Strange ND Filter Issue

**Lowell Goudge** · 05-03-2012, 03:53 AM

Originally posted by Nass

Also, are you covering the eyepiece during the long exposure?

Originally posted by twitch

Now there's a thought.....

Won't be an issue unless the mirror does not cover 100% of the prism because the mirror is up . Usually the eyepiece impacts metering, but..... Maybe

v5planet · 05-07-2012, 09:05 AM

I was about to post a similar question. I just purchased a B+W ND110 along with a few Singh-Ray GNDs the other day. Took them out for the first time yesterday, and noticed this strange banding artifact along one edge of the frame in several photos. I have been unable to reproduce it on my own, but it appeared in several photos where I used the 10-stop ND filter in conjunction with a GND.

(excuse the terrible exposure)

There's obviously some weird glare going on there in general, but the clean vertical band was quite confusing to me. It appeared even on some shorter exposures (<10s). I will have to experiment with covering the viewfinder, though, because I think in all the photos it appeared, the camera was angled slightly downward (off this cliff). Sun was below the horizon in front of me, but perhaps there was enough light coming from behind and above?

v5planet · 05-07-2012, 09:19 AM

Quick follow up that will be of interest to the OP: not covering the viewfinder was exactly the problem I was having. Just ran out to the driveway and tried to reproduce my setup from yesterday:

DA15, 10-stop B+W, Singh-Ray GND
portrait orientation
facing direction of sunlight
camera angled downwards

The left image was taken without covering the viewfinder; the right image i just held my hand over it during the exposure. Striking difference.

Now I need to find my viewfinder cap, which I haven't seen in approximately 1000 years.

mikeSF · 05-07-2012, 10:49 AM

im late to the party but shoot a good bit with my 9-stop ND and that is classic light leakage from the eyepiece. I've screwed up many an outing by forgetting my cover but i've learned a lesson.
Now, if only those little covers weren't so easy to lose. I'm down to my last one and painted it white to help spot it with a flashlight in the dark. I lost the last one on the beach at night.

Last edited by mikeSF; 05-07-2012 at 11:02 AM.

Nass · 05-07-2012, 10:57 AM

*stops hitting head against brick wall*

**gordon_l34** · 05-08-2012, 01:56 PM

Hi,

What I have done is get one of those leads that allow you to hang your glasses around your neck, and attach one end to the camera strap and super glue the other end to the viewfinder cap. Use only Loctite brand super glue as it is the only one with any strength and longevity.

Regards.

twitch · 05-08-2012, 04:17 PM

This has me wondering, I've never covered the eyepiece for my long exposure shots on either my K-x or K-5 and my photos don't seem to suffer these kind of issues.... or maybe they do and I haven't noticed.

mikeSF · 05-08-2012, 04:21 PM

twitch, it mainly occurs when there is some light behind the camera and you have moved away from physically blocking the eyepiece, and most often with strong ND filters where the amount of light coming in the back is far greater than that coming though the lens.

mikeSF · 05-08-2012, 04:22 PM

in some cases, it may have resulted in a slight loss of contrast.

mikeSF · 05-08-2012, 04:25 PM

Originally posted by gordon_l34

Hi,

What I have done is get one of those leads that allow you to hang your glasses around your neck, and attach one end to the camera strap and super glue the other end to the viewfinder cap. Use only Loctite brand super glue as it is the only one with any strength and longevity.

Regards.

good tip, thanks! so far i have designated a tiny zipper pocket in my camera vest to hold the little bugger(in a small plastic SD card case). nevertheless, at times i need to utilize it, i always seem to be at the beach in 20mph winds.

twitch · 05-08-2012, 04:57 PM

Originally posted by mikeSF

twitch, it mainly occurs when there is some light behind the camera and you have moved away from physically blocking the eyepiece, and most often with strong ND filters where the amount of light coming in the back is far greater than that coming though the lens.

Mike, that describes just about every long exposure shot I take. Hmmm. I'll have to dig out the box the camera came in and see if I can find that little eye piece cover thing.

v5planet · 05-08-2012, 06:34 PM

Originally posted by twitch

Mike, that describes just about every long exposure shot I take. Hmmm. I'll have to dig out the box the camera came in and see if I can find that little eye piece cover thing.

I don't know twitch. it would only happen for me when the camera was pointed downward. if I recall most of your long exposures hepoint slightly upwards. there may not be enough light coming from below to be a problem.

twitch · 05-08-2012, 06:43 PM

Originally posted by v5planet

I don't know twitch. it would only happen for me when the camera was pointed downward. if I recall most of your long exposures hepoint slightly upwards. there may not be enough light coming from below to be a problem.

True, almost all are taken with bright sun behind camera, but the camera is pointing up. I'll experiment though and see if it makes any difference.

05-07-2012, 10:57 AM	#20
Nass Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The British Isles Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,402	stops hitting head against brick wall Last edited by Nass; 05-08-2012 at 02:32 PM.

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05-03-2012, 03:53 AM	#16
Lowell Goudge Site Supporter Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Toronto Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 17,886	Originally posted by Nass Also, are you covering the eyepiece during the long exposure? Originally posted by twitch Now there's a thought..... Won't be an issue unless the mirror does not cover 100% of the prism because the mirror is up . Usually the eyepiece impacts metering, but..... Maybe

05-07-2012, 09:05 AM	#17
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915	I was about to post a similar question. I just purchased a B+W ND110 along with a few Singh-Ray GNDs the other day. Took them out for the first time yesterday, and noticed this strange banding artifact along one edge of the frame in several photos. I have been unable to reproduce it on my own, but it appeared in several photos where I used the 10-stop ND filter in conjunction with a GND. (excuse the terrible exposure) There's obviously some weird glare going on there in general, but the clean vertical band was quite confusing to me. It appeared even on some shorter exposures (<10s). I will have to experiment with covering the viewfinder, though, because I think in all the photos it appeared, the camera was angled slightly downward (off this cliff). Sun was below the horizon in front of me, but perhaps there was enough light coming from behind and above?

05-07-2012, 09:19 AM	#18
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915	Quick follow up that will be of interest to the OP: not covering the viewfinder was exactly the problem I was having. Just ran out to the driveway and tried to reproduce my setup from yesterday: DA15, 10-stop B+W, Singh-Ray GND portrait orientation facing direction of sunlight camera angled downwards The left image was taken without covering the viewfinder; the right image i just held my hand over it during the exposure. Striking difference. Now I need to find my viewfinder cap, which I haven't seen in approximately 1000 years.

05-07-2012, 10:49 AM	#19
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,620	im late to the party but shoot a good bit with my 9-stop ND and that is classic light leakage from the eyepiece. I've screwed up many an outing by forgetting my cover but i've learned a lesson. Now, if only those little covers weren't so easy to lose. I'm down to my last one and painted it white to help spot it with a flashlight in the dark. I lost the last one on the beach at night. Last edited by mikeSF; 05-07-2012 at 11:02 AM.

05-08-2012, 01:56 PM	#21
gordon_l34 Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Brisbane, Australia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 779	Hi, What I have done is get one of those leads that allow you to hang your glasses around your neck, and attach one end to the camera strap and super glue the other end to the viewfinder cap. Use only Loctite brand super glue as it is the only one with any strength and longevity. Regards.

05-08-2012, 04:17 PM	#22
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	This has me wondering, I've never covered the eyepiece for my long exposure shots on either my K-x or K-5 and my photos don't seem to suffer these kind of issues.... or maybe they do and I haven't noticed.

05-08-2012, 04:21 PM	#23
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,620	twitch, it mainly occurs when there is some light behind the camera and you have moved away from physically blocking the eyepiece, and most often with strong ND filters where the amount of light coming in the back is far greater than that coming though the lens.

05-08-2012, 04:22 PM	#24
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,620	in some cases, it may have resulted in a slight loss of contrast.

05-08-2012, 04:25 PM	#25
mikeSF Pentaxian Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: East Bay Area, CA Photos: Gallery Posts: 6,620	Originally posted by gordon_l34 Hi, What I have done is get one of those leads that allow you to hang your glasses around your neck, and attach one end to the camera strap and super glue the other end to the viewfinder cap. Use only Loctite brand super glue as it is the only one with any strength and longevity. Regards. good tip, thanks! so far i have designated a tiny zipper pocket in my camera vest to hold the little bugger(in a small plastic SD card case). nevertheless, at times i need to utilize it, i always seem to be at the beach in 20mph winds.

05-08-2012, 04:57 PM	#26
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	Originally posted by mikeSF twitch, it mainly occurs when there is some light behind the camera and you have moved away from physically blocking the eyepiece, and most often with strong ND filters where the amount of light coming in the back is far greater than that coming though the lens. Mike, that describes just about every long exposure shot I take. Hmmm. I'll have to dig out the box the camera came in and see if I can find that little eye piece cover thing.

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05-08-2012, 06:34 PM	#27
v5planet Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Seattle Photos: Albums Posts: 1,915	Originally posted by twitch Mike, that describes just about every long exposure shot I take. Hmmm. I'll have to dig out the box the camera came in and see if I can find that little eye piece cover thing. I don't know twitch. it would only happen for me when the camera was pointed downward. if I recall most of your long exposures hepoint slightly upwards. there may not be enough light coming from below to be a problem.

05-08-2012, 06:43 PM	#28
twitch Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 4,571	Originally posted by v5planet I don't know twitch. it would only happen for me when the camera was pointed downward. if I recall most of your long exposures hepoint slightly upwards. there may not be enough light coming from below to be a problem. True, almost all are taken with bright sun behind camera, but the camera is pointing up. I'll experiment though and see if it makes any difference.