Hard or Soft Grads

snips86x · 21 Oct 2014 at 07:19

I'm looking to buy my first graduated filter set and not sure what to go for, looking for the best/easiest solution for someone starting out with filters.

Hard Grad Set - at the top of the list

Soft Grad Set - at the top of the list

Which do you think would be a better buy?

V-Spec · 21 Oct 2014 at 07:59

I have a full set off Lee filters, primarily used them for film then moved them over to digital, the one I use the most (and the one I'd say everybody who uses filters needs) is a 0.9 hard grad (3 stops) I hardly ever use the soft version, I sometimes use a 0.75 hard to try and balance a scene - but most of the time it's a 0.9 hard,

snips86x · 22 Oct 2014 at 07:32

V-Spec said:
I have a full set off Lee filters, primarily used them for film then moved them over to digital, the one I use the most (and the one I'd say everybody who uses filters needs) is a 0.9 hard grad (3 stops) I hardly ever use the soft version, I sometimes use a 0.75 hard to try and balance a scene - but most of the time it's a 0.9 hard,

Thanks.

Do you use any other filters in conjunction with the 0.9? 2 or 3 stop ND?

Jase · 22 Oct 2014 at 09:42

Well it's good to see you are looking at the Lee set, by far the best I've used.. I started off with a Cokin set but got fed up with it within a week and changed to Lee, best decision I made.

I'd say the 0.9 also if you're looking to start off with minimum amount, I got the hard as part of my first set.

It may also be worth getting a polarizer, if it's landscape you're interested make sure you get the new landscape one which is thinner and better for wideangle lens (you'll need the adaptor ring for this).

Later on when you're feeling rich pick up a Big Stopper, good fun

V-Spec · 22 Oct 2014 at 09:52

snips86x said:
Thanks.

Do you use any other filters in conjunction with the 0.9? 2 or 3 stop ND?

Yeah,

I have a little stopper, and a big stopper - which I use for more creative stuff (when I get a chance lol) when I was shooting large format, I sometimes used multiple hard-grads to better balance a scene,

The Lee holder is very good, and I've never had any issues with light reflecting between filters,

Basically - it's the best system there is,

snips86x · 22 Oct 2014 at 12:12

Thanks for your help guys!

I already have the filter holder with 3 slots, wide angle adapter and a 10-stop filter (forget the make) from the MM all for £90, which was a bargain I think.

I'm watching a 0.9 Hard Grad on eBay hoping to get a bargain - they're only £70 new. While the 10-stop should be 'OK', what ND filter do would you recommend to pair with the grad? 0.6/0.9?

Not looking to spend loads, just looking to get a feel for using filters and experiment before potentially expanding my collection!

D.P. · 22 Oct 2014 at 13:44

I agree with the others, a 0.9 3 stop hard grad. The thing is with modern digital then 1-2 stops is easy to pull in post processing if you expose right in the field (expose to the right but preserve highlights, which might well mean under exposing).

Hard grads work very well when you have that hard separation between sky and horizon. When you don't have such separation then the soft can be useful but is in general less effective because. When there is complexity in the sperate on of sky and foreground then I think th best method is to take multiple bracketed exposure and blend in post with something like Enfuse. Don't think overcooked vomit inducing HDR, just think about balancing natural exposures for shadows and highlights, just like your eyes can do. Good exposure blending should result in an HDR image that conventionally one doesn't believe is HDR because it looks natural, they way your eyes would perceive the scene.

snips86x · 23 Oct 2014 at 08:39

Great - I'm bidding on a 0.9 hard grad filter and I have a 77mm 3 stop - which may/may not work with the grad, we'll find out.

V-Spec · 23 Oct 2014 at 10:09

snips86x said:
Great - I'm bidding on a 0.9 hard grad filter and I have a 77mm 3 stop - which may/may not work with the grad, we'll find out.

Should work fine, I've never had any real issues using filters, the only issue i've heard of is with cheaper systems where the filters are spaced farther apart - so you end up with light reflecting between filters, but you don't get this with the Lee system.

All I would say, is if you're using a wide-angle lens, (shorter than 35mm) and you're using a screw on ND, you might need to get the "wide-angle" filter holder, otherwise you could end up with some vignetting in the corners,

snips86x · 26 Oct 2014 at 16:55

Just secured a 0.9 Hard Grad in mint condition for £66!! BOOM!! Cannot wait to try it out!

snips86x · 1 Nov 2014 at 08:37

Here is my first shot using the 0.9 hard grad filter.

Cleisthenes · 1 Nov 2014 at 15:57

Nice, you'll be wanting a Big Stopper soon enough

Bought a set of hitech soft GND filters the other day and they seem to be working a treat so far. I then bought a big stopper as I'm by the seaside and needed one in my life haha. You appreciate how much the GND helps when you see the final shots in post, sometimes I don't realise how much of a difference it makes though!

Hunders · 3 Nov 2014 at 12:37

Personally, I don't really see the point of ND grads in this digital age. All I do when I need that 'grad' effect is to take two or more pictures and then blend them in photoshop.

JBuk · 3 Nov 2014 at 13:01

They are still useful but having near 14 stops of DR on my D800 I prefer to just use Lightfoot and tweak and balance the exposure levels digitally

Rexxar · 6 Nov 2014 at 15:42

Only have a set of soft grads, they're useful but have times when I want to use a hard grad for a horizon that's got little on it.

Never really gotten good results with them, next on the list is a big stopper

D.P. · 6 Nov 2014 at 15:56

Hunders said:
Personally, I don't really see the point of ND grads in this digital age. All I do when I need that 'grad' effect is to take two or more pictures and then blend them in photoshop.

If there is movement between frames then this sucks, otherwise it works well.

ND Grads just make the whole process easier and you spend more time in the field and less behind a computer. I prefer the former.

Where possible blending can achieve better results though because you aren't limited to the linear gradient.

D.P. · 6 Nov 2014 at 15:57

JBuk said:
They are still useful but having near 14 stops of DR on my D800 I prefer to just use Lightfoot and tweak and balance the exposure levels digitally

14 stops certainly helps but it is not that uncommon to try to shoot scenes with 20+ stops DR. Sunrise on a mountaintop can easily be 20stops or more above the shadows in the foreground.

Rexxar · 6 Nov 2014 at 16:29

For the uneducated... DR stops?

john_s · 6 Nov 2014 at 20:26

Dynamic Range.

The difference in light level between the shadows and highlights.