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FYI: Heliopan 4x Graduated ND is no good

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SUPERHOKIE

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Ok, I just got the Heliopan 72mm 2 stop graduated ND from BnH, and after extensive testing, it turns out that it is not 2 stops at all. It's more like half a stop, if that. I thought Heliopan makes good products, but guess not. After trying for hours this evening trying to capture some good sunset shots, it felt like the filter simply was not doing it's job. So I manually compensated negative 2 stops and compared the results with the Heliopan graudated ND filter, and the difference was dramatic. The filter was not doing anything! I took the same scene with the filter on, and then with the filter off, and there was barely any difference at all.

I am very dissapointed. Do all graduated ND round filters underperform like this? I guess I'm gonna have to spend some more money and get the Cokin P holder and that $99 Galen Rowell square filter.
 
An ND filter is usually used in another way than you are describing.

If you put an ND filter on the lens and use automatic exposure (i.e. A, S, P or AUTO) the scene will look the same with or without the filter. This is because the camera will increase the exposure time or aperture so that it will look the same. (Check the EXIF of your images. Most likely one of them has much longer exposure time or much larger aperture setting.) Of course, in manual exposure mode (M), the image will turn out darker if you put an ND filter on.

An ND filter is not supposed to cause the photo to turn out darker. Instead, the reason one usually wants to use an ND filter is that one wants to use a large aperture in combination with slow shutter. If the ambient light is strong, that would usually mean overexposure (bright areas will become completely white). An ND filter can remedy this by cutting some of the light out.

With a graduated ND, you can choose how much light to cut out by twisting the front element of the filter.
 
dala said:
With a graduated ND, you can choose how much light to cut out by twisting the front element of the filter.
Click to expand...
That is not correct, you are referring to the Fader ND's, a GND is a filter that is transparent on one end and gradually (with different swiftness, hard/soft edge) darkens to the ND factor of the filter, 2 stops in this case.

--

153957 Photography
http://arne.delaat.net/

Time-Lapse and Photography
 
I agree with you.. Heliopan GND filters(2+) dont work correctly unfortunately...
SUPERHOKIE said:
Ok, I just got the Heliopan 72mm 2 stop graduated ND from BnH, and after extensive testing, it turns out that it is not 2 stops at all. It's more like half a stop, if that. I thought Heliopan makes good products, but guess not. After trying for hours this evening trying to capture some good sunset shots, it felt like the filter simply was not doing it's job. So I manually compensated negative 2 stops and compared the results with the Heliopan graudated ND filter, and the difference was dramatic. The filter was not doing anything! I took the same scene with the filter on, and then with the filter off, and there was barely any difference at all.

I am very dissapointed. Do all graduated ND round filters underperform like this? I guess I'm gonna have to spend some more money and get the Cokin P holder and that $99 Galen Rowell square filter.
Click to expand...
 
Let me guess, you have taken the photo at f/2.8 or similarly wide aperture. Take it again at f/11 (yes, use tripod) and see the change.
 
153957Photography said:
dala said:
With a graduated ND, you can choose how much light to cut out by twisting the front element of the filter.
Click to expand...
That is not correct, you are referring to the Fader ND's, a GND is a filter that is transparent on one end and gradually (with different swiftness, hard/soft edge) darkens to the ND factor of the filter, 2 stops in this case.
Click to expand...
That is true. I confused the two of them.
 
I have the B&W grad ND filter. Works perfect for me!

Goodlight
Ranamo
 
jtra said:
Let me guess, you have taken the photo at f/2.8 or similarly wide aperture. Take it again at f/11 (yes, use tripod) and see the change.
Click to expand...
No, that's not it. Some of you are simply recalling some hazy rules of thumb without realising the simple physics behind it.

This is not how a supposed pro gear forum should be about. Sigh. :|

--
regards
Janne Mankila, Finland
 
How do you use this filter? "Simply put the filter & take a shot" ?..
ranamo said:
I have the B&W grad ND filter. Works perfect for me!

Goodlight
Ranamo
Click to expand...
 
Ok guys let me explain this.

I'm no Galen Rowell or Moose peterson LOL! but i'm not a total newbie either.

I was in manual mode and exposed for the foreground, which in this case was just a plain grass field in front of my house. And then I put the graduated ND filter on to reduce the exposure of the sky. Since I don't have a choice on where to position the horizon with a circular filter, I positioned it righ tin the middle. And then I took the same shot again immediately. And surprise! there was no difference at all. Sky was washed out just as much with or without the filter. I mean, this filter doesn't reduce exposure at all in the uppper half of the frame at all.

It totally sucks.

This is going back to BnH today. I think i'm gonna give BnW filter a try.
 
A couple of questions;

What focal length were you using?
The higher the focal length the lower the effect of the GND filter.

If you look at the filter (without camera/lens), just look at it, does it seem a lot darker at one end or just slightly?

Do you mean that the sky was blown out (overexposed) in both images?

That might mean that it did do its job, but you simply do not have enough filtering and require a stronger ND.

--

153957 Photography
http://arne.delaat.net/

Time-Lapse and Photography
 
153957Photography said:
A couple of questions;
What focal length were you using?
Click to expand...
I was beteen 18mm and 24mm , on DX
153957Photography said:
If you look at the filter (without camera/lens), just look at it, does it seem a lot darker at one end or just slightly?
Click to expand...
Oh yeah, one half of the filter is obviously darker than the other half.
153957Photography said:
Do you mean that the sky was blown out (overexposed) in both images?

That might mean that it did do its job, but you simply do not have enough filtering and require a stronger ND.
Click to expand...
The sun was almost over the horizon, so a 2 stop reduction should have had a very dramatic effect on the sky and the clouds, but the filter didn't do anything. So I took it off and maually reduced exposure by 2 stops, and took the same shot, and presto! it made a huge diffeence. But of course, the foreground was too dark now. But at least it proved that the filter does not do anything near a 2 stop reducion in the upper half of the frame.

Just like GM, Heliopan must have have some winner products and loser products.
153957Photography said:
--

153957 Photography
http://arne.delaat.net/

Time-Lapse and Photography
Click to expand...
 
Boris said:
Nikon SLR forum...no mention of PRO
Click to expand...
Heh, my bad. I somehow connected this to the thread on the D700/D3 forum where someone was uncertain as to how a 50/1.8 lens is better in low light than a superzoom - after three years of using the lenses...

And some people are still going on about how there isn't such thing as a stupid question. :(

--
regards
Janne Mankila, Finland
 
Before you send it back, take a spot meter, or other light meter, and measure through the two sides of the filter; then let us know how far off from 2 stops it is.
--
-KB-
 
The pictures of this filter on line show a very gradual increase in density from the center of the filter to the edge. 0 at the midpoint, perhaps 1/2 to 1 stop at 3/4, two stops only right at the top. My graduated ND filter has a rather quick transition and uniformly dark upper half.

Looks like this particular filter may not be what you want; perhaps this lens, filter and aperture combination misses the darkened part altogether.

How lucky you are to live in a place where you have hours in one night to take sunset shots!

Here, it's about 10-15 minutes at the most on good nights for decent color.

Good luck! I hope you can find the filter you need.
--
Pat
 
After reading all this, I think your filter has a too soft gradation. Maybe you need a 4 stop soft grad, or a harder gradation.

The big advantage of a screw-on filter is that it's light and small, and easy to use handheld. But for more critical use you will need rectangular filters like Cokin, Lee, Hi Tech and Singh Ray.

Goodlight
Ranamo
 
Just to add something here....

If the the sun is on the horizon the GND may not be the best option....as the 2 stops will be where the filter is at its darkest, which may not correspond very well to where the scene is at it's brightest....in these situations you may find a reversed GND will work better (these are where the 2 stop part is at the centre before fading out towards the periphery of the filter). At this point you realise that you probably need a bazillion different filters for all the various situations you may encounter.....hence why some digital photographers start playing with HDR and exposure blending in post, instead of purchasing all these filters. Don't get me wrong there are still some situations where ND filters rule....like for getting slower shutters for moving water, but essentially imo GND are a PITA....and unless you already own a whole heap from the film days...learn to blend......and before someone chirps about learn to get it right in camera...i generally agree but not if it's going to cost me serious cash buying top grade filters
 
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