Comments on: Neutral Density Shootout from Dave Dugdale: Which Variable ND Filter Should You Buy?

By: Cal

Cal — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 19:34:58 +0000

Just wondering how the community feels about using a mat box with square ND-Glass, As I think about this, does the circle ND glass introduce itself onto the sensor, creating the vignetting and would a square glass (Mat-box) stop the vignetting effect?
Thanks for your understanding that as a new-be entering the field, I welcome your positive support.

By: DavidM

DavidM — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 19:46:33 +0000

Nicely done; always liked Tiffen. Why no Hoya in the mix?

B+W (B&W) are great, you know that is Schneider Optics and yes, most well-made (close-tolerance) accessories will expand/contract rapidly (in a thin ring) when made from aluminum due to temp. Brass and steel are better materials for that but have other issues.

X-Pattern and abnormalities; I use individual ND’s, found it best all around.

By: Kayode

Kayode — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 22:41:52 +0000

Exactly what I do, smart idea…

By: Steve

Steve — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 21:19:23 +0000

I have used the LCW previously and didn’t care for it at all. Odd color cast and softening of the picture. You get what you pay for there.

By: Blah

Blah — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 10:11:55 +0000

I’d love to see how the Schneider compares to one of the top performers in the traditional screw-in range as tested above. Are you using the regular screw-on Schneider, the half screw-on/half rotating 4″ filter, or just two 4″ filters?

By: Ash

Ash — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:54:33 +0000

Moses! The Schneider Vari-ND is a complete work of art, I used the LCW (screw in, just an aweful filter) Then the Singray (amazing in compassion) All the while BEGGING Schneider to custom cut their Vari in a 4×4 (2piece). When it finally arrived I was in heaven in a genuis mattebox its an unstoppable rig ready for the sun or a gaffer to move. Not cheap but the best possible Images.

By: Markus

Markus — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:50:59 +0000

Let me guess, you bought the 58mm first? If the other way around, I would imagine you would have just used the 62 with a step-down ring on your lenses that have 58mm filter threads.

I bought one 77mm fader, and use a 67-77 step up ring on my Nikon 28 1.8 and 85 1.8 G lenses. Unfortunately it’s not a good fader ND (Neewer) and softens the image. So I retired it, and went back to using standard Tiffen NDs which work great, but are nowhere near as convenient. Time to invest in a good fader ND.

By: Allan

Allan — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:24:57 +0000

Have 58mm and 62mm Genus ND Faders…love them both. They’re must-haves for video shooters especially if you keep the shutter speed at 1/48 and like shooting wide open. Also makes changing exposure easier because now the exposure ring and focus ring are next to each other, similar to a video camera. An extra $100 can be tough to stomach if the lens only cost $300-$400, but I can’t imagine working without them now.

By: michael

michael — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:57:58 +0000

Hmm, had it too but changed to Heliopan when I bought a Scarlet. I actually found the LCW to not hold up good enough.

By: michael

michael — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:54:15 +0000

I have the Heliopan, but in Germany it only cost me 200€, that’s around $260. Using it for 4K and it’s very good.

By: Blah

Blah — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 13:28:12 +0000

DSLR News Shooter posted an article not too long ago on the newer generation of Genustech Eclipse faders, which seem to be better than just the regular ones.
http://www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2012/12/06/genustech-eclipse-fader-nd-filter-sets-new-standard-all-for-165-us/

By: Moses

Moses — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:32:38 +0000

Why wasn’t Schneider’s Vari-ND mentioned? Does anybody have info on the Schneider?

By: Sam Goldwater

Sam Goldwater — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 12:03:22 +0000

I’ve been using the LCW exclusively for almost two years. Whether on Epic with Canon glass or 7D with Nikkor AI it looks great to me.

By: VanWeddings

VanWeddings — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 11:34:23 +0000

tested both the singh-ray and LCW mk II. under 70mm both are acceptable. over 70mm LCW loses too much resolution compared to the singh-ray. both have a slight color cast that is easily corrected if necessary. singh-ray’s scale is actually usable; the filter comes in a good case, but is expensive.

By: Samuel H

Samuel H — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:02:32 +0000

(I mean, regular screw-in filters; a fader also screws in…)

By: Samuel H

Samuel H — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 10:01:50 +0000

I sold my LCW Fader ND mark2 after running these tests:
http://www.similaar.com/foto/lenstests/lenstestsn.html

Yes, screw-in filters are a pain to use, but if you want the best image quality, that’s the way to go.

By: antoine serviette

antoine serviette — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 08:50:36 +0000

i use the cheap 34 dollar polaroid for run n gun and quick stuff, but for everything else, matte box and filters

By: AlexD

AlexD — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 04:55:17 +0000

The Tiffen 77mm Variable ND is on sale at B&H for $130 through 12/20/12. Not a bad price.

By: Robert

Robert — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 03:28:56 +0000

I’ve got the Genus, and it’s absolutely superior to my old LightCraft fader in every way imaginable.

Also, does anyone else actually kinda like the textured bokeh? I think it adds a level of character to images that’s really hard to re-create in any other way. I mean, I wouldn’t want to use it for everything, but for the most part, I find it to be quite an aesthetically pleasing effect. Anybody else feel that way?

By: oselot_4k

oselot_4k — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 02:05:35 +0000

Two months ago I bought the Polaroid VND for $35. It’s OK for my run-n-gun stuff, it’s easy to rotate on-the-fly to maintain shutter speed, ƒstop, and ISO, and I’ll continue to use it in that vein. All my lenses are decent, and I think overall the resolution is OK. However, as with Dugdale, many reviewers were totally negative on this filter for softness and color shifts. Definitely not usable professionally, so I plunged further.

Heeding to general consensus and Philip Bloom, I bought the Heliopan, the new version with front thread. I had to order it from the UK on eBay. It does not vignette on my 24mm lens (Lumix 12-35 ƒ2.8), but likely it will on other wide angle lenses, especially full frame. It looks as if Dugdale also has the threaded version. Heliopan warns of possible vignetting and recommends the slim (non-threaded version) to elude such an anomaly. Maybe not a fair test, accordingly, because it looks as if most of the others in the test do not have front threads.

My critical tests show that Heliopan indeed compromises image quality and introduces a color shift. A stack of Cokin P ND gels is no better in my tests. Ultimately I think a selection of round ND filters might be the sharpest route, and of course adjust the illumination if in a controlled environment. Nevertheless, Dugdale included price in the equation, and hence not really an accurate synopsis vis-a-vis if based mostly on IQ impact.