What made you decide upon the FS100 over the AF100?

Besides everything that every one else has mentioned, I really love the small size of the fs100. I had a af100 and sold it for a lot of reasons.
 
Hi Alpern, could you elaborate on why you sold the AF100 out of curiosity? :)
I too like that the FS100 is quite small.

Also, (this question is for anyone with some experience with ND filters) would this be a suitable neutral density filter for the stock Sony 18-200mm lens? Will it get the job done for filming outdoors? Or would I be needing some more powerful?
http://www.vistek.ca/store/CameraFilters/254672/cameron-77mm-multicoated-fader-nd-filter.aspx

I believe you can remove between 1-8 stops of light with it according to the description. My only previous experience with ND filters has been using the built-in ones on the DVX100b and HVX200, so I'm a little unsure of what I should be looking for.
 
I just ordered Light Craft Workshops ND Mk II filters. From what I read they should be fine and not too expensive. Gives you 2-9 stop of ND. I think there was one comment in here that they also retain color quite well. They also have filters for the 16mm pancake...

you can find them on www.lightcraftworkshop-shop.com or on ebay
 
Budgieboots said:
Hi Alpern, could you elaborate on why you sold the AF100 out of curiosity? :)
I too like that the FS100 is quite small.

Also, (this question is for anyone with some experience with ND filters) would this be a suitable neutral density filter for the stock Sony 18-200mm lens? Will it get the job done for filming outdoors? Or would I be needing some more powerful?
http://www.vistek.ca/store/CameraFilters/254672/cameron-77mm-multicoated-fader-nd-filter.aspx

I believe you can remove between 1-8 stops of light with it according to the description. My only previous experience with ND filters has been using the built-in ones on the DVX100b and HVX200, so I'm a little unsure of what I should be looking for.
Click to expand...

Same question. I'd love to buy a FS100 but I'd like to know which kind of ND filter I have to use with stock lens :)
 
Budgieboots said:
Also, (this question is for anyone with some experience with ND filters) would this be a suitable neutral density filter for the stock Sony 18-200mm lens? Will it get the job done for filming outdoors? Or would I be needing some more powerful?
http://www.vistek.ca/store/CameraFilters/254672/cameron-77mm-multicoated-fader-nd-filter.aspx

I believe you can remove between 1-8 stops of light with it according to the description. My only previous experience with ND filters has been using the built-in ones on the DVX100b and HVX200, so I'm a little unsure of what I should be looking for.
Click to expand...
Looking at the price, I would be wary of its optical quality. Also, typical anything past 6 stop might not be usable. Most of the high-end filters do up to 6 stops. Ones with 8 stops like the Fader ND is useless above 6 stops due to uneven polarization effects.

I would say 6 stops is enough but it all depends on how much depth of field you want -- you won't able to shoot with a wide-open iris.
 
jetswing said:
Looking at the price, I would be wary of its optical quality. Also, typical anything past 6 stop might not be usable. Most of the high-end filters do up to 6 stops. Ones with 8 stops like the Fader ND is useless above 6 stops due to uneven polarization effects.

I would say 6 stops is enough but it all depends on how much depth of field you want -- you won't able to shoot with a wide-open iris.
Click to expand...

So a good ND filter would have (at most) 6 stops, right?
 
jetswing said:
Yes, for a circular vari ND, 6 stops seems to be the limit. The soon to be released Tiffen vari ND boasting 8 stops might buck the trend, who knows.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the info.

So, in spite of the lack of ND filter, SDI and other little features the FS100 beats the AF100 over image quality and low light shooting right? I think I'll buy the FS100 (I'm not a pro, only an amateur) but before this big and not so cheap purchase I'd love to hear your opinions :)
 
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For ND filters, I just bought Tiffen screw on filters, 0.9, 0.6 and 0.3, to use with my lenses. Most of my lenses are Nikkor primes with a 52mm front filter element and that works fine. I was able to get all three of those filters for about $40.00. I have shot in daylight and they work fine. I just don't trust the variable NDs, which are polarizing filters after all, not to affect image quality. I may be wrong on that, but straight ND filters are inexpensive enough not to really worry about that.
 
David G. Smith said:
For ND filters, I just bought Tiffen screw on filters, 0.9, 0.6 and 0.3, to use with my lenses. Most of my lenses are Nikkor primes with a 52mm front filter element and that works fine. I was able to get all three of those filters for about $40.00. I have shot in daylight and they work fine. I just don't trust the variable NDs, which are polarizing filters after all, not to affect image quality. I may be wrong on that, but straight ND filters are inexpensive enough not to really worry about that.
Click to expand...

So, did you buy these ones?

http://www.tiffen.com/results.html?...arch_filter_format=Screw-In&tablename=filters
 
But was there something wrong with LWC ND fader with 2-9 stops? :o I'm about to purchase a couple, but I wont if they ruin the shots.
 
An ND filter cuts light transmission across the full spectrum of light, and without regard for the angle of light. Variable NDs are variations on polarizing filters, which means that they cut light transmission WITH regard to the angle of the light. It is my understanding that they may effect the look of an image in regards to reflected light and may effect different parts of the image in different ways, especially variable wavelength sources like the sky. I have not used them because I prefer to use straight ND filters to cut light, and polarizing filters for their specific effects. To me, I have found that I can get straight ND filters at a much lower cost than the variable ND filters, and then I don't have to worry about it. For me, the inconvenience of having to add or subtract ND filters is more than outweighed by the worry that a variable ND might be giving me unwanted changes to the image that I want. Some folks swear by variable NDs. They may be right, and I am just being anal about it. I have just made the decision that variable NDs are not something that I personally want to deal with.
 
jetswing said:
Yes, for a circular vari ND, 6 stops seems to be the limit. The soon to be released Tiffen vari ND boasting 8 stops might buck the trend, who knows.
Click to expand...

What's up with the Tiffen Variable ND? It looks like you can be the spring discontinued(?) one on ebay, but when is the newer one coming out? I'm tired of googling tiffen+variable+ND+2011!
 
However the Tiffen Variable ND is 77 mm and the kit glass is 67 mm (SEL18200). I guess I have to buy not variable filters in order to use them with SEL18200 glass, right?
 
gianx80 said:
However the Tiffen Variable ND is 77 mm and the kit glass is 67 mm (SEL18200). I guess I have to buy not variable filters in order to use them with SEL18200 glass, right?
Click to expand...
You can get various size step-up rings to fit any size lenses.
 
It is usual to use over size filters and step up rings eg 67-77

this means you get one filter and rings to get your lenses all to have the same size front

there can be some issues with wide lenses doing this

ive got ND in 62 and 77

77 covers all my larger lenses and zooms
62 covers my smaller primes which are 62 down to 52

S
 
For all those asking about ND filters, run, don't walk, and buy the Heliopan variable ND. Buy it 10 minutes ago. Yes, it's expensive, but yes it is that good. I have a thread on here with examples of the video you get from it. There is no color cast, and there is no sharpness loss that I can see at all. This is the filter that Philip Bloom recommended on his blog, and I can see why. It goes from 1 - 6.6 stops. You can buy it in various sizes, I have the 77mm one with a step up ring for the kit lens. These threads have more info.


http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?254833-FS-100-Heliopan-depth-of-field-evaluation-video

http://www.dvxuser.com/V6/showthread.php?254365-ND-filtering-for-the-FS100EK-advise-needed.../page4



All I can say is, I'm not sure how it works, it may be two polarizing filters reversed to counteract each other's effects, like a previous poster was saying. But I can't any bad effects
from using the filter at all. If I am shooting outside, it's on my lens, period. Yes, it's that good.
 
I have an irrational hatred of the m4/3 sensor size so the FS100 gets major points for S35 in my book.

But the AF100 offers SDI & lots of intermediate framerate options at about the same price, so I couldn't buy the Sony without feeling cheated.

If I had a dollar for every time Sony made me feel cheated...
 
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