Very Dark or Vari-ND Filters

The Outposts. Barcelona, 2014

As I have said before somewhere on this site, I have always liked the dreamlike mood that can be created with those Magoo-thick, very dark, neutral density filters. The above image, created on a grey, overcast day, is an example of what I mean. The metadata: Nikon D800 with a 24-70 f/2.8 Nikkor lens set at 70mm, 10-stop ND filter,  f/11, ISO200, and now the important part…a 3 minute and 40 second exposure. (I suppose I bumped up the ISO from the base of 100 just to slightly shorten the already-very-long exposure.)

Note how the ocean (Mediterranean Sea, actually) is completely smoothed out into a surreal carpet of mist. That was my objective. I wanted to really isolate those two “outposts” (on one, a bird graciously stayed put during the entire exposure!–more visible in the large print) and create something as if from a dream about loneliness or isolation.

For unusual effects, these dark filters can be used on any moving element when the polarizer (1 to 3 stops) won’t get you there: a high country stream, waterfalls, clouds, people, flowers, trees, grass, bushes.

I have tried three different types of vari-ND/ND filters and here is my very unscientific impression of each:

Neewer Vari-ND filter – These things are dirt cheap–and made that way. If you are thinking of experimenting, maybe buy one of these first as they are so inexpensive (about $15) that it doesn’t matter if they don’t work out. Surprisingly, though, you can actually make reasonable images with them. Sharpness suffers a bit so don’t expect to make big enlargements, but for web-sized images and smaller prints, they just might be the ticket for you. I did notice you can get some really ugly banding if you try to max out the darkness by twisting too far (watch your viewfinder or Live View as you adjust), so just use it within its limits (which may be more like 5-6 stops rather than the advertised 9 stops). For a reasonably good 3-minute YouTube review of this product, go HERE.

Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter – This is the Leica of the Vari-ND filter market and the price tag will ensure you understand that–about $390.00 for the 77mm thin ring version. What do you get? Excellent image quality, naturally. Again, if you push it too far (they claim up to 8 stops) you might see some ugly banding. Just adjust it back slightly. Also, you may see some vignetting with your lens, especially at wider angles of view. This may be what you are after if you are trying to balance quality with flexibility.

B+W 10-stop ND filter – This is not a variable filter. It is very well built, goes for around $100.00, and is quite black. In fact, it is so dark you will have to do your composing and focusing before screwing on the filter, which can be a slight pain. However, I think the quality of this filter easily surpasses the Singh-Ray–understanding, of course, that you can’t adjust this one…you are stuck with 10 stops of inky darkness. You might find it gives a slightly warm color cast, but that is easily adjusted in post. On my Nikkor 24-70 I haven’t noticed any problem with vignetting (I don’t stack it over any other filter) or weird banding. As long as I need the full 10 stops, I prefer this filter for ultimate image quality (for fewer stops, I’ll use the Singh-Ray).

For some specific how-to tips and errors to avoid on using a thick ND filter, try my December 13, 2013 blog post.