Neutral Density Filter ?

[kylieh]

I'm thinking an ND filter might be a good thing to have in my kit. I have a Canon 60D.

If I get an ND filter does the camera know it's there? For example If I set the shutter speed to 1 second and ISO to 200 will the aperture be set automatically taking into account the filter? Do I need to tell the camera is there? Or any combination of the above really. I understand the relationship between shutter speed / aperture / ISO but remembering them is a different story!

 

[photo_chick]

You generally have to compensate for the filter some, the camera isnt normally that smart about it. How much depends on the filter you choose.

 

[MarkBarbieri]

In my experience, I don't do anything to compensate. The exposure meter is downstream of the ND filter, so it sees the same reduction in light as the sensor. The result is that the meter will still give you a good exposure level.

There is one big gotcha. If you are using a tripod and not using LiveView, you need to make sure that the viewfinder is covered when you take your exposure. Usually, your eye is pressed up against it, which is good enough. If you leave it uncovered, light will come in through the viewfinder and confuse the exposure meter. In theory, that is always the case. In the real world, it usually doesn't make a difference because so much more light comes in from the lens that the viewfinder leakage doesn't make a difference. The more you block light from the lens with an ND filter, the more the viewfinder light affects your exposure. A lot of cameras come with a viewfinder cover either built into the camera (a little switch by the viewfinder) or build into the camera strap.