B+W ND Filter 806 ND106 37 mm, six f-stops MRC Nano. ND filters or neutral density (ND) filters are used if too much light restricts creative possibilities. They reduce the light in accordance with their density. They therefore allow longer exposure times or more widely opened apertures. Applications are highly varied and in some cases experimental. For very bright motifs in the snow or on the beach the aperture would also have to be closed, despite minimum exposure time. This would mean losing the option of short depth of field, e. g. for portraits. ND filters can produce wipe effects in movements if the exposure time can be extended with the required aperture. A waterfall then no longer appears to be frozen, but as a flowing motion. ND filters create ingenious effects in architecture or urban photography. With long exposure times of several hours, people walking through the shot are blurred or not reproduced at all. For physical reasons, very dense filters possess a warm tone which can be compensated in image processing.
Available with different densities
B + W ND Filters are available with several different densities, which gives the photographer the opportunity to choose a filter that suits each situation.
MRC Nano (Multi Resistant Coating)
Nano Anti-reflective coating means a very tight and hard surface seal of the filter. MRC Nano has seven layers of anti-reflective coating on both filter surfaces. On top of the anti-reflective coating, an extremely hard protective layer is applied that resists dirt, moisture and is extra resistant to scratches and facilitates cleaning. The MRC Nano treatment of filters increases the light transmission to about 99% (an untreated filter glass lets through 92%).
XS-Pro Filter Mount
XS-Pro brass filter socket, designed to also fit wide-angle and zoom lenses. Despite its compact size, thickness 3.4mm, it has a front thread for accessories, e.g. snap-in lock. The brass is lacquered in a matte, black color that minimizes reflections.
Video
Exposure change with ND filter
Table showing aperture and shutter speed when using ND filters
Stop > |
8 |
11 |
16 |
22 |
32 |
Time > |
1/500 |
1/250 |
1/25 |
1/60 |
1/30 |
ND 0.3 |
1/250 |
1/125 |
1/60 |
1/30 |
1/15 |
ND 0.6 |
1/125 |
1/60 |
1/30 |
1/15 |
1/8 |
ND 1.8 |
1/8 |
1/4 |
0.5 sec. |
1 sec. |
2 sec. |
ND 3.0 |
2 sec. |
4 sec. |
8 sec. |
15 sec. |
30 sec. |
Filter factor
The density of an ND filter can be described with different units.
Type |
|
Optical Density |
F-Stops |
Filter Factor |
LV |
% |
101 |
- |
ND 0.3 |
+1 |
2 x |
-1 |
50 |
102 |
802 |
ND 0.6 |
+2 |
4 x |
-2 |
25 |
103 |
803 |
ND 0.9 |
+3 |
8 x |
-3 |
12.5 |
106 |
806 |
ND 1.8 |
+6 |
64 x |
-6 |
1.6 |
110 |
810 |
ND 3.0 |
10 |
1,000 x |
-10 |
0.1 |