Going With The Flow

By Jeff Allen

Every once in a while a new product comes along that really makes a difference in my shooting, and shooting enjoyment.

My recent revelation is a relatively new design innovation in neutral density (ND) filters, called a variable neutral density filter.

For years, photographers have used two polarizer filters stacked together to achieve the effect of infinitely adjusting the volume of light through the lens, primarily for being able to achieve long exposures even in bright light. Stacking filters is never ideal since the more glass you put in front of your lens, the more likelihood there is for loss of sharpness and in the case of stacking polarizer filters, the possibility of unwanted shifts or variations of color. Another option has been stacking conventional ND filters, but again possible loss of sharpness can occur. Both options also can cause vignetting, or darkening at the edges of the frame due to the protrusion of the filter hardware at the front of the lens. Unfortunately, these effects are not ideal

Now, variable ND filters, available from most major filter manufacturers, which are available at your favorite camera store, offer the benefits previously stacking polarizers or conventional ND’s all in one package and without the detriment of attaching multiple filters. At the twist of a wrist, you and I can now adjust from minimal light reduction to nearly complete blocking of the light through the lens. With one simple accessory. A very handy tool for many shooting situations, such as moving water and waterfalls, even midday allowing more shooting flexibility in a wider variety of conditions, more conveniently than ever. Here’s an example…

Tamron SP 24-70 F/2.8 VC USD at f22, ISO100, 2sec. bright morning light.

Try a Variable ND filter to expand your shooting capabilities soon.

Good Shooting.