Often it is necessary or desirable to balance the light intensity in one part of a scene with another. This is especially true in situations where you don't have total light control, as in bright contrasty landscapes. Exposing for the foreground will produce a washed-out, over-exposed sky while exposing for the sky will leave the foreground dark and under-exposed. Hitech Grad ND filters are part clear, part neutral density (available in grades of .3 (1 stop), .6 (2 stops), .9 (3 stops), 1.2 (4 stops)). They allow the transition to be blended into the scene, often imperceptibly. A neutral density .6-to-clear, with a two stop differential, will generally compensate the average bright sky-to-foreground situation and is also the most popular density of the series.
Hitech graduated neutral density filters are available with soft or hard transitions from dark to clear. The soft edge is recommended for wide angle lenses and the hard edge is recommended for normal and longer lenses.
This filter measures 85 x 107mm and fits the Cokin P series holder.
Neutral Density factors:
ND.3 (exposure adjustment = 1 stop)
ND.6 (exposure adjustment = 2 stops)
ND.9 (exposure adjustment = 3 stops)
ND1.2 (exposure adjustment = 4 stops)
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Comments about Hitech 85mm Graduated ND 0.3 Resin Filter - Soft Edge - for Cokin P:
Bought this before a trip to Moab, UT. Came in real handy during sunrise when I wanted to keep the details in the rocks in the foreground. I had never heard of Hitech and was a little leary about using a brand I had never heard of but so far I am very pleased with this filter at half the cost of the LEE.
Pros
Cons
Best Uses
Comments about Hitech 85mm Graduated ND 0.3 Resin Filter - Soft Edge - for Cokin P:
It works as advertised and is well calibrated to 2 stops. I find the Hitech filters to be excellent quality and worth a bit more than the cheaper, crappier Cokin ones.
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