Singh-Ray Filters

Many digital photographers believe that the era of the lens filter is ending along with the reign of film. Except for the UV filter that protects the front of their lens (hopefully), they see no need to carry an assortment of filters. “Everything can be done in Photoshop”, they say.

Spending ten minutes on the Singh-Ray Filter site will change that opinion. High-quality, photographic filters are as much a part of modern photography as they ever have been. Spending one extra minute in the field to use a filter can save significant amounts of time in post-production. It seems that the more experienced the photographer, the more this “do-it-in-the-camera-when-you-can” philosophy is embraced.

Singh-Ray’s Vari-ND filter provides a range of 2- to 8-stops of neutral density with just one filter. Nature photographers implicitly understand the value of neutral-density when it comes to creating a sense of moving water. Sports photographers, photojournalists and commercial shooters will also find this filter to be an essential tool — either for capturing motion or enabling a very shallow depth-of-field for brightly lit subjects. The ‘vari” in Vari-ND means that you can dial the density at any point from its base of 2-stops all the way down to 8-stops. Instead of the high-noon exposure 1/500 sec at f/11, you can shoot at 1/2 sec at f/11. 8-stops also means that instead of photographing at f/32, you can open your Canon 35mm f/1.4L all the way!

Singh-Ray is also the home of the Galen Rowell Graduated ND filters and manufacturers a range of other unique filters, including: polarizers, infrared, and color-enhancing. Click here to download their catalog. Also, check out their informative blog.