10 Stop Filters - Which do you use?

Hi Everyone

We've had a fair few images posted on the Gallery and in the Forum which have been taken using 10 stop filters, in fact this post is inspired by Cardiff Gareth's latest 10 stop image 'Aberthaw The Lays in Blue Hour'. I'm a big fan of these filters, not just for water, but to create other effects like blur in moving objects, multiple ghostly images or streaks in the clouds. During my time in digital photography I've tried all sorts of different filters (including welding glass), but the only one I ever want to use now (apart from an infra-red filter) is the Haida 10-stopper, as it gives natural, saturated colour with no colour cast.

What 10 stopper do you use and why?

This image is with the Haida and a Samsung 12-24 lens.




Cheers
David

I use two different types. A Haida circular one (77 mm) which I have used for ages and I think is excellent - no noticeable colour cast. I have recently also started using a Lee Big Stopper. I use this when I am also using Grad NDs as I find it very difficult to set the Grad in the correct position when using the (screw-in) Haida. With the Lee, I can just drop that in behind the Grad. which just makes things easier. Personally, I don't think that the Lee has much of a colour cast - slightly cold maybe when compared to the Haida.

I'll continue to use both depending on circumstances, and would recommend either.

Phil

I'm interested in seeing the results as would like to invest at some point in a 10 stopper and the neutral the better

This one was with a zomei ultra slim screw in 72mm on a 77mm threaded lens, with a step down ring. 10 stop, no colour correction.
The why is easy, I came across it cheap. 😁😁😁

I use am 82mm Haida 10 stopper:


It is used with a 77mm-82mm step-up ring on a set of 49mm to 77mm step-up rings, I had the 77mm filter but passed that on to my step son when I bouoght the K1 and DFA 24-70.

I use the Lee big stopper, and I have noticed that on a very wide lens like the FA 15-30mm it gives noticeable vignetting. This I think is because the resin material contains the tint so at the sides the light passes through the filter obliquely and thus through a greater thickness. This would not happen on a surface coated glass filter like the more expensive Lee ProGlass, and is quite fiddly to remove in post-processing. The resin ones do, as Gareth says, have a bluish cast but that can be readily compensated for; its worth either adjusting white balance in camera (use “shade” or “cloudy”), or taking a shot without filters to record the colour temperature.

Some interesting responses, the Haida seems very popular and I think deservedly so. If anything it adds a little warmth, which is easy to adjust in post processing if this is required (usually I leave it 'as is').

Your filter seems pretty good Derek, there is a slight blue cast which I think could easily be dialled out in processing.

Regards
David

You may well be right David.
I'll check it next time I use it, and post an as shot and an adjusted one.
Thanks for the heads up, 👍👍👍

I too have just this week received my Zomei

Had a very quick trial and it seemed ok. Construction wise it's very good quality, but I'm yet to really assess it/put it through it's paces.

I'm particular about buying at least mid range, or where it's reviewed very well, and I'm not against trying non major brand options in case i little gold nuggest turns up.
However, I am anti anything that might actually worsen image quality. Tint casts are usually easily corrected if you shoot raw, but it's rather subject matter dependant.

If you're going to eventually go high key (hope that's the right term) and very contrasty, or switch to black and white, then cheaper models may fit the bill perfectly.

I use a NiSi square filter kit. Which includes a ND 10, as well as an ND 6, a grad, and a polariser. It all comes in a protective hard case. It is a filter system. Each of the square filters also have a foam backing to stop stray light entering the front of the lens. It is easy to use with stacked filters. I don't get a colour cast with exposures up to 30 seconds in length. I have not tried a longer bulb exposure. Not cheap, but really good quality. I am pretty sure that the filters are glass and not resin. I am not sure if that makes a difference, but you really don't want to drop them

Image wise with stacked filters, the image does not seem to be degraded at all. In the first image, I can see someone's fishing line in trees to the left of the image when looking at the raw file.




And these ones are taken in the middle of the day in Australia where the light levels are pretty bright.







All taken on a K3 and Sigma 18-35 1.8

Regards

Gary

I use Kase 82mm 10 stop filter. No light leakage from the screw ins. No colour cast. In the top quality filter bracket. Dumped the Zomei filter for this. when I changed to FF and needed 82mm filters, Far better quality.

Better images than mine using Kase filters...
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1771765102837620/?multi_permalinks=2530026040344...

So so far we've got the Haida, NiSi and Kase looking pretty juicy. I'll check out how much they are

When I was in the market for filters last year, I was actually looking for kase, but couldn't find stock anywhere, ended up with nisi. Which turned out positive anyway.