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aperture for narrow depth of field (subject in focus and background out of focus)). Using a digital camera, the photographer can see the image right away and choose the best ND filter to use for the scene being captured by first knowing the best aperture to use for maximal sharpness desired. The shutter speed would be selected by finding the desired blur from subject movement. The camera would be set up for these in manual mode, and then the overall exposure adjusted darker by adjusting either aperture or shutter speed, noting the number of stops needed to bring the exposure to that which is desired. That offset would then be the amount of stops needed in the ND filter to use for that scene.
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580:. It consists of two perforated glass disks that have progressively denser coating applied around the perforation on the face of each disk. When the two disks are counter-rotated in front of each other, they gradually and evenly go from 100% transmission to 0% transmission. These are used on catadioptric telescopes mentioned above and in any system that is required to work at 100% of its aperture (usually because the system is required to work at its maximal
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The main disadvantage of neutral-density filters is that different situations might require a range of different filters. This can become an expensive proposition, especially if using screw filters with different lens filter sizes, which would require carrying a set for each diameter of lens carried
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The transition area, or edge, is available in different variations (soft, hard, attenuator). The most common is a soft edge and provides a smooth transition from the ND side and the clear side. Hard-edge filters have a sharp transition from ND to clear, and the attenuator edge changes gradually over
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To create ethereal looking landscapes and seascapes with extremely blurred water or other motion, the use of multiple stacked ND filters might be required. This has, as in the case of variable NDs, the effect of reducing image quality. To counter this, some manufacturers have produced high-quality
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together, at least one of which can rotate. The rear polarizing filter cuts out light in one plane. As the front element is rotated, it cuts out an increasing amount of the remaining light, the closer the front filters comes to being perpendicular to the rear filter. By using this technique, the
406:/11, with smaller sensory medium sizes needing larger-sized apertures, and larger ones able to use smaller apertures. ND filters can also be used to reduce the depth of field of an image (by allowing the use of a larger aperture) where otherwise not possible due to a maximal shutter speed limit.
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A demonstration of the effect of a neutral density filter. Note that the photograph was exposed for the view through the filter, and thus the remainder of the scene is overexposed. If the exposure had instead been set for the unfiltered background, it would appear properly exposed while the view
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Instead of reducing the aperture to limit light, the photographer can add a ND filter to limit light, and can then set the shutter speed according to the particular motion desired (blur of water movement, for example) and the aperture set as needed (small aperture for maximal sharpness or large
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When using a flash on a camera with a focal-plane shutter, exposure time is limited to the maximal speed (often 1/250th of a second, at best), at which the entire film or sensor is exposed to light at one instant. Without an ND filter, this can result in the need to use
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In practice, ND filters are not perfect, as they do not reduce the intensity of all wavelengths equally. This can sometimes create color casts in recorded images, particularly with inexpensive filters. More significantly, most ND filters are only specified over the
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Comparison of two pictures showing the result of using an ND filter at a landscape. The first one uses only a polarizer, and the second one a polarizer and a 1000× ND filter (ND3.0), which allowed the second shot to have a much longer exposure, smoothing any
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and a minimal aperture, the ten-second shutter speed would let in too much light, and the photo would be overexposed. In this situation, applying an appropriate neutral-density filter is the equivalent of stopping down one or more additional
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metal or glass), which emit intense invisible radiation, since the eye may be damaged even though the source does not look bright when viewed through the filter. Special filters must be used if such sources are to be safely viewed.
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Note: ND 5.0 is the minimum for direct eye solar observation without damage of retina. A further check must be performed for the particular filter used, checking on the spectrogram that also UV and IR are mitigated with the same
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of the beam). Moreover, most lasers have a minimal power setting at which they can be operated. To achieve the desired light attenuation, one or more neutral-density filters can be placed in the path of the beam.
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Large telescopes can cause the Moon and planets to become too bright and lose contrast. A neutral-density filter can increase the contrast and cut down the brightness, making these objects easier to view.
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An inexpensive, homemade alternative to professional ND filters can be made from a piece of welder's glass. Depending on the rating of the welder's glass, this can have the effect of a 10-stop filter.
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effect. The photographer might determine that to obtain the desired effect, a shutter speed of ten seconds was needed. On a very bright day, there might be so much light that even at minimal
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The advantage of this approach is reduced bulk and expenses, but one drawback is a loss of image quality caused by both using two elements together and by combining two polarizing filters.
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is similar, except that the intensity varies across the surface of the filter. This is useful when one region of the image is bright and the rest is not, as in a picture of a sunset.
622:(although inexpensive step-up rings can eliminate this requirement). To counter this problem, some manufacturers have created variable ND filters. These can work by placing two
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96. The purpose of a standard photographic neutral-density filter is to reduce the amount of light entering the lens. Doing so allows the photographer to select combinations of
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reduction. In microscopy, the transmittance value is sometimes used. In astronomy, the fractional transmittance is sometimes used (eclipses).
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extreme ND filters. Typically these are rated at a 10-stop reduction, allowing very slow shutter speeds even in relatively bright conditions.
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Note: ANSI shades are defined by standard as ranges with central values. They are here approximated using the equation from ANSI Z87.1,
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Note: Hoya, B+W, Cokin use code ND2 or ND2x, etc.; Lee, Tiffen use code 0.3ND, etc.; Leica uses code 1×, 4×, 8×, etc.
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that would otherwise produce overexposed pictures. This is done to achieve effects such as a shallower
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increases the ratio of the central obstruction found in those systems, leading to poor performance.
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The use of an ND filter allows the photographer to use a larger aperture that is at or below the
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Neutral-density filters are often used to achieve motion-blur effects with slow shutter speeds.
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Note: ND 3.8 is the correct value for solar CCD exposure without risk of electronic damage.
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In photography, ND filters are quantified by their optical density or equivalently their
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American
National Standards Institute; American Society of Safety Engineers (2003).
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of color rendition. It can be a colorless (clear) or grey filter, and is denoted by
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290:{\displaystyle {\text{Fractional transmittance}}\equiv {\frac {I}{I_{0}}}=10^{-d},}
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radiation. This can be dangerous if using ND filters to view sources (such as the
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amount of light reaching the sensor can be varied with almost infinite control.
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of a laser cannot be adjusted without changing other properties of the laser
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region of the spectrum and do not proportionally block all wavelengths of
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Neutral
Density Filters: What are they & when to use them ?
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For example, one might wish to photograph a waterfall at a slow
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Reducing depth of field in very bright light (e.g. daylight).
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Neutral
Density Filter FAQ at Digital Grin Photography Forum
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most of the filter, so the transition is less noticeable.
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Neutral-density filters are used to control exposure with
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Blurring water motion (e.g. waterfalls, rivers, oceans).
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ND filters find applications in several high-precision
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Lens area opening, as fraction of the complete lens
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1590:Neutral Density Filters and Graduated ND Filters
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1595:What do ND filters do, and what do they NOT do?
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533:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
353:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
1527:: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
1507:(in German). Monheim/Bayern. p. 70.
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1585:Neutral Density Filter Calculation Chart
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304:is the intensity after the filter, and
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531:adding citations to reliable sources
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1112:ND1024 (also called ND1000)
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134:A set of ND filters
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594:ultraviolet
484:collimation
207:motion-blur
196:atmospheric
192:motion blur
160:wavelengths
140:photography
1490:References
1000:0.0078125
840:10 %
686:ND.number
683:ND1number
672:(approx.)
670:ANSI shade
211:film speed
69:newspapers
1523:cite book
1468:) on CIE
1312:1/100000
1309:ND100000
930:0.015625
689:NDnumber
657:Notation
606:white-hot
514:does not
495:Varieties
452:Extended
334:does not
277:−
249:≡
222:Mechanism
152:ND filter
99:June 2015
1621:Category
1603:Archived
1566:June 12,
1478:See also
1337:0.00001
1271:1/10000
1268:ND10000
901:0.03125
598:infrared
176:aperture
1334:0.001%
1324:⁄
1306:ND 5.0
1296:0.0001
1283:⁄
1265:ND 4.0
1252:0.012%
1243:1/8192
1240:ND8192
1237:ND 3.9
1234:ND 113
1223:0.016%
1213:⁄
1201:1/6310
1198:ND6310
1195:ND 3.8
1182:0.024%
1173:1/4096
1170:ND4096
1167:ND 3.6
1164:ND 112
1153:0.049%
1144:1/2048
1141:ND2048
1138:ND 3.3
1135:ND 111
1115:1/1024
1109:ND 3.0
1106:ND 110
1095:0.195%
1080:ND 2.7
1077:ND 109
1069:0.0025
1056:⁄
1026:0.391%
1011:ND 2.4
1008:ND 108
997:0.781%
982:ND 2.1
979:ND 107
958:⁄
940:ND 2.0
927:1.563%
912:ND 1.8
909:ND 106
898:3.125%
883:ND 1.5
880:ND 105
872:0.0625
854:ND 1.2
851:ND 104
830:⁄
812:ND 1.0
784:ND 0.9
781:ND 103
755:ND 0.6
752:ND 102
726:ND 0.3
723:ND 101
643:Ratings
590:visible
535:removed
520:sources
402:/8 and
390:motion.
355:removed
340:sources
154:, is a
83:scholar
1511:
1356:value.
1331:12.67
1293:0.01%
1290:10.33
1249:10.15
1127:0.001
1086:1/512
1083:ND512
1066:0.25%
1044:1/400
1041:ND400
1017:1/256
1014:ND256
988:1/128
985:ND128
946:1/100
943:ND100
869:6.25%
802:0.125
799:12.5%
649:f-stop
482:(e.g.
300:where
164:colors
156:filter
144:optics
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
1220:9.86
1179:9.45
1150:8.72
1124:0.1%
1121:8.00
1092:7.32
1063:7.07
1023:6.62
994:5.92
971:0.01
965:5.67
924:5.21
918:1/64
915:ND64
895:4.51
889:1/32
886:ND32
866:3.81
860:1/16
857:ND16
843:0.10
837:3.33
818:1/10
815:ND10
796:3.11
773:0.25
712:100%
480:light
476:power
472:laser
216:stops
162:, or
150:, or
90:JSTOR
76:books
1568:2014
1529:link
1509:ISBN
1301:5.0
1260:4.0
1231:3.9
1190:3.8
1161:3.6
1132:3.3
1103:3.0
1074:2.7
1034:2.6
1005:2.4
976:2.1
935:2.0
906:1.8
877:1.5
848:1.2
807:1.0
790:1/8
787:ND8
778:0.9
770:25%
767:2.4
761:1/4
758:ND4
749:0.6
744:0.5
741:50%
738:1.7
732:1/2
729:ND2
720:0.3
694:0.0
518:any
516:cite
338:any
336:cite
315:Uses
182:and
146:, a
142:and
62:news
1246:13
1176:12
1147:11
1118:10
968:1%
604:or
602:Sun
596:or
584:).
529:by
349:by
190:or
168:hue
138:In
45:by
1623::
1537:^
1525:}}
1521:{{
1398:10
1317:16
1315:≈
1276:13
1274:≈
1206:12
1204:≈
1089:9
1047:≈
1020:8
991:7
949:≈
921:6
892:5
863:4
821:≈
793:3
764:2
735:1
715:1
709:—
706:0
703:1
565:A
273:10
178:,
1570:.
1549:.
1531:)
1517:.
1454:L
1450:T
1441:(
1425:1
1422:+
1414:L
1410:T
1406:1
1394:g
1390:o
1387:l
1381:3
1378:7
1372:=
1369:S
1326:3
1322:2
1319:+
1285:3
1281:1
1278:+
1215:3
1211:2
1208:+
1058:3
1054:2
1051:+
1049:8
960:3
956:2
953:+
951:6
832:3
828:1
825:+
823:3
664:f
556:)
550:(
545:)
541:(
537:.
523:.
443:.
434:f
404:f
400:f
376:)
370:(
365:)
361:(
357:.
343:.
309:0
306:I
302:I
285:,
280:d
269:=
262:0
258:I
254:I
231:d
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
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