Variable fader filters

[Noa Put]

I"m searching right now for a suitable and good quality fader filter and have done quite some research, maybe it's a good idea if anyove who allready has purchased any filter solutions to controll the high shutter in the camera can write down their experience as well.

What I most noticed is that nd filter tend to shift colors but also soften the image, I have one cheaper fader filter and I definetely see softening going on if I add it and that's what I"d like to prevent as much as possible.

My search brought me to a Heliopan Variable Fader 0,3-1,8 ND Filter 82mm filter, from the written and video reviews I have seen it seems to be a very good one, but not cheap. They seem to hold sharpness very well with only a very slight colour change at some nd values.

The reason why I want the biggest filter available is that I have a 85mm f1.4 lens that has a 82mm diameter, a 35mm f1.4 lens that has a 77mm diam and the stock lens which is 67mm diam. This means I need to get some stepdown rings which are not so easy to find for this big filter diameter.

After a while of searching I found some cheap Visico Filter-Adapter but only in a size from 82 to 77mm but not 82 to 67mm. Does anyone think I could use an additional 77mm to 67mm to screw onto the 82-77mm adapter?

I don't plan to use any lens hoods with the adapter, it doesn't work to turn the nd filter when the hood is on.

Also, I take it that the 1,8 ND is sufficient to get the shutter at 1/50 and have an f-stop of around f2.0?
I read 1,8ND is about 6 stops.

[Dan Eskelson]

Hi Noa,

Coincidentally, I just received my new Genus GL GNDF variable ND today. Not the most expensive - on sale for $85 USD at B&H, normally $100 - but good reviews.

I'll try to do some tests tomorrow if it's not snowing or raining.

Dan

[Dan Crowell]

I have used the Genus fader on the FS100 for over a year now with excellent results.

Sony NEX-FS100 Super 35mm video camera test footage on Vimeo

[Noa Put]

Thx for the genus tip! I just found this article: ND Fader Shootout – Heliopan vs. the new GENUS Eclipse Frank Glencairn and one here: http://www.dslrnewsshooter.com/2012/...for-165-us/and it seems the new genus eclips is very good as well, he also saw the heliopan seemed to introduce some kind of moire and it is just that I don't won't to have at all in a camera that already suffers from moire. The Genus Eclips is around 210 euro here while the heliopan is around 280.

Does anyone know if you can combine 2 stepdownrings so a 82mm nd filter can be used on a 82, 77 and 67mm diameter lens?

[Peter Siamidis]

Does that Genus Eclipse let you put a lens cap on it? I use the Heliopan which I like, but I hate that it doesn't let you put a lens cap on it. I'd almost consider changing just because of that, if the Eclipse really is that good.

[Noa Put]

I have a cheap lcw fader ND mark II here but from what I see nd faders are not made to attach a hood onto it, I don't plan to use a hood anyway because I need to have access to that fader to adjust exposure and with a hood that's hardly possible.

[Chris Harding]

Hi Noa

I really cannot see anyway you could turn the ring without physically stopping record and hold the lens vertically so you can turn the ring...it would be nice to be able to adjust or tweak the nd in mid recording but I guess that can only happen if you keep the lens hood off..now, since the ND's prime function is to cut out bright light, it is most useful outdoors which is when you use a lens hood too. I guess it's a matter of judging the conditions and setting the ND...With that in mind I figured that normal decent ND's will do the same job cos you cannot change settings during recording with a hood on so I am just using an ND2/4/8 set ...in our bright sun that 8 is awesome and brings aperture down to 5.6 -6.3 in full sun.

Are there any that you could pyhsically change while recording?? Maybe in an extension piece between the lens and a matte box?

Chris

[Noa Put]

I think with a mattebox you can, from what I have seen there is an option to turn the filter on the outside of the box, only with a mattebox price goes up quickly as well (as you also need rails) and not to mention size.

[Dan Eskelson]

My new genus ND fader has 77mm threads on the outside. I ordered a Tiffen lens hood, 77mm thread, $6 at Amazon, to fit. That way I can easily control the fader with included handle. Even has a front thread for filter and/or lens cap.

[Chris Medico]

I did some experiments years ago with polarizers to add ND to my film camera. I needed to shoot long exposures in a public space and didn't want the people to show up. After shooting a number of rolls of film (yea, real film if you can believe that) I found the best image came from using a LP and a CP stacked and not two LPs or CPs stacked. Using identical filters stacked caused a noticeably soft image.

Using a LP with a CP minimized the diffusion and color aberrations in the images. I got the best results from using the LP as the outer element and the CP as the inner element.

I'll have to go through my boxes and see if I can find the negatives.