Description

What is a graduated neutral density filter (GND)?

GND filters are pieces of glass that are darkened at one end and clear at the other end. In between, there is a transition point from dark to clear which varies depending on the specific type of GND. They even out the exposure of a scene that naturally consists of a bright section (sky) and a darker section (foreground). The use of GNDs assists with capturing the dynamic range of a scene using a single exposure instead of blending multiple exposures with different shutter speeds.

How strong is my GND?

The degree of light blocking for a GND uses the same terminology as described for ND filters. There is a slight difference in that the stated strength only refers to the darkest part of the filter. With most GND filters, the darkest part of the filter will be at the top end of the filter when placed in the filter holder. The nature of the transition from dark to clear is described by the type of GND.

Hard GND Filter

Hard-edged GNDs have a sudden transition from dark to clear. This type of filter is most appropriate for scenes that have a sudden transition from the foreground to the sky. Most commonly, this would include landscapes with no elements protruding above the horizon such as a seascape looking toward the open ocean. They can be used shooting into the direct light where a sharp transition is needed. When used shooting away from the light, they can produce very moody and dramatic skies. Avoid using them where elements protrude above the horizon since those elements will appear very dark above the transition line in your image.

The 100x150mm Nano IR Hard Graduated Neutral Density filter from Nisi is specially designed for landscape photographers. This filter is made from high-quality optical glass (not resin) with nano coating to prevent losing any single bit of detail. Neutral density filters do not affect the coloration of the image and the 0.9 density provides a 3 stop reduction in light from entering the lens. This filter measures 3.9 x 5.9″ / 100 x 150mm and is compatible with the Nisi 100mm filter holder or other 100mm Standard Filter Holder (Lee, Cokin, or Formatt Hitech). The filter can be repositioned in the holder allowing recompose the photo for the best result.

By using a neutral density filter the camera is vulnerable to infrared light which will cast the unwanted red color to the photos when shooting at a small aperture. Nisi added the infrared protection coating layer to this filter which helps to eliminate the infrared light through the lens to bring back the nature color.