Fader ND ( Neutral Density ) : Questions

Starburst filters (I thought) and the glass is engraved AIUI to cause the stars. But I'm a stoopid noob...what do I know?
 
mhood said:
I don't understand how an ND filter could introduce stars.
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Well, I am not saying that the filter introduced stars. I got these stars while shooting with the filter on, and I never took the filter off so I cannot compare. Maybe filter is not a reason. Avoiding hotspots is easy with zebras, I just left some of them and got these stars. But this is a shiny bumper, not just a white wall, so I might have gotten them without filter as well. I just don't know.

Otherwise, I like using the filter. The consumer camcorder I am using has no built-in ND filter, and adjusting shutter speed is very cumbersome and time consuming through a multifunctional ring, so I just set shutter speed and aperture once and for all, and adjust light transmission using FaderND, this is so much easier.
 
I've been using two Hoya circular polarizers on my HV20 for quite some time. Isn't this the same concept? If so it would be a lot cheaper option.
 
Everyone says the Singh is better, but I haven't seen any actual footage to prove that. I think it's just the assumption that if it costs more it must be better.
 
I have used both but unfortunately sold the Singh Ray before I bought the Fader so I never did a side by side comparison. Fader ND induces no major color shift, might have a small color shift. Those stars would be cause by the aperture blades, really no different than bokeh. The more blades on the iris, the more points in the starburst. It is not caused by the filter.

The Fader NDs are great, I have a 77mm and a 58mm.

Dan
 
On their site, when they give two filter sizes, which one is for the lens it's attaching to and which one is it's own filter size? lol
 
Ian-T said:
I've been using two Hoya circular polarizers on my HV20 for quite some time. Isn't this the same concept? If so it would be a lot cheaper option.
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To make a variable ND filter yourself, you need at least one linear polarizer. The only thing that you'll accomplish with two circular polarizers is a variable color-shift filter that ranges from blue to yellow. Not surprisingly, Singh-Ray also makes just such a color-shift filter.
 
puredrifting said:
Those stars would be cause by the aperture blades, really no different than bokeh. The more blades on the iris, the more points in the starburst.
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Thank you Dan. I really appreciate it when people take the time to lay things out for those of us with a trillion questions.

Does WB with the filter on takes care of green? Or is WB only temperature related?
 
USLatin said:
Does WB with the filter on takes care of green? Or is WB only temperature related?
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In my limited experience, severe color shifts caused by a variable ND filter cannot be corrected through white balance. It's probably due to the double-polarization blocking certain wavelengths. You might be able to WB-out small color shifts, though.
 
The normal way of white balancing is to do it without any filtration or NDs at all, and then you apply the filtration as it pleases your color palate and look.

I don't think I've ever white balanced with NDs or Polarizers on, because I assumed those filters would not apply much if any color cast. But even some quality 4x5 ND filters do have a very slight green or yellow color cast.

Its probably best for slight shifts to get it out in post - its probably more trouble than its worth having the 7D or 5D do it, because it may do strange things to your other colors as well - say you want that warm look, or that cool look - and yet you're trying to get out a little green and in that process the WB neutralizes that color shift that you like? It gets complicated.
 
squig said:
sok Ian is color blind, he keeps telling me he's asian.
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Ha ... I do have what I call a blackanese uncle (black/chinese).

But seriously the two circular polarizer’s I’ve been using can just about completely block out the sun and allow me to adjust my aperture wide open. Some of those polarizer’s have markers on them also (both mine do). Have any of you ever tried it? I’ll believe you if you say there is a slight shift in color….but that is what I use white balancing for.

EDIT: I think I'm confusing the terms here...what I meant to say is two "Linear" polarizers. My bad.

The thread i learned this trick from was over at HV20.com here.
Halsu's video example also is here.
 
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I shot this with the Fader ND on:



I kept aperture at F4.0 and shutter speed at 1/48 throughout, it was a really hot sunny day, a high noon, so the Fader ND was cranked up. I used daylight WB preset, the video is not color corrected except for levels and reducing green saturation in one of the scenes. Judge for yourself whether color looks right for you.

P.S. You can see noticeable judder, I attribute it to my amateur panning and to the fact that I forgot to turn OIS off.
 
Yes but it is larger. I suppose that's where the two sizes come in...one for the back and a bigger size for the front of the filter. You'll probably need a new lens cap; I did with the 58mm I just got.
 
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Ian-T said:


Ha ... I do have what I call a blackanese uncle (black/chinese).
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I'm a bit colourblind too, my kids are half chinese.

I've heard the fader-nd vignettes less than the singh-ray because it's thinner and has larger front glass. It's been 3 weeks and I'm still waiting for mine, must be on a slow boat from china.
 
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