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Variable Neutral Density Filters in Landscape Photography

engel001

Member
The potential utility of variable neutral density filters intrigues me. I understand that they are popular in video applications and that may be a factor in the increased variety of these filters. I am primarily interested in static, landscape type applications and am thinking of possibilities like:
a) urban environment, architecture, travel: eliminating moving objects due to long exposure time
b) HDR or panorama stitching where movement such as clouds, water, grass causes strange artifacts or ghosting.

My questions:
What uses do you see in landscape photography?
What is the quality effect in a MFD high-resolution imaging chain? Are they good enough to stand up to 60 megapixels and beyond?
Is a fixed high-density filter better?
Is the new Heliopan filter (Schott glass, I presume) better coated than Fader, Genus, or Singh-Ray brands?
Are these filters even coated?
How bad is vignetting, how wide a lens can you use?

Thanks, - Christopher
 
Last edited:

Don Libby

Well-known member
Christopher

I used to have tons of filters (okay actually pounds) however I very quickly learned that "most" cases where I thought I needed a filter was correctly in post using Photoshop. While I still have and occasionally use filters (Lee RF75) on both my M9 and tech camera I find myself using various effects in C1 Pro, and/or Nik Viveza as a plug-in to CS5.

Regarding vignetting - I found I could all but eliminate this with the larger filters out to 28mm when using MF gear.

Might not directly answer your questions but I hope I helped...

Don
 
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