What are the real advantages of ND filters?

Post by **Scotness** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:39 pm

Just wondering what's the real advantage of using ND filters - as opposed to just closing the apperture down?

Is it that you can darken the view but still keep the aperture down and thus read a little more into the shadow areas than you would be able to if you just closed the apperture down - or is that all negated becuase you've darkened the image with the ND filter to begin with?

Or is it simply that it allows you to extend the effective f-stop range of the camera?

Scot

Post by **skyliner** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 12:47 pm

If you want a shallow depth of field in bright daylight, ND is the onlt way I can think of.
I like to use focus pulls, but you've got to get the apperture wide to do it, so you haul the light down with an ND

Post by **mattias** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:09 pm

the only reason to use one is if you for some reason can't or don't want to stop down. stopping down gives you more dof, more lens flare, possibly some loss of sharpness compared to the sweet spot of the lens, and as soon as you reach the end of the scale you can't stop down further. so if you want shallower dof, less flare, more sharpness and don't want to be limited by the end of the scale, use a nd filter. :-)

(off topic language question: is it a nd or an nd? i've been taught that in writing you should look at what letter the acronym begins with whithout considering how it's pronounced, so it's a nd, a sos, a r2 unit. correct?)

/matt

Post by **Sonic Truth** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 1:30 pm

[/quote]so it's a nd, a sos, a r2 unit. correct?)

No, when using an acronym, you would say "an".

Post by **mattias** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 2:57 pm

yeah, i know what you *say*, the question is what you *write*...

/matt

Post by **skyliner** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:06 pm

"None of my filters is missing."
Is also correct English even though it feels wrong!
(because none is a contraction of 'not one'.

The main advantage of ND filters is that they teach us all about English grammar :lol:

Post by **mattias** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:20 pm

"a sos" gives 30000 hits on google while "an sos" gives 25000, so it's a tough call. my guess is that the dictionary says one thing but people don't give a damn because it's kind of stupid. :-) sorry for the thread hijacking. it just struck me...

/matt

Post by **Sonic Truth** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:33 pm

You would write and say, "An SOS" "An ND" etc, because thay start with Vowel-sounds.

Post by **S8 Booster** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:47 pm

Since I always fuck up the a ans myself I turned my Webster Dictionary (American?) which says:

a, [(a with a (-)) on top], the indefinite article, a contraction of an, used before nouns singular beginning with a consonant sound. AN

Definition anyone?

R

Post by **Sonic Truth** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 3:53 pm

Is also correct English even though it feels wrong!
(because none is a contraction of 'not one'.

In this case "none" means "not any"

So the sentence would have to be "None of my filters are missing"

Post by **mattias** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:17 pm

Sonic Truth wrote:You would write and say, "An SOS" "An ND" etc, because thay start with Vowel-sounds.

i know the rule, but i've heard several people claim that there's an exception for acronyms. how else do you explain my results regarding "a sos"? :-)

i'm going to do some serious research now...

/matt

Post by **mattias** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:29 pm

http://www.grammartips.homestead.com/acronyms.html

from now on i'll just write what i say, which is my philosophy anyway. written language that's different from how we speak must die. :-)

/matt

Post by **Sonic Truth** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 4:41 pm

Mattias, the webpage is wrong.

FTP, HTTP, ND, FBI, CIA HIV etc ..these are all abbreviations, not acronyms.

AIDS, however, is an acronym.

You would always say "An SOS" "AN ND"

there are no exceptions.

A few years ago the americans wanted to standardise all english, to the american way, including spelling. Sulfate instead of Sulphate, etc, If this happens , im gonna cut my ears off! those pesky americans!!!

Anyway what were you saying about ND filters scotness? lol

Post by **mattias** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 5:55 pm

Sonic Truth wrote:Mattias, the webpage is wrong.
[...]
You would always say "An SOS" "AN ND"

but that's exactly what the web page says!?! if it's wrong then you must be wrong too. make up your mind. :-)

as for the confusion between abbreviations and acronyms (which are also abbreviations by the way, but not vice versa) on the web page, does it matter in this case? didn't we come to the conclusion that it's how it's pronounced that counts, no matter the type of word?

/matt

Post by **Sonic Truth** » Wed Oct 22, 2003 6:32 pm

I agree with the webpage about "a" and "an",

but the page is wrong about calling FTP, HTTP, acronyms, they are abbreviations, but as you say, it doesn't matter in this case.

Skyliner was wrong bout saying "None of my filters is missing" being correct english though.

"None of my filters ARE missing" is correct, as "none" in this case is taken to mean "not any" and not "Not one"

Love from simon.

xx