Sports Photography Forum

Share your sports photos and discuss sports photography techniques and issues. This forum is moderated by SmartWombat.
Featured Photo
Photo by Tumber

by Tumber
Featured Photo Archive >>
Results 1 to 9 of 9
  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    4

    Neutral density filters

    Could anyone please tell me if an nd8 would be suitable for use in sports mode with a 40 -150 lens on an Olympus e420

  2. #2
    Chris Anderson-Photography fidgety's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Machesney Park, IL
    Posts
    501

    Re: Neutral density filters

    What would you want to do with it?
    Chris Anderson
    Sportsshooter.com Member
    Southcreek Global Media
    MaxPreps

  3. #3
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    4

    Re: Neutral density filters

    Thanks for the reply,my mate started sidecar racing last year & i went along to get some photos,but as you would expect the action was frozen,ive seen images using neutral density filters that show motion.which filter number would i need & would it affect the camera in sports mode whilst panning
    Thanks
    Steve

  4. #4
    Chris Anderson-Photography fidgety's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Machesney Park, IL
    Posts
    501

    Re: Neutral density filters

    Quote Originally Posted by stevearthur900
    Thanks for the reply,my mate started sidecar racing last year & i went along to get some photos,but as you would expect the action was frozen,ive seen images using neutral density filters that show motion.which filter number would i need & would it affect the camera in sports mode whilst panning
    Thanks
    Steve
    If you're looking for motion in your images, try a slow shutter speed like 1/60 of a second and pan on the bike and sidecar as they go by but make sure you keep it very steady. The bike with be a sharp image but the background will have blur to it from the panning of the camera and that will give you a sense of motion in your image. I'm not sure what a neutral density filter in terms of showing motion but maybe somebody knows somehting I don't.
    Chris Anderson
    Sportsshooter.com Member
    Southcreek Global Media
    MaxPreps

  5. #5
    Senior Member OldClicker's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2008
    Location
    Mundelein, IL USA
    Posts
    4,075

    Re: Neutral density filters

    Quote Originally Posted by fidgety
    If you're looking for motion in your images, try a slow shutter speed like 1/60 of a second and pan on the bike and sidecar as they go by but make sure you keep it very steady. The bike with be a sharp image but the background will have blur to it from the panning of the camera and that will give you a sense of motion in your image. I'm not sure what a neutral density filter in terms of showing motion but maybe somebody knows somehting I don't.
    Well, if it's a really sunny day, maybe he cannot get down to 1/60 sec without the filter??? - TF
    -----------------
    I am no better than you. I critique to teach myself to see.
    -----------------
    Feel free to edit my photos or do anything else that will help me learn.
    -----------------
    Sony/Minolta - way more gear than talent.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2006
    Location
    Greenville, KY, USA
    Posts
    522

    Re: Neutral density filters

    You could go with a higher shutter speed and panning to still get the effect you want. The difference is going to be learning manual settings instead of trying to use "Sports" mode. When you use any auto setting the camera is going to try to get what it considers a good exposure and that won't necessarily be the result you are looking for.
    Daniel - PixElite Photography

    http://www.pixelitephotography.com
    http://www.actionphototips.com
    http://www.maxpreps.com
    I use Nikon Professional gear.

  7. #7
    drg
    drg is offline
    la recherche de trolls drg's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2004
    Location
    Route 66
    Posts
    3,404

    Re: Neutral density filters

    A high quality Circular Polarized (CP) would do you as much good to start as a ND filter. CP's provide at least 1 to 2 stops that allow a slightly larger aperture at a given shutter speed. Then you can also have the added benefits of variable glare control and mild Dynamic Compression if you need it in intense light such as high noon or shooting into the sun.

    For that blur of motion with action good panning technique is a must to learn.
    CDPrice 'drg'
    Biography and Contributor's Page


    Please do not edit and repost any of my photographs.






  8. #8
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2010
    Location
    ENGLAND
    Posts
    4

    Re: Neutral density filters

    Thanks to everyone for thier replies,certainly got some things to try now

  9. #9
    Captain of the Ship Photo-John's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2001
    Location
    Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
    Posts
    15,422

    Re: Neutral density filters

    Quote Originally Posted by dhyravy
    You could go with a higher shutter speed and panning to still get the effect you want. The difference is going to be learning manual settings instead of trying to use "Sports" mode. When you use any auto setting the camera is going to try to get what it considers a good exposure and that won't necessarily be the result you are looking for.
    dhyravy's post has the key piece of information in this thread. The Sports mode tries to keep the shutter speed as high as possible in order to freeze action. So if you pan, it's going to speed up the shutter speed even more. And if you add a neutral density filter, the camera will probably just increase the sensitivity resulting in really noisy images.

    What you need to do is start shooting in the shutter priority mode. Try 1/125th of a second and see how that works. For fast motorsports, that's usually about as slow as you want to go. You can use that as a starting point and try slower and faster so you can see the variations. And please post some photos so we can see and offer more tips
    Photo-John

    Your reviews are the foundation of this site - Write A Review!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •