Hi,

I am looking to purchase my first ND Filter, the majority of my filming is done indoors but occasionally I am asked to film the bride and groom outside while the photographer works with them. I am new to ND filters but from what I have understand is they are designed to let less light in which means you can keep your aperture low while filming outdoors.

That being the case I am a little confused as to which one to buy for video. I have heard great things about the Heliopan Variable ND 7mm but would love to know your thoughts.

re: Heliopan ND filter, I'll let you know in a couple of days - I got a notice from the post office today that they're holding a package for me. I purchased a Heliopan variable ND filter from a place in Germany called fotomayr (Foto Mayr - Fotofachversand seit 1983 (http://www.fotomayr.de)). I don't know about UK prices, but the price for the same filter here in the U.S. is about $100 more than I paid to fotomayr (199.95 Euro + shipping).

I currently own a Genus variable ND filter and am pretty satisfied with it. I would say that a VND filter is an absolute necessity for outdoor shooting. You could go with a set of single ND filters, but they would be much more hassle to use than a VND unless you have a matte box with filter holder, and even then it would be more trouble than a VND (filter holder folks will disagree, especially when using multiple lenses). With a VND filter, you simply set the shutter speed and aperture you want, then dial the VND to achieve the proper exposure. Extremely easy!