What circular ND 10 stop filter to buy?

teigas

I recently tried out a B+w 10 grad circular nd 10 stop filter. And want to buy a similar filter with 10stops. There are a lot of brands out there, so I wanted to check what your experiences with 10 stop nd filters are, and what brands you recommend.?
I have the Nikon D800, and the lens I want to use it on is the Nikon 24-70 f2.8. I also have the Nikon 14-24mm F2.8 but I think I will stick with using the 24 - 70 for long exposures, since it's really expensive with filter kit for the 14-24.

I think I want a filter that is just 10 stop, not the vario filters. I have heard that they are not so good? Is that correct?
Also wondering is the square ones better than the cirular ones? Or just easier to remove for composing?
I See hitech, lee, singh ray, b+w, hoya at least have filters.
So If you have some personal experiences with brands and products I would love to hear them.

proudgeek

I shoot the B&W on a D800 using either the 17-35 or the 24-70. I've been pretty happy with the results. When I originally bought it I used it on a D90 and learned (the hard way) that one had to block the viewfinder in order to get proper exposure. The D800 of course makes this easy.

sevencrossing

I also use and like the B&W on a D800 but use the 16-35 or 24 -120 f 4 VRs
I tend to find the exposure with out the filter, then calculate the new exposure with an i Phone app Long Time

henrik1963

I want to know too :-) And ad Tiffen ND3.0 10 stop filter to the mix.

Golf007sd

I have the Hoya 77mm ND-400 filter. It has performed very admirably for me so far. Given that you have the B&W you might want to consider staying with one brand...which is what I have done. Hence, I have all Hoya filters. Both of these filters will do the job and do it very well.

As for square vs circular, I prefer the circular one's due to easy of transport. This has become very clear to me after purchasing Fotdiox WonderPana FreeArc for my 14-24. One thing for sure, the quality of the WinderPana is outstanding, but does take up good amount of space in one of my backpacks. Hence, it has its own bag :P

Some reviews for added assistance:

adamz

teigas - why not stick to the B&W ND grad? personally I'm looking to buy the 1000x MRC one.

adamz

@ali - how is the wonderpana? please share some shots.

Photobug

I have had excellent experience with the Tiffen grad filter on a D300 and D7100 using several different lenses. Recently got the Tiffen 10x ND variable filter and it's terrific.

Golf007sd

@ali - how is the wonderpana? please share some shots.

Have not use it yet buddy....LoL! :P

adamz

@golf - if you don't need it I'll be more than happy to take care of it I'll find a use for it on my 14-24/2.8

Golf007sd

@adamz: Love your show buddy. Yet, not using it does NOT mean I do not need it. :P Just have to find the time to go use it in a venue that allows for it full usage. With that said, the next time we meet you are more than welcome to mount it on your gear and use it to your hearts content

teigas

I dont own the B+w, i just borrowed it from a friend. But I want to buy a 10 stop filer for myself, and are checking out what filters people recomend and have personal experience with.

adamz

you can't get better, at least I don't know any other way to get better with ND
https://www.schneideroptics.com/Ecommerce/CatalogItemDetail.aspx?CID=679&IID=8119

Beso

I have both B+W and heliopan filters. Lately have been buying heliopan almost exclusively. I don't think you can go wrong with either brand. There are several things you want to consider in a good filter. One, the quality of the glass needs to be excellent. You don't want a filter degrading your image. Two, thin is better. Thicker screw-on filters can induce vignetting. Three, the filter should be coated to reduce/prevent reflection and glare/flare.
Good filters are expensive but can provide a lifetime of service if properly cared for. You have an excellent camera and lenses. Use a filter of a quality that supports the image quality your camera/lens will produce.

Elvishefer

I have the B+W, no complaints.

I've had my eye on the Singh Ray 8 stop variable ND for a long time but haven't pulled the trigger yet. It also has a decent reputation.

Photobug

Elvishefer, if you can afford the Singh Ray, go for it. Pros seems to love them and one proconsumer I know loves his.

Elvishefer

Yeah I hear you, it's a great rep but I haven't been doing as much portraiture so it hasn't been a priority... always something better to buy instead.

FlowtographyBerlin

Just in case you're interested in a comparison between the B+W and the rather affordable Haida filters, I recently compared the ND3.0 (10 stop) versions.

Don't know much about the availability of Haida outside of Europe, though. B+W always has excellent optical and haptical quality, but if I had to buy new filters, I'd check out the supposedly unbreakable Hoya HD2 series. Don't know anything about their optical performance, though.