Landscape & GND Filters

[lunathea]

This was discussed a little bit in a thread I posted a while back but curiosity has brought me back to it. What the most common filter you find yourself using (stop wise(sorry if this is the most awkward worded sentence ever)) when shooting sunsets/rises?

[Nicole]

I typically use a Grad ND4, which I sometimes combine with a regular ND4 filter. And sometimes I'll use a sunset filter as well, but not as much as I use the Grad ND4 (making that my most used one). I wish I had a reverse grad, but maybe one day.

[milosh]

A lot of people have both 2 and 3 stop GNDs but as far as I've read, most of them use 3 stop ones for sunsets/sunrises. The same goes for me. You can also combine two filters, depends on the scene and light conditions.

[navcom]

If you can only choose one, choose a 3-stop. I use a 3-stop almost exclusively and have for years. I will use a 2-stop rarely.

[EOBeav]

None for sunsets. Filters for that purpose will just get in your way.

[jdepould]

Originally Posted by EOBeav

None for sunsets. Filters for that purpose will just get in your way.

What? Graduated neutral density is, at times, indispensable for sunset/sunrise.

[Snodge]

One thing I've not been able to fathom out is if it is possible to use GND filters with a lens cap on, and if it is possible, whether I should or not... I have no ND or GND filters at the moment, so I end up doing HDR/exposure fusion for my sunsets at the moment...

[navcom]

Originally Posted by Snodge

One thing I've not been able to fathom out is if it is possible to use GND filters with a lens cap on, and if it is possible, whether I should or not... I have no ND or GND filters at the moment, so I end up doing HDR/exposure fusion for my sunsets at the moment...

Not quite sure why you would using a filter with the lens cap ON.

I'm going to assume you meant the lens hood. With the hood installed, you will have to hand hold the filter, which is fine but if the lens you are using is a wide angle, it might not be possible without seeing the edges of the filter. Longer focal lengths where the hood isn't a pedal design might work just fine. One thing to remember though is that the farther the filter is from the lens, the harder the transition zone will look on the final image. Also, for compositions like sunsets/sunrises, you may end up causing some lens flaring or other similar unwanted effects from light coming in around the edges of the filter.

Hope that helps!

[Snodge]

Aha! Silly me - I thought lens hood, and my fingers typed lens cap! I had thought that the lens hood helped prevent stray rays of light, and helped increase colour and contrast, which was why I was thinking that it would be better to use it when trying to capture sunsets and the like... if it means having to hold it in front manually, then I'd rather just do without the lens hood.

[navcom]

I use my GNDs without a lens hood all the time and have never had a problem. I also use a Cokin "P"-style holder for them so it probably acts a bit like a hood. I will hand hold when I use anything wider than 16mm because the holder will show up in the field of view or when I have other filters stacked. Either way, I've never had a problem.