Big Stoppers, ND Grad, Pol. Filters

[Marco Lanciani]

I’ve read Patrick Pedersen’s last post about landscape photography and the Big Stopper with great interest. I like that type of photography and the effect this filter can create.
I have a few questions.

One is about the color cast filters like this can produce.
Actually I don’t really mind the color cast in itself. I consider this kind of photography art and a precise reproduction of the real colors maybe is none sense. In post processing I just give the picture the mood I want to transmit without the need to build a profile.

I’m just curios: anyone else?

Following a few example of scenes with and without the 10 stop filter from B+W.
Other contributions of before/after from other “Big Stoppers”
are welcome.


I’ve yet another question on what is the best order, if there’s any, when using multiple filters like Big Stoppers, ND Grad, Pol. Filters.
F.e. where would you put a Pol. Filter: always in front, in the middle, in the rear? ND Grad or Big Stopper in the front? Or there are no real Pros or Cons..


Maybe a stupid question, and I already know the answer but: what about hoods with filters? Is this always something to consider?

[Erik Lund]

Yes allways use a hood, most lenses like it to avoid degration, flare, loss of contrast, but also for general and impact protection

[Bjørn J]

My experience is that the B+W 10stops ND gives a magenta or reddish colour cast, the LEE Big Stopper gives a slightly cold/blue cast, and the Singh-Ray Vari-ND (max 8 stops) gives almost no colour cast.
Many dense ND-filters block only visible light, but let IR pass through. That's why you get red/magenta cast. Some manufacturers coat the filters to block IR as well, and you get less colour cast. Maybe the bluish cast of the BigStopper is a result from over-compensating?
My favourite is the Vari-ND, but because it's quite thick (two layers of glass), it will cause vignetting on wide angle lenses.

[Marco Lanciani]

Bjørn thanks for the explanation.

I also asked about hoods because is not always possible to use the original one... but it's clear that any sort of light-shield will help.

[Gary]

Hoods also increase the sexy quotient of lenses. (In other words, hoods make you look better.)

[zuglufttier]

I love the effects you can get with ND filters, although I must confess that I never use mine. I ended up buying a Haida SLIM ND3.0 after reading this review: http://text.flowtographyberlin.de/neutral-density-filters-are-haida-nd-filters-as-good-as-bw/