puredrifting
Major Contributor
Hi all:
Not sure how many of you have ponied up the bucks for the Singh Ray Vari ND filter? http://www.singh-ray.com/varind.html
I did and used it for the first time today. I must say that this filter is a revelation and I am wondering why I have not heard more about people raving about it with the 5D. I shot in bright late afternoon sun with the 5D MKII and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 AI lens. I used a 52mm to 77mm step up ring to attach the Vari ND to the lens.
I will go so far as to say that having this filter ALMOST negates the need to have manual controls. Put the filter on the 5D MKII, point the camera at whatever you are going to shoot. What's that, it is giving me a crazy 1/1500th of a second shutter speed? No problem, just dial down the Vari ND until I got what I wanted which was 1/60th and ISO 100. Begin to shoot. I am following a subject that goes from nuclear daylight to a patio that drops the light levels way down.
This is the kicker, as I track the subject, the Vari ND is functioning like a manual iris control. It is smooth, it is repeatable and I don't even need to mess with the clicky exposure compensation dial on the back of the camera. Brilliant! Genius! It is right on the lens barrel next to the focus ring, just like on a real broadcast lens. This is even better than my HPX170 as far as tracking and quickly tweaking exposure. The only thing I am missing are zebras but with the Z-Finder, so far judging exposure is right on. WYSIWYG.
I am officially blown away, this works great. I can get the exposure I need in any situation in about 5 seconds. Of course, the Vari ND is not needed for interiors but for exteriors or super bright windows as BGs on interiors, this thing is magic.
Most expensive filter I have ever bought at close to U.S. $400.00 but well worth it. This will make my 5D life so much easier. Looking forward to a firmware update but if it never comes, this still makes the camera VERY usable for my needs. So count me as a fan of this filter. All you people pissing and moaning about a firmware update, buy this, it puts you 90% of the way there.
Dan
Not sure how many of you have ponied up the bucks for the Singh Ray Vari ND filter? http://www.singh-ray.com/varind.html
I did and used it for the first time today. I must say that this filter is a revelation and I am wondering why I have not heard more about people raving about it with the 5D. I shot in bright late afternoon sun with the 5D MKII and a Nikon 50mm 1.4 AI lens. I used a 52mm to 77mm step up ring to attach the Vari ND to the lens.
I will go so far as to say that having this filter ALMOST negates the need to have manual controls. Put the filter on the 5D MKII, point the camera at whatever you are going to shoot. What's that, it is giving me a crazy 1/1500th of a second shutter speed? No problem, just dial down the Vari ND until I got what I wanted which was 1/60th and ISO 100. Begin to shoot. I am following a subject that goes from nuclear daylight to a patio that drops the light levels way down.
This is the kicker, as I track the subject, the Vari ND is functioning like a manual iris control. It is smooth, it is repeatable and I don't even need to mess with the clicky exposure compensation dial on the back of the camera. Brilliant! Genius! It is right on the lens barrel next to the focus ring, just like on a real broadcast lens. This is even better than my HPX170 as far as tracking and quickly tweaking exposure. The only thing I am missing are zebras but with the Z-Finder, so far judging exposure is right on. WYSIWYG.
I am officially blown away, this works great. I can get the exposure I need in any situation in about 5 seconds. Of course, the Vari ND is not needed for interiors but for exteriors or super bright windows as BGs on interiors, this thing is magic.
Most expensive filter I have ever bought at close to U.S. $400.00 but well worth it. This will make my 5D life so much easier. Looking forward to a firmware update but if it never comes, this still makes the camera VERY usable for my needs. So count me as a fan of this filter. All you people pissing and moaning about a firmware update, buy this, it puts you 90% of the way there.
Dan
