage]

Super easy. The reduce the threaded diameter of the filter so a 82mm filter will fit on to a 77mm, 72mm, 62mm, 58mm, ect. lens.

Very economical. You can buy a large filter then us it with smaller lenses. You just have to be careful of vignetting, but that's a common worry with filters anyways.

 

http://www.bhphotovi...21/N/4026728360

[Merco_61]

Bristol Camera seem to stock the Hoya MRC filters in 2X and 4X @52 mm. £22 each seems about as low as you get. Hoyas are in the upper region of the cheap price range quality wise.

Robert White has B+W F-pros for £66. Probably the best screw-in filters available but not cheap, unless you know you will need and use it a lot.

The Tiffens our American friends like to recommend are usually special order items on this side of the pond.

52 mm filters are safe to buy as a Nikon user, since so many of the Nikkors use that size. A large filter with step-down rings is about as clumsy as a square system on these small lenses imo.

Starting out I would get the filters I need in 52 and 77 mm, and get step-down rings for the lenses that are bigger than 52. The reason for 77 rather than 82 mm is price and availability *in europe*. Even 77 mm is usually special order, and 82 is often not in stock even at the distributors so they can take up to 10 weeks to get. Nikkors with larger than 77 mm thread usually take much cheaper 39 mm drop-in filters inside the lens anyway. There are some third-party lenses with 82 mm filter thread, so if these are interesting 82 mm is better to standardize on.

[pjb808]

I am hoping to carry out some day light long exposure shots and understand that it is recomended, particularly if you are photographing waterfalls etc, to use ND filter. I live in the UK and I am looking for recomendations for UK sourced ND filters for my D7100. I already use 52mm UV filter on a couple of my lenses. Being a Scot, I am also looking for reasonable priced ND filters that won't break the bank. Can anyone assist or share some tips about the use of them, particularly on D7100?

http://www.amazon.co...density filters

[Merco_61]

http://www.amazon.co...density filters

There are two things I don't like about these filters.

1. They are not sourced in Europe, but in China sold through Amazon Marketplace.
2. When I tried them out 3-4 years ago they gave a peculiar cast that varied with the density of the filter.

I am not sure the ones I tested were exactly this model, but very similar. I have bought some nice and some not so nice accessories from Chinese vendors on both Ebay and Amazon. They usually work, but can give unexpected results in some situations.

 

Nesster has a thread at Don't buy Cheap Chinese ND Filters! - Nikon Lens Discussion - NikonForums.com It is about the Fotga, which seems to be similar.