ND filters of different materials

J

Joshua_G

Well-known member
Some of the leading filters manufacturers, like LEE, Tiffen, Formatt Hitech have filters made of glass, resin and polyester - having considerable price differences. How good (or how bad) are the ND filters from respectable manufacturers made of resin or polyester?
There is a very inexpensive LEE polyester ND filters set: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...s_NDSET_Neutral_Density_Polyester_Filter.html, I wonder about their optical quality.
I assume they are better than the cheap plexiglass Chinese ones on eBay, like these ones: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Fotga-4-x4-...041?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19e7c5cbb9.
 
The cheap resin filters from ebay are absolutely atrocious. No idea about the others.

Even the cheapest Tiffen screw-in filters are amazing compared with all the other cheap filters that I have tried.

Also: this is very old but it may still be helpful
 
Joshua_G said:
Thanks, Samuel.
From your tests in the link I get that variable ND filters are the worst.
Click to expand...

Well, it depends. I only tested the most common one (LCW Fader 2), and found it to be kind of OK with a normal FoV lens, but horrible with a 135mm.
The cheap resin filters from ebay were even worse, I think.

One problem the faders have (even the most expensive ones) is that, since they are basically two polarizers sticked together, they kill reflections, which can make skin look kind of plasticky.

I spent a lot of time and effort trying to avoid screw-in filters without spending too much money. All of that was wasted. Nowadays I have a nice set of proND filters (3, 6 and 9 stops; would be 2, 4 and 6 if I had a camera that was not the a7S, with its high minimum ISO). Having adapter rings glued in all my lenses, and enough filters that I don't ever need to stack them, makes them kind of usable.
 
Samuel H said:
…
I spent a lot of time and effort trying to avoid screw-in filters without spending too much money. All of that was wasted. Nowadays I have a nice set of proND filters
…
Click to expand...
Are all 4"x4" ND filters that are put in a matte box bad, or worse than screw-in filters from the same make?
Which make pro ND filters do you use?
 
No, they are probably better, but I never went for that. Too big and expensive for me.

proND is a specific product from Hoya, there was a lengthy thread on bmuser where they discuss them and conclude that they are the best NDs at a reasonable price right now (the one that convinced me to go this route) but I can't find it anymore...
It wasn't this one, but there you'll get the general opinion of that forum (the BM cameras require very good IR cut filters)

edit:
here: http://www.bmcuser.com/showthread.php?6403-New-Hoya-ProNDs-Rolling-Report-Thread
(yes, that thread on ND filters has 74 pages; I said it was long!)
 
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