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Taking pictures with a filter enables exciting picture effects to be achieved. A filter that is often used here is the gray filter.

In this post I will show you what the neutral density filter is all about, how you use the neutral density filter, what to look out for when buying and how this affects your exposure time.

The neutral density filter

The neutral density filter is also often referred to as a neutral density filter or ND filter. These are glass or plastic panes of optical quality. Depending on the filter system, this can be used as a disc or enclosed in a metal ring as a screw filter.

What is the difference between slide-in and screw-in filters , I explained in an older post : Taking photos with filters: screw-in or slide-in filters?

While searching for neutral density filters in online shops, one often comes across a wide variety of names. ND3.0, ND1000, ND64x, etc. This usually means the neutral density or the extension factor of the exposure time.

Using the following table, I would like to show you three common neutral density filters and their different names and modes of action:

In addition to different names, the neutral density filters are also offered in different sizes. Basically applies here:

• With screw filters, the mm specification refers to the lens diameter
• In the case of slide-in filters, the information relates to the height and width of the filter and thus relates to the width of your slide-in filter holder system

The areas of application

The neutral density filter is mostly used when you …

1. .. cannot darken sufficiently using the aperture to overexpose the image
2. .. you want to blur movements with the longest possible exposure time

The first case usually occurs when you want to take photos with the aperture open to highlight an object and the light (usually daylight) is too bright. For example, this could be the case during a photo shoot on the beach. When blue sky is required and the sea and the beach also reflect the light and the shutter speed cannot be set any shorter.

In the second case one would like to artificially lengthen the exposure time in order to achieve a motion blur. The stylistic device is often used when photographing bodies of water, e.g. a waterfall or a stream.

I would like to show you this using the example of an Icelandic waterfall :

The purchase

When purchasing gray filters, make sure that they have the greatest possible color neutrality. This means that the filters should not falsify the color information. With cheap products, long-exposure photos can turn milky purple.

However, cheap does not mean bad. So far I have had good experiences with Haida products (in the test: Haida filter holder for the Nikon 14-24mm ). A neutral density filter from B + W also serves me well (but this comes from the expensive segment).

Only applies to screw filters : In addition to the falsification of color information, when buying gray filters, you should also pay attention to the frame thickness. Particularly “thick” frames can lead to strong shadowing of the edges when taking pictures with a wide angle.

Where can you check the criteria mentioned?

Before buying, I check sample photos and read testimonials. Blogs and a search on Google are of course good sources for all kinds of experiences. On Amazon you can also find numerous testimonials and sample images for selected filters.

Take a photo with a gray filter

When taking photos with a neutral density filter, everyone will certainly develop their own habits, so I do not want to presume to speak of “correct photography with a neutral density filter”.

Precisely for this reason, I will simply show you how I use them and what I need for it. Basically, three things are necessary for photos with neutral density filters:

1. Camera (including lens of course ;-))
2. tripod
3. Neutral density filter

.. and now the procedure for landscape photos with a “light” gray filter (e.g. ND64) :

1. Set up the tripod and camera and point them accordingly at the subject
2. For optical viewfinders, attach the eyepiece cover and set it to live view
3. Set self-timer with 2 seconds
4. Set automatic timing (mode A, Av)
5. Determine the composition of the picture and focus on the subject ( tips for better photos: the composition of the picture )
6. If no back button focus is active, switch off the autofocus
7. Attach filter
8. Trigger
9. If the image becomes too dark or too light with, correct it using exposure compensation and take the shutter again

With really thick filters, the so-called big stoppers (ND1000) , I proceed as follows:

1. Set up the tripod and camera and point them accordingly at the subject
2. For optical viewfinders, attach the eyepiece cover and set it to live view
3. Set self-timer with 2 seconds
4. Determine the composition of the picture and focus on the subject ( tips for better photos: the composition of the picture )
5. Set automatic timing (mode A, Av)
6. Read off the determined exposure time
7. Set manual mode (M)
8. Calculate the exposure time of the photo using the app ( ND filter calculator )
9. If no back button focus is active, switch off the autofocus
10. Attach filter
11. Release and expose the picture according to the calculated exposure time (the arbitrary or bulb mode is often necessary as well as a remote release)
12. If the image becomes too dark or too light with, expose longer or shorter accordingly

FAQ

• Why do you need a tripod?
  With the gray filter, you aim for long exposure times (often more than half a second) when taking landscape photos. This makes it impossible to take photos freely by hand.
• Why do you need an eyepiece cover with optical viewfinders?
  The eyepiece cover is required to prevent unwanted light entering the viewfinder. Even small amounts of light can make long-term exposure unusable when entering the housing.
• Why don’t I use a remote shutter release?
  I rarely use a remote release because I’m usually too lazy to take it out. It is quicker to simply set the camera to a 2-second self-timer and then release it. This also avoids the risk of blurring. In my experience, however, when taking pictures with Bulb, you can hardly avoid a remote release.
• Why do I apply the filter to the subject after aligning it?
  Strong gray filters darken the picture so that you can neither see the subject in Live View nor in the viewfinder. Therefore, it is better to align beforehand. This saves a few attempts to align the camera with the filter.
• Why do I turn off the autofocus?
  The autofocus needs contrast in order to focus. At the same time, the gray filter significantly reduces the amount of light. If you’ve ever photographed in low light conditions, you’ll understand what I’m talking about. The autofocus simply works worse in low light and hardly works at all in absolute darkness. Therefore, before attaching the gray filter, it is better to turn off the autofocus and point the camera at the subject.
• Which neutral density filters do I use for my pictures?
  In the beginning I took photos with B + W. However, they were quite expensive, so I sold my B + W ND1000 and bought the Haida gray filter set for it . So far I have not been able to determine any qualitative difference. In terms of price, however, the difference is enormous.

What are common problems and mistakes when taking photos with gray filters

The most common mistakes or problems I read about are the incidence of extraneous light during long exposures. This usually occurs in two different ways:

1. The eyepiece is not properly closed or covered
2. The body, the lens or the filter (holder) are not 100% tight

How to recognize this is very simple:

Usually the incident light is reflected and leaves purple traces on the pictures. Depending on the intensity of the incident light, the reflection can be seen more or less strongly in the photos.

What helps?

If light enters through the viewfinder, simply use the eyepiece cover. If light comes through the lens or body, you should contact the manufacturer. Actually, these should be 100% lightproof.

What many photographers do to prevent light entering the lens or filter holder: They buy a black tube scarf. Sounds fun, but it actually seems to help.