FaderND in My Backyard

mhood

Veteran
A test of DOF in broad daylight using the FaderND on an EF 50mm 1.4 USM. I was expecting crazy DOF when the FaderND made it possible to shoot at ISO 160 with the lens WFO at 1.4.

All handheld using my new Gini-rig shoulder mount. No FF yet so I used my finger...just like the good old days.

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I AGREE
 
Can you get it a bit darker without weird uneven illumination ruining the shot? A lot of those looked very overexposed for my taste.
 
To be honest, I didn't even try. I just quickly set the FaderND to something that looked close to right on the LCD (that was very hard to see in sunlight for sure) and took some shots. Most of the whites are over exposed. I didn't notice any uneven illumination anywhere though...did you see any?

Maybe, if I get the time, I'll try again tomorrow to see about better exposure. IMO, the FaderND passed the test of wicked DOF in bright daylight just fine.
 
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I have, posted a QT showing it somewhere... not sure where. Wait, maybe this is it (if it is a roof with AC units it is the right one).

I would agree that setting exposure based on the LCD (without looking at the histogram) is very hard in the sun. A lost cause all to often. A loupe should do the trick though. Can't wait to get mine.

Please post your next test. I would love it if you just cranked it down slowly on one shot at f/1.4 to see how it looks. I don't have any f1.4 lenses with me.
 
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Please post your next test. I would love it if you just cranked it down slowly on one shot at f/1.4 to see how it looks.

K, even though cloud cover moved in today and really changed the light a lot, here's the test you asked for:

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I AGREE
 
Yup, that looks slightly underexposed just before it goes black, and no uneven illumination (looking at the first one at 1.4). Now let's try with a f/0.95 :)

Thanks for posting the clip Mhood.
 
yvw Check out the 28mm @ 2.8...I'm not sure but I think I might have seen something just before total black out on that one. Also, the last shot (with the 28mm CU) is what my eyes told me was well exposed on the LCD. Was I close?

So far, the biggest disappointment of these FaderND tests was discovering that my EF 50mm 1.4 USM goes beyond infinity. ;-(
 
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My 50mm 1.4's focus ring twists slightly beyond infinity. It's totally unrelated to the FaderND which (IMO) passed this test with flying colors.
 
I think all should download the video I posted about uneven illumination. It shows the problem clearly, just so you know what may happen at the very end. If you know what to look for you can avoid it but if you don't you might have a touch of it going on and not notice it. It doesn't take away from the filter though, it is a blazing deal.
 
I did what I could to reproduce what happened in the video you posted Roberto but I couldn't make anything like that happen at all. I wonder if they didn't have a defective FaderND. Maybe mine being a small one at 58mm is different somehow from the larger models. Mine did seem to go to total black rather abruptly.
 
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Perhaps it has to do with the focal length??

I hope I don't have a bad one... it happened more on wides. The Tokina and at 24mm on the zoom. The tighter you get the less you see it. It might just be the polarizer effect, but it didn't seem like it since the pattern was the same regardless of whether I was shooting the sky or the roof with surfaces at different angles... I've been hoping someone could explain the phenomenon to me.

Editman, I love the chair shot.
 
mhood, are you in texas? or just like having a texas shaped bird bath? :)

I'm liking the idea of this fader ND...might have to give it a shot
 
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