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the 11 stops will be needed on the FS100.

Thanks, Steve -- here's a link to the product page on AbelCine:

Schneider 77mm True-Match Vari-ND Kit :: Filter Kits :: Filters :: Lens Accessories :: Lenses & Lens Accessories :: Equipment Sales :: AbelCine (http://www.abelcine.com/store/Schneider-77mm-True-Match-Vari-ND-Kit/)

It's good to have options. On my variable ND filter, I attached a metal extension ring that came with a cheap rubber lens hood, to give me more surface to grab hold of, and improved upon that by attaching a lever arm to the extension. One thing nice with adjusting exposure with the variable ND filter is that you don't get the "clicks" and the abrupt exposure changes as when using the aperture ring on the lens.

That's a great tip, Galen... I was wondering how smooth of a manual ramp you can do with one of these.

Leave it to some enterprising soul to motorize this thing and ramp the ND from a tripod pan handle.

I was thinking along the same line. Also no reason you couldn't put a focus gear/follow focus set up and turn it with a whip, anything to keep fumbling hands off of the lens.

It would be nice to see a test of the thing on a consistent white background. Most of the variable NDs get pretty blotchy at the higher settings.

I suspect the reason this is a "pro" model is that it goes all they way up without a color shift. If I remember, its minimum is 1 1/3 which is better than the typical 2 stops.

The key with the ND filter is you set shutter speed and then set f-stop for the required DOF.

THEN you dial the ND for the correct exposure.

Nice find Steve. If it works well, I'd say it's well worth it for the FS 100.

I suspect the reason this is a "pro" model is that it goes all they way up without a color shift. If I remember, its minimum is 1 1/3 which is better than the typical 2 stops.

The key with the ND filter is you set shutter speed and then set f-stop for the required DOF.

THEN you dial the ND for the correct exposure.

A monitor with false colors works wonders to make the dialing in a snap, too.

I actually use the rubber hood referenced a couple of posts back to spin the the filter like an aperature ring.

I've been lurking and watching for the right variable ND and have been intending to put a gear on it so I can motorize it for my Preston system--this will be the final link to make my ZE's as "cine-fied" as they will get. This will allow me to do iris pulls on the fly, which is often critical when a shot travels from backlit to frontlit in a day exterior. In my Steadicam days, I learned to always mount an iris motor when shooting exteriors because it was inevitable that we would end up needing to pull iris due to the roving nature of the Steadicam. Doing a classic circling shot (two lovers kissing, the disorientation spin around the subject as they spin the other way, etc), it was almost a given that there would be a stop or two of iris compensation happening every 180 degrees of rotation, then back again.

While I'm a fan and owner of many Schneider filters, I'm a little cold on the design of this package. It seems needlessly complicated to be forced into the 4x4 filter and frame, unless there is some elusive purpose for physically separating the filters, rather than sandwiching them as every other variable ND does. Feels a little bit like Schneider is justifying the expense of their system and separating themselves from the pack by complicating the rather elegant design concept of the other units out there. Maybe I'm feeling this way because this eliminates the possibility of motorizing the rotation, but also I'm thinking about the time and effort involved in working with two filters (one that has to be screwed on, the other used in the frame or in a mattebox). I do see that the filters are available separately if you don't need the 4x4 frame, which is good; and that they are available in a larger 95mm size.

I too wondered WHY one half was a lens filter while the other half was so big. I assumed the front rig was there for the purpose of mounting more 4x4 filters.

Also, I have believed the goal was to have both filters tight against each to avoid inner reflections.

Perhaps to get the needed density the front material is too thick to mount within a ring?

Or, perhaps they had the parts they had --- and simply found it simpler to market rather than build something new

It certainly suggests there is a market for a device that has this level performance and has the front ring with gear teeth that can be motor driven. A series of marks would be useful. In fact, why can't there be a marks at 1/2 stops of reduction?

Personally I am not a fan of putting two pieces of glass in front of the lens as I feel it kills the borders on wide angle.

I recently picked up a Chinese KO of the Novaflex Nikon G NEX adapter. The nice thing about this adapter is that it has a furled ring to steplessly control aperture which reminds me of the old Zeiss Flektogons. I think its easy to mount a gear on it and have something like a wormscrew to control aperture. Bear in mind the Nikons only have about 30 degrees of throw from fully open to closed, so a wormscrew will be better than a gear.

Regarding the ND issue, I have figured out that I can fix a Wratton 1.5 (ND32) in a 43mm filter ring and cement that ring internally/inside that adapter close to the E mount end. The Wratton is only 0.1mm thick and the focus shift is only a 1/3rd of that which can easily be accommodated for focussing, plus you can cut four from a 100mm square - good for spares.

However this arrangement will still require F11 on sunny days, so the solution here is simply to screw an additional single optical glass of up to ND32 to the front of the lens.

So in summary I will be using a modded ND32 adapter for daylight use and a none modded one for indoors. Aperture control is on the adapter, nice and close where I want it.

Basically its 5 stops in the trunk and upto 5 stops under the hood.

What about this fader ND:


Fader Filters 77mm HD Variable Neutral Density Filter

Fader Filters 77mm HD Variable Neutral Density Filter HD-VND-77

to use together with this:

Sony SAL-2470Z 24-70mm f/2.8 Carl Zeiss Vario-Sonnar T* Autofocus Lens - Price: $1,599.99
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/545868-

REG/Sony_SAL2470Z_SAL_2470Z_24_70mm_f_2_8_Carl.html

Is this filter a terrible idea?

Thx!!

Tiffen have now entered the variable ND filter game....

Tiffen 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filter 77VND B&H Photo

B&H took down the price but when I saw this released they posted a $189 price - much better value than most out there with a good quality name brand. I use a Genus and it looks good so far.

anybody know if IR contamination will be an issue with these ND filters?

What should I be looking for when buying a variable ND filter? I know size, to make sure it's 67mm to fit the fs100, but anything else? I was looking at this one:

Fader Filters 67mm Mark II Variable Neutral Density VND-67II B&H

If I get an ND filter, could I also attach a polarizing filter as well? How would that work? Thanks guys.

Ryan

Not such a simple question. Unless you want to buy many -- you need to decide on what lenses you will buy. Then look at a filter than can be used via adaptors.

BUT, adding adaptors plus a lens will vinettee (SP). Adding a ANY second filter increases this worry. An ND is polarized lens. Go to the Tiffen or other site to learn more.

Well here is the ultimate variable ND filter from all reviews - Phil Bloom just did a small review as well. Its expensive - Zeiss glass seems to cause that. Superb color and pin-sharp.


Turbolight - HedlerUSA - Heliopan 77mm Variable Gray ND Filter (http://hedlerusa.com/viewitem.php?productid=340)

Great it goes to 1-stop, but you'll need 4- to 6-stops more light reduction for F3 and FS100.

Before ordering you might want to ask them about stacking ND filters. You would need a 4X or 6X additional reduction for 800ASA in bright sunlight to get minimum DOFat 1/48th sec.

Perfect for VG10.

Why would you put the F3 in the same category as the FS 100? As I recall,
the F3 has built in ND.....so while it is possible that it might need
some additional ND, I don't see how in the world it would need as much as
the FS 100....?

My bad -- was thinking of 800ASA cameras.

Tiffen have now entered the variable ND filter game....

Tiffen 77mm Variable Neutral Density Filter 77VND B&H Photo (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/766430-REG/Tiffen_77VND_77mm_Variable_Neutral_Density.html)

B&H took down the price but when I saw this released they posted a $189 price - much better value than most out there with a good quality name brand. I use a Genus and it looks good so far.

Thanks, Jon. Looks like the Tiffen is available for $189.95 atAmazon

Bill

My FS-100 arrives today so I will test my Genus variable ND first before I start looking for better options - but he Tiffen is getting very nice reviews I hear.

I've got the Genus, and found that with the 3.5 lens I have, wide open, the Genus range covers more than full sun at a 30th shutter. In very deep shadow I had to actually almost increase the gain. This is using a Canon EOS lens and no aperture control, yet. To my eye there's no difference in sharpness with the filter on or off the lens, although I'm withholding judgement on that until someone actually tests the ND with a chart. And even at 3.5 the shallowness of the depth of field looks great.

My single biggest concern with the FS-100 had been the lack of built-in ND but I'm thinking that's not really gonna be much of a problem. I do wish Sony had a negative gain setting, like the EX's, maybe in a firmware update.

Tiffen Spokeswoman says their new variable nd filter is completely neutral here:

YouTube - ‪NAB 2011 - Filmtools talks to Tiffen about their new Variable ND Filter‬‏ (http://youtu.be/tFlfRt4SEp8)

But they don't mention that in their online print ads.

Sorry. Posted at wrong place.

I bit the bullet and spent the money for the Heliopan once I saw it in stock.
I got the 77mm size with a step up ring. I looked at the lenses I want to
buy, and they are all 67 or 77mm so with a 67 to 77mm step up ring that I also ordered,
I should be covered. Now I need to wait until it gets here
to figure out a sunshade. Obviously I can't use the one that came with the
kit lens as that is a 67mm one, and I don't think the fader ND filter has
threads on it to snap a sunshade on. Trying to find something that will work,
without spending $500 on a matte box, that would make one expensive sunshade.
But the pictures online weren't great, so maybe the heliopan does have threads on
the front? I'm not sure....if it did, that would be awesome, I could buy a $10 sunshade
with 77mm threads.

The Heliopan does not have threads on
the front.

Seems like there is a lot of ideas for ND filters out there.

What would be the best 77mm variable ND filter that would allow a polarizer to attach to it as well? Also, are there any problems with using step up rings? Or differences between them?

The vari-nd's I've seen already use pola technology, so I have a feeling your results trying to add another polarizer to a variable ND may not be what you hope.
Try taking a vari ND and rotating it for maximum transmission. Turn the entire unit to see whether there is a Polarizing effect. If so, set the effect the way you want it, and lock in the position/ horizon line of the rear filter. You can then use the front filter to limit your exposure, and should still have at least some of your desired combined Pola effect.