Wildlife Photography across the Water: Variable ND Filters

Wednesday 6 April 2011

Variable ND Filters

With my recent posts here and here showing the effects of using my 10 x ND filter, and Dave's article with teh Lee Filter version last year, I thought I would do a quick post about a variable ND filter.

I had seen these some time last year when I was getting my 10x but thought no more about it.

The system relies on two pieces of glass and give you a ND range between two and eight stops.

Check out this Singh Ray link. I always laugh when I see that name as it reminds me of a children's puppet adventure when I was a child. I guess you have to be of a certain age to get it - but I will just say Troy Tempest and Marina.

Anyway, this filter would help with one great difficulty that I have with the 10x screw on filter and that is composition. As you cannot see a thing through the viewfinder so you have to do all the composition before you fit the filter, lock the camera off on the tripod and then fit the filter. A bit of a faff.

With the variable ND you could set it all up with the ND set at say two stops, compose the image, and then wind it to whatever stop setting you want. Simples!!

Any of you use it? Does it work as it says it is supposed? Be good to hear

Martin

1 comment:

WPATW6 April 2011 at 13:48
They are quite popular over here but from what i gather they work great up to 5 stops and then you get all kinds of colour casts but still a good bit of kit

Dave
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Bio's

David Courtenay, a self taught wildlife and nature photographer, has been capturing images for over 30 years. He has had a passion for wildlife since early childhood and remembers being glued to the television whenever Survival, Wildlife on One and other natural history documentaries were shown. In the 2006 he swapped his established career for the life of a wildlife photographer, such a move demands a measure of uncompromising passion and commitment.

David has travelled extensively throughout Europe as well as spending more than 7 months in India working with local guides and trackers in search of Bengal Tiger, Asian One horned Rhino and Asian Elephant. He has also photographed Wildlife in Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sumatra, Africa, Canada and America. Working closely with Conservation companies he tries to raise funds to help Wildlife that has been put on the endangered list by poaching and habitation loss

Martin Dyer has had a passion for avian wildlife since childhood, particularly raptors. Photography was also another keen interest and it was with the specific availability and control of the whole process that digital offers that Martin was then able to combine the two in 2003. Based in the UK, Martin is a regular visitor to Scotland, specifically the Isle of Mull to watch the Eagles resident there. Other trips to Europe and around the UK are usually part of Martin’s agenda in a typical year.

However, as a firm believer on making the most of the local patch, Martin has spent a lot of time and hard work creating a wildlife garden which is reaping the rewards with many new species and varieties of wildlife. A keen member of a number of wildlife photographic groups, Martin is keen to expand his portfolio into other areas of wildlife, and has already established a wide portfolio of images of fungi.