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Polaroid Fader ND?

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Mar-O
Posts: 960 - Karma: 827
So I need some cheap 77mm ND filters for my Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens and I was wondering what you guys recommend. I found this cheap Polaroid Fader ND filter and I have read some good things about it and the quality looks good, but was wondering if it is some other ones I should look into for the same prize?
Going to use it fore filming in the sun.
Some test footage I found of the filter:
K+ for answers :)

Apr 17 2012 5:57PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
That guy made me want to kill myself.

Dont cheap out on a faderND. Don't cheap out on anything that is glass. I have the LCW fader ND and i love it.
Apr 17 2012 6:20PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
get an 82mm LCW Fader ND and a 77-82 step up ring, it will avoid vignette @17mm
Apr 17 2012 6:38PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
I use a 77mm on my tokina 11-16 and there is no vignette at 11mm.
Apr 17 2012 7:15PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
maybe I have it backwards and its on teles that they vig.
Apr 17 2012 7:23PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
wut.

how high are you crankin the fader?
Apr 17 2012 7:24PM
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family_vacation
Posts: 6200 - Karma: 7,840
?
Apr 17 2012 7:37PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/canon-eos-7d-hd/465033-does-fader-nd-vignette-canon-17-55mm.html

but the mk II has a front filter larger than the 77 (so an 82 front and 77 back) to prevent it.
Apr 17 2012 7:48PM
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ILoveOhio
Posts: 1793 - Karma: 253
The Lightcraft Workshop MKII fader ND filter is "cheaping out" too according to a ton of people but I'm on the fence about buying it. Not ready to drop almost $400 on a Singh-Ray but I don't want to suffer from the softness and color cast changes from the Genus and the LCW MKII. Decisions....
Apr 17 2012 8:04PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
Ha yeah, it kind of is cheaping out compared to like a heliopan ND fader but i couldnt justify 400 on a nd filter, the LCW works very well.
Apr 17 2012 8:49PM
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1337
Posts: 31054 - Karma: 29,231
400 on an ND would get you a nice set of B+W nd slims, so pointless
Apr 17 2012 8:53PM
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ILoveOhio
Posts: 1793 - Karma: 253
Are you satisfied with it? Does it make your lenses noticeably soft compared to shooting with no filter? I'm probably going to pick one up but only if it doesn't degrade the IQ noticeably.
Apr 17 2012 8:57PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
There is definitely a difference but is only noticeable with full 1080 files and if i pixel peep hard. Its barely any different, hard to notice.
Apr 17 2012 9:24PM
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Bmo.
Posts: 4907 - Karma: 2,667
threads for when i get paid
Apr 17 2012 11:33PM
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Mar-O
Posts: 960 - Karma: 827
I know it is probably taking away some of the quality of my lens but in the test footage video I didn't see much different between those two and I liked the quality of the both. I don't have too much money and I don't make any money or so on filming so if the different in quality of those two filters are that small that it seems in the video I wold like to save the extra money and buy the cheap one.
If anyone her has actually used the Polarid filter I wold liked to here about the build quality too, because I know that a filter like that must be pretty cheap to make so I don't see any reasons why the LCW fader ND needs to be that much better?
Apr 18 2012 11:32AM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Even the nicest fader NDs soften the image, which is why I don't use them.
Apr 19 2012 1:13PM
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CrotchKiller
Posts: 9037 - Karma: 6,943
what do you use?
Apr 19 2012 3:01PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Tiffen ND .9
Apr 19 2012 3:08PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
Which is unnoticeable unless you have a full 1080p file on a 24"+ screen. For being known for not pixel peeping, this is a very interesting statement by you landis.

I think a nice fader ND is a good tool, ive been using one all year, its on my camera 80% of the time. There is hardly any different between shots with it and without it, my shots with my ND fader are still very sharp.
Apr 19 2012 3:58PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
Haha touché. Mainly I just don't think it's worth the extra money when I could physically swap out filters and carry a wallet. And I don't know about you, but I watch my footage uncompressed on a 46" 1080p screen quite frequently. It's the standard by which I judge footage.

Although I do see the attraction to the ability to use any aperture and adjust the filter to expose, especially for journalistic scenarios and web output.
Apr 19 2012 4:25PM
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eheath
Posts: 61602 - Karma: 123,028
Yeah, ive thought about buying a set of NDs but im stoked on my fader as of now and im gonna stick with it. I never go past 3 or 4 stops of light on the fader and the fader tends to degrade the IQ less below 4 stops.
Apr 19 2012 4:36PM
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MLeone
Posts: 725 - Karma: 72
which one?
Apr 21 2012 10:55AM
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Mar-O
Posts: 960 - Karma: 827
Hey, I am bumping my old thread because I have gotten a little bit more money and still no ND filters. I now have around $200 that I can use on ND filters, but then I will be almost broke and no leftovers for a camera bag so I would prefer buying something cheaper.
I have read a lot of really mixed reviews on both the Light Craft Fader ND and the Genus, some people says it is perfect with now color shift and other says it is useless for anything more than 50mm and that the quality is really low before this to, (I will probably use it with my dads Canon 100-400mm).
Therefor I am not sure if I will take the risk on a fader ND and I have been looking into Tiffen ND filters instead. More precise this package which include 4 filters for $200.
Since I have never used any kind of ND filters I am not sure which I would need the most and therefor I think the package would be good, (I shoot mostly skateboarding and skiing).

But what do you guys think, do I need all 4 filters or should I go for only 1 or 2 of theme instead? Or should I still go for a fader ND (Light Craft or Genus?) which I think would be nice because then I don't need to change filters all the time.


Jun 18 2012 3:30PM
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