Heliopan fader ND

[Galen Rath]

Gabe, are you getting the same clarity/sharpness when the kit lens is fully zoomed in, with the Heliopan rotated for 0 effect, as you do when it is at a wide angle? I would shoot zoomed in with the ND filter off, then with the camera still running, screw it on, set at 0 effect, then repeat that with the kit lens set at the wide angle. I am just interested in the effect of the filter on the kit lens set at 0 ND. Also have everything on the camera set to AUTO. Judge the results by playing back directly from the camera to the TV. Thanks.

[Gabe Strong]

Galen,

Unfortunately, there is no '0' setting on the filter. It goes from 1 to 6.6
stops of ND. So even with it dialed back all the way, you notice a difference
between having the filter on and having it off the lens, it blocks a little
light, even set at the lowest setting. Of course, I basically leave it
on if I am going to be shooting outside......I was shooting outside last night
at 10pm and still needed a little ND on the shots. As for if there is any loss in
clarity or sharpness at different focal lengths, if there are, they are so small that
I can't notice them with just my eyes. I'm watching on my 27 inch Samsung 1080P TV
in the edit bay, and I also tested the footage on my 42 inch 1080P set in the living room.
Footage is just amazing on them both, no loss of clarity, sharpness, or color shift that I
can tell just 'eyeballing' it. This camera actually amazes me more, the more I use it.
I am just looking at the shots I took last night of a sunset over the ocean and
it's literally the most beautiful video footage I have ever seen....and I had the
Heliopan filter on the whole time!

[Steve Madsen]

Thanks for the tests Gabe. I'm in the market, and given the sizable outlay this is a decision I want to get right. Keeping detail is a big concern for me...I'm wondering if testing at f20 without the filter is giving you a less sharp image, compared to the filter f stop which is more optimal for the lens. In which case we may not be able to accurately observe potential detail loss. I wonder if this is a valid concern?

[Gabe Strong]

Well, given that if you don't have an ND filter, you are going to have to
shoot at F 20....or F 25, I'd say it's kind of a moot point. If the shot
looks as good at F 5.6 with the filter as F 22 without the filter, those
are basically your choices. Unless, you want to kick the shutter speed
way up. I guess I could do a test at F 5.6 with no filter and the shutter
speed at 1/10,000 and one at F 5.6 with the filter and 1/48 shutter speed
(shooting at 24p). I was thinking that most people would not want to
use the shutter speed method unless that was their only option, because it
can make motion look a little strange.

[Galen Rath]

I'm not sure what Steve is thinking, but in our pursuit for the perfect image, we still have the non-variable ND filters as an option, which may have a more proven track record with less expense (and therefore are less risky, albeit less handy) than a variable ND filter. I wonder why variable ND filters are not subject to quantitative tests that make it clear what you are paying for before you buy. Has Heliopan offered any quantitative test comparison?

[Gabe Strong]

I haven't seen any test from any ND filter maker, which is why I was
posting tests with and without the filter. I looked around for tests
before I bought the filter and could not find any, so I thought
others may be interested in seeing something before they bought it.

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I haven't been following the forum for quite a long time, so please update me:

- is the Heliopan filter Gabe has tested, the Variograu 0.3-2.0 model?
- any news on the announced availability of a version with front thread (for screwing on a sunhood)?

Thanks

Piotr

[Jarda Bar]

Few tests of Heliopan 77mm:
Heliopan Vari ND Sony FS100 18-200 f3.5- (200mm shot) - YouTube
Heliopan Vari ND Sony FS100 Sigma 17-70 f2.8 Canon 50 f1.4 - YouTube
Heliopan 77mm ND Vari Tokina 11-16 f2.8

[Ryan Creason]

I just received my Heliopan ND. I have a 67 - 77 step up ring for use with the stock lens. I heard that there wouldn't be vignetting with this ND, but at the widest, which is 18mm (29mm with this camera), I get the bottom left and the upper right vignetting quite a bit. This seems to be alleviated if I open up the ND filter more. Did I get a bad filter, or is that just what I should expect?

[Gabe Strong]

Originally Posted by Piotr Wozniacki

I haven't been following the forum for quite a long time, so please update me:

- is the Heliopan filter Gabe has tested, the Variograu 0.3-2.0 model?
- any news on the announced availability of a version with front thread (for screwing on a sunhood)?

Thanks

Piotr

Piotr,

Yup, the one I tested was the 0.3 - 2.0 model. I have not heard anything
new, but apparently, according to my contact at Heliopan, they are
aware of the desire for a sunhood and are looking at making some
kind of 'snap on' sun shade that would work with the Heliopan. That's
all the info I have.

[Gabe Strong]

Originally Posted by Ryan Creason

I just received my Heliopan ND. I have a 67 - 77 step up ring for use with the stock lens. I heard that there wouldn't be vignetting with this ND, but at the widest, which is 18mm (29mm with this camera), I get the bottom left and the upper right vignetting quite a bit. This seems to be alleviated if I open up the ND filter more. Did I get a bad filter, or is that just what I should expect?

Ryan,

I do not think this is the Heliopan. Instead, it is the effect of using
a step ring. What happens, is that now your Heliopan is further out
in front of the lens, which makes it more likely to vignette. I would
get the thinnest step up ring you can find....that will help. I found
very very slight vignetting, but I was using a step up ring, then a sunshade
screwed onto the step ring, then the Heliopan screwed into the front threads
of the sunshade (this sunshade had both back and front filters which I
thought would work well with the Heliopan, giving it a sunshade.) It
did work well, but from 18-22 or so, there was slight vignetting. So
I took off the sunshade and screwed the Heliopan right into the thin
step ring, and got rid of the vignetting. What would be nice, would be
a sunshade with 67mm threads in the back and 77 in the front so it could
serve as a combo sunshade and step up ring.

[Ryan Creason]

Which step up ring did you get? I got this one. Seems pretty thin.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/60514-REG/Tiffen_6777SUR_67_77mm_Step_up_Ring_Lens.html

[Gabe Strong]

Ryan,

That looks like the same step ring I got, not 100% sure as I bought
a 'thin' Tiffen step up ring from Amazon. Are you seeing vignetting at
the widest (18mm) setting on the lens? Is it constant, or only when
the ND filter is dialed to maximum strength? I don't see it on mine,
but I have heard of some people seeing it when the ND filter is
dialed into maximum strength. And to be honest, I have not
tested mine pointed at a white wall or something, I just haven't
noticed it in 'normal' shooting, unless I attached the sunshade
as well.

[Ryan Creason]

I see it from maybe 18 - 22 and when its at max strength. If you test yours at 18mm @ max strength, let me know what you find out.

EDIT: Also the weird thing is that its only dark on the bottom left and upper right corners - not all 4 corners. If anyone knows why this may be happening, please let me know. I'd be forever grateful :)

EDIT again: I linked the wrong step up ring... This is the one I got - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/11687-REG/B_W_65069434_67mm_to_77mm_Step_Up.html

[Piotr Wozniacki]

I have tested my 77mm Heliopan for just a couple of days, and mainly with my fast Canon FD primes. Today for the time I put it on the (otherwise surprisingly good) kit zoom lens, and - unfortunately - there is some vignetting at the lens' widest, and the Heliopan "closed down" more than half way...

I wonder what the thickness is of your 67-77mm step-up rings, Gabe and Ryan? Please post your measurements here, if you will. Mine is the the Marumi brand (made in Japan), and is only some 3,5 mm thick (excluding the thread) - and yet I can see shadows at the frame extremities...

Piotr