Neutral density graduated filter

Can anyone suggest a budget priced NDG filter for landscape photography, and also where to buy from?. I will be using it mainly on a tamron 18-250 lens.
I do have a ND filter, but want the graduated version for darkening the sky.
Thanks

You can get Cokin ND Grad filters for about £15-20 each I think. They are square and you would require an appropriate filter holder (similar price I think) and then an adaptor so that the whole lot will attach to whatever thread size you have on the front of your lens - am guessing about another £10 or so (?) - they are all available on amazon so that might be worth a browse. I have three cokin ND Grads which I bought from amazon with the filter holder in a set for £50 (plus a few pence).

Hope that helps

Mat W

try this link for ebay hitech filters

it all depends on the size and quality you want.

and here is some really cheap ones link

hope this helps you

and these are where I buy my filters from link

james

please read this forum on filters before you decide on the cheap filters link

I have the Cokin P series but i find that i cannot use it with my 16-50 DA* set to the 16mm end due to the holder being visible in the shot. If i had gone for the larger Z series this would not have been a problem plus i would have greater control over the amount of grad in the shot. So take care when choosing!

Regards - Pete

Cheap ND grads may not be neutral at all. Some have a distinct magenta hue to them. This may not be a problem for sunsets but it is a pain for other skies. I learned this from personal experience.

That's indeed true the Cokin P series is a bit purple.
The Cokin Z-pro is a lot better but also more expensive and you also have Hi-Tech (formatt) filters, I've heard good things about them but they are not cheap but you don't want to put cheap things in front of your expensive glass it will only degrade your photo, you might be better off with editing your photo digitally.

Amateur Photographer Mag carried out a test on several of the common ND Grad filters and all displayed a colour cast either blue or brown to varying degrees.
Wherever possible i take bracketed shots so that i can blend in the darker areas from one of the under exposed images. Though that cannot work in every case, I do prefer it to using a grad. Sometimes i make two different Images of the same shot in RAW converter and blend in the same way.Another useful way is to duplicate the layer in photoshop and then choose Multiply from the drop down menu (Where it says normal) this doubles the value of the colours then you can use the eraser tool to lighten the area`s that you want to keep bright or use the Opacity slider to adjust the level of darkening over larger area`s. If you need to darken more just add more layers.
Regards - Pete

I saw the AP test too. Of the budget ones the Koods came out best - very slight green colour cast. Shoot RAW and you can correct this at the conversion stage if it worries you but I haven't really noticed it with mine. What I have noticed is instantly better exposed skies with no need for combining shots in PS, which can be tricky sometimes. I use both methods and I think neither is clearly better than the other.

It`s horses for courses! I choose the method i think will best suite the shot. Sometimes there is`nt time to fit a ND or perhaps it`s not worth the bother! I prefer not to put anything in front of my lens unless the benefit outweighs the disadvantage. I have had to remove flare in Photoshop from using a grad too close to the angle of the sun. I can fit the Cokin hood for some focal lengths but not for the wider shots with the 16-50 using the P series grad. One other useful method is to apply a graduated filter in Photoshop. Best done on a clear layer so that you can adjust the opacity or even change the colour.
Besides, Doing it in PP is cheaper than forking out on a Grad , Adapters ,Holder and hood!



Regards - Pete.