Fader ND Filter (adjustable ND2 to ND400) 62mm

B

BrianBrook

Active member
On Ebay the filter is being sold from China and Florida, I would prefer buying in the states but my ? is are these the SAME Fader ND filters? The florida retailer lists faderfilter.com and is an authorized retailer-anyone buy from them before? 100% positive feedback, lakeworth,FL-Thanks in advance!
 
Remember that you can make same filter yourself in minutes from who CPL polarizer filters (but you'll need to reverse glass in one filter).
 
tester13 said:
Remember that you can make same filter yourself in minutes from who CPL polarizer filters (but you'll need to reverse glass in one filter).
Click to expand...

Minutes? More like seconds. You don't need to reverse anything if you use either two linear polarizers or a linear on top of a CPL.
 
Thanks Tester13 for all your work-I've been following the thread like a soap opera-anyway I just want to get the right ND filter and have no interest in trying to make one.
 
My .02…

When I needed ND for my GH1, I made the decision to get the 77mm VariND from Singh-Ray. I used it with my GH1 using a step-up ring on the kit lens, and one on the Olympus 50mm lens I had. I did this because the "standard" filter thread size for "pro" lenses is 77mm (though some do have 82mm). This way, I knew the filter would work on just about any lens I ever wanted to use, as long as I had a step-up ring, if needed.

A good VariND filter is expensive, so I decided to spend more, buy larger and be as future-lens-proof as possible.
 
BrianBrook said:
Thanks Tester13 for all your work-I've been following the thread like a soap opera-anyway I just want to get the right ND filter and have no interest in trying to make one.
Click to expand...

In reality selfmade filter will be much better at same price as you could choose pair of CPL with minimum color cast.
VaryND is generally two cheap polarizers.
 
Actually, the Fader ND (recent versions, at least) has been revealed to have a PLASTIC front element, which might be responsible for the significant loss in sharpness for longer focal lengths. A DIY version should be both cheaper and better-performing.

The Singh-Ray is high quality and doesn't seem to suffer from these issues, but it's nearly $400. Pick your poison.
 
Brian, if you really want to get the "right ND filter," then you should buy a set of regular ND filters. Those are true ND and don't suffer from any of the issues of variable NDs.
 
I need the ND for shooting this summer in L.A. in the bright afternoon sun, now the ? is which ones to get-recommendations?
 
I have had the Fader ND for months and found it performs great. I've done the homemade route as well, which works great, but I still say go with the Fader. If you have two polarizers stacked and are not careful, it's easy to unthread at least one of them. I bought my Fader from Boniface Leung, the maker I think, in Hong Kong. It arrived quickly. I got the 72/77 but kind of wish I got the next one up (77/82 I think).
 
Also, what you purchase should be driven as much by what type of shooting you are doing as your budget. If you're doing set shots, like for commercials or features, where you have time between takes to change things out then get a set of ND filters. If you can afford it, get a mattebox and square filters.

If you need to adjust quickly for documentary or event type shooting, than the Fader is very handy. I use it as an iris control and find it a quick, intuitive way to do this. This allows me to keep the aperture pretty wide while controlling the bright light.
 
Ron Rodenmeyer said:
....If you need to adjust quickly for documentary or event type shooting, than the Fader is very handy. I use it as an iris control and find it a quick, intuitive way to do this. This allows me to keep the aperture pretty wide while controlling the bright light.
Click to expand...


+1...I can use my FaderND for run-n-gun stuff, and simply use it as an exposure wheel, for instant exposure comp using the camera's meter. I haven't used it for weddings, since I don't care about narrow DOF or stopping a lens completely down, but for my home videos/other stuff it's a gem. The Lumix/Leica f2.8 blows me away when shooting outdoors with the FaderND! The smooth turning/reference marks and the big metal lens shade I have attached are nice versus just stacking filters and twisting them on the fly. Plus, alls I need is my extensive set of cheap eBay (fotodiox) step-up rings to use it on my GH1 M-43 lenses and my 35mm photo camera which doesn't have a crazy high shutter speed like a DSLR.
 
I don't believe that either Boniface Leung or Lightcraft Workshop are the manufacturer of the Fader ND. There's a separate company in China that operates under the Web site www.faderfilters.com (which Brian originally mentioned), and its products are exactly the same as LCW's. Exactly the same brand, design, build quality, and materials. Yet LCW claims no knowledge of, or relationship with, this other company. I've read a plausible-sounding story that in China, several different companies resell the Fader ND line, with each claiming it as their own. Nothing leads me to believe that LCW is more likely to be the OEM than any other seller of Fader ND products.
 
ydgmdlu said:
I don't believe that either Boniface Leung or Lightcraft Workshop are the manufacturer of the Fader ND. There's a separate company in China that operates under the Web site www.faderfilters.com (which Brian originally mentioned), and its products are exactly the same as LCW's. Exactly the same brand, design, build quality, and materials. Yet LCW claims no knowledge of, or relationship with, this other company. I've read a plausible-sounding story that in China, several different companies resell the Fader ND line, with each claiming it as their own. Nothing leads me to believe that LCW is more likely to be the OEM than any other seller of Fader ND products.
Click to expand...

That's how alll products work in America! lol

You just save about 900% by buying directly from China. ;)
 
swyzlstyx said:
+1...I can use my FaderND for run-n-gun stuff, and simply use it as an exposure wheel, for instant exposure comp using the camera's meter. I haven't used it for weddings, since I don't care about narrow DOF or stopping a lens completely down, but for my home videos/other stuff it's a gem. The Lumix/Leica f2.8 blows me away when shooting outdoors with the FaderND! The smooth turning/reference marks and the big metal lens shade I have attached are nice versus just stacking filters and twisting them on the fly. Plus, alls I need is my extensive set of cheap eBay (fotodiox) step-up rings to use it on my GH1 M-43 lenses and my 35mm photo camera which doesn't have a crazy high shutter speed like a DSLR.
Click to expand...

Good point about the reference marks on the Fader that I forgot to mention in my original post. I don't look at them much, but they do give you a reading of how much ND is being applied if repeatability is important. Stacking a linear and circular polarizer doesn't offer this unfortunately, though I must say again that this homebrew solution does indeed work quite well.

I had no idea that LCW is not the manufacturer of the Fader. At any rate, my experience with them (and others' from what I've read on these boards) was very positive. I have no stake in his operation, but I do like to promote people and companies that are doing good things (and shed light on the negative ones as well).
 
Any multi-coated set of filters will do.
If you are looking for a good brand name try Hoya or B+W.

Good luck.
 
Before doing VariND filter I read some good article on internet comparing various options (including using linear polirizers). CPLs had minimal color shift from that I remember.
It can be that two cheap CPLs will be better in such ND filer than two very good CPLs due to color shift.
 
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