Hoya 72mm Pro ND 8 Filter

The Hoya 72mm Pro ND 8 Filter absorbs the light entering the lens evenly across the visible spectrum and reduces the light entering the lens by 3 f/stops without affecting the colour balance. Reducing the amount of light allows the use of wider apertures and slower shutter speeds for creative and dramatic effects. ND filters are widely used by landscape photographers who want to capture smooth, flowing waterfalls or seascapes but still retain the correct exposure throughout the whole photograph. Alternatively, ND filters can be used to reduce the depth of field and enable the use of wider apertures to ensure your subject is crisp while the background becomes a soft blur - great for portraiture. ND filters also allow cine and video cameras (which have fixed shutter speeds) to film subjects such as snow, sand or other bright scenes which would normally cause over-exposure.

The Key Features

• Light reduction: 3 f/stops
• 72mm filter thread size (check the end of your lens to identify the filter size you need
• Screws onto the end of your lens
• Low-profile 1-piece aluminium ring
• Allows the use of slower shutter speeds and wider apertures

They have four main uses:

1) To enable slow shutter speeds to be used, especially with fast films, to record movement in subjects such as waterfalls, clouds, cars, seas etc.

2) To decrease depth of field by allowing wider apertures to be used, which helps separate subjects from their background.

3) To decrease the effective ISO of high speed film (ie: above ISO400) and allow it to be used outdoors in blight situations.

4) To allow cine and video cameras (which have fixed shutter speeds) to film subjects such as snow, sand or other bright scenes which would normally cause over-exposure.

Hoya's range of PRO-ND Neutral Density filters utilises their new metallic ACCU-ND technology to yield a truly neutral colour balance. The Hoya PRO-ND range is aimed at the still photography and HDSLR video markets. Hoya's meticulous use of optical glass and ACCU-ND coating on both surfaces ensures no colour shift as you move from one density to the next - a common problem with other brands of neutral density filters. In conditions of extreme light intensity, such as sunshine on snowy mountains or on the beach, or when using a camcorder, ND (Neutral Density) filters are recommended as essential.

Neutral Density filters are often ignored by photographers, but they have several uses and offer the possibility to achieve otherwise unachievable results. ND filters appear grey and reduce the amount of light reaching the film, they have no affect on colour balance.