ND Filters

An ND filter is sunglasses for your lens: it cuts light without, in theory, changing colour or sharpness, so you can shoot video at a cinematic 1/50 shutter in bright sun or open a portrait lens to f/1.4 at noon. Variable NDs rotate two polarising layers to dial density, typically from ND2 (1 stop) to ND400 (about 8 to 9 stops), and every variable design fights the same enemies: the dark X-cross pattern at extreme settings on wide lenses, colour casts toward green or magenta, and softening on long telephotos.

The ten filters below cover premium variables with hard stops and colour discipline, honest budget variables for learners, a true-colour design for skin-tone purists, and fixed ND options including a 10-stop ND1000 for long-exposure landscapes. Judge them on colour neutrality first, because a cast you must grade out of every clip costs more than the filter saved.