Our magnetic ND Filter from Kase
The Kase Wolverine K100 Neutral Density Filters are perfect for adjusting the amount of light that penetrates the camera sensor. Due to the longer exposure times, for example, the movement of the clouds can be captured or water can be drawn silky smooth. Due to the different strengths, graded in ND8, ND64 and ND1000, there is the right filter for you for every situation. Below you will find a table and a recommendation in which situation which filter should be used and what effect this has on the exposure time.
The Kase Wolverine series scores with excellent color neutrality. This is supported by the high-precision optical glass used, which is also extremely impact-resistant. In addition, the filters are very easy to clean thanks to the oil and water-repellent coating. If you don't have a filter holder for your lens yet, you can find it in our kits or in the filter holder category.
What is an ND filter and what do I use it for?
An ND filter or gray filter is screwed or plugged in front of the lens to reduce the light hitting the camera sensor. This function can be compared to that of sunglasses. Because if you look directly into the sun, after a short moment you only see white. The sensor of a camera can also be "dazzled" and is comparable to the iris of the eye. This overexposes the image and may make it unusable as a result. ND means "neutral density" or in English "neutral-density".
The gray filters we offer are often used in landscape photography when a long exposure is necessary. For example, you can use the filter when recording a lake where you want to achieve a smoothing effect, or with moving bodies of water such as a river or a waterfall. However, the ND filter becomes necessary above all if, despite setting the desired f-number, the exposure cannot be long enough without the image appearing overexposed.
An ND filter can also be useful for portrait photography with a relatively open aperture (blurred background) and a relatively short exposure time. Especially when taking pictures outdoors in the morning or in the evening when the sun is low in the sky, the light falling directly on the sensor can be very extreme. The ND filter then makes photography against the sun possible. Basically, it's always worth having at least one gray filter in your pocket if you want to take pictures in good weather.
The right exposure time with gray filter
As already mentioned, the length of the exposure time is linked to the strength of the gray filter. With an ND8 filter, the exposure would be 8 times longer. For example, if the camera specifies 1/20 second as the correct exposure time, using an ND1000 gray filter will result in an exposure of 50 seconds.
Aperture priority, also known as aperture priority, can also be used. You determine the aperture yourself and the camera automatically calculates the appropriate exposure time. In the vast majority of cases, modern cameras produce a very good result. For an architectural or landscape photo, you should usually use an aperture value between 9 and 11 in order to achieve the greatest possible depth of field.
So if you want to take pictures with an ND filter, you have to have settings for shutter speed, ISO and aperture. This means that you should take pictures in "M" mode, i.e. the manual mode.
Table of the ND filters we offer
f-stops Shutter speed increase factor
Neutral density |
|
|
filter designation
|
0,9 |
3 |
8x |
ND8 |
1,8 |
6 |
64x |
ND64 |
3,0 |
10 |
1000x |
ND1000 |
The various filters are designed to take the best possible photos in different everyday situations and times of day. In addition to the gray filters, there are also so-called polarizing filters. These do not reduce the incidence of light, but serve to avoid reflections. Polarizing filters are particularly popular with green and blue tones, i.e. mainly in landscape photography.