03Sep Polaroid Fader ND v.s. Light Craft workshop Fader ND Mark II Video test
Fader ND filters are very handy, but is it really worth it to DSLR film makers to spend big bucks on higher end brands? That was the question I had when I first started looking at the LightCraft Fader ND. The cheap Polaroid Fader ND filter that I’d been using seemed to work just fine, but is there really that much of a difference in quality between a mid range filter like the LightCraft Fader ND when compared to something on the lower end like the Polaroid Fader ND?
This footage took me a few tries to put together, the first time I filmed, I accidentally switched the camera into AWB mode and all of my shots ended up being useless. Then I had to wait for a day with enough sun to film again. But after all of that I finally managed to get all of the clips I needed to put together a few minutes of comparison shots. I tried to keep the settings for each shot as close as possible, but they aren’t perfect. A few of the shots are very slightly darker on one filter then the other. I shot all of the comparison clips on the Canon 7d with a Canon 50mm f1.2 lens. The settings on the camera where 1/60, iso 100, and an f-stop of 3.5 to 4.5 (depending on the amount of light) with daylight white balance. I tried to make sure the Fader ND was set about the same on each shot by using the light meter but its not perfect.
The song playing behind the test footage is one of mine. If you like it, you’re welcome to download it for free, if you really like it, just send me 99 cents via the donate link at the very bottom of the right hand column.
Over all the results aren’t nearly as dramatic as I thought they would be. My earlier shot of that train car was probably a AWB problem more then a filter problem because I didn’t end up seeing anything that dramatic in my final set of tests. I will put that one down as operator error. I captured the same shot again and the difference was much more subtle.
I looked over the footage quit a bit and it seems to me like the Polaroid Fader ND still causes a slight color change, and a few things looked soft around the edges, but over all I don’t think it did to bad. It did seem like overall the LightCraft Fader ND came out on top, but I’m interested to know what everyone else thinks. Is the difference enough for you to justify spending $85 more on the nicer filter?
If you’re looking for a high end option, Singh-Ray makes some very nice Fader ND filters, but I’ll warn you, the prices are almost as much as some people spend on cameras. Regardless, I hope these tests help those of you still in the market for a Fader ND find something that works for you.
September 3rd, 2011 at 9:27 pm
I think I commented on another article here about color shifting with these filters and honnestly… I am really impressed by the results ! I watched in 1080p fullscreen and really had to look for it to see the loss of softness you mentioned, what I was looking for initially was color cast and it is not horrible at all, as you said !
I’ve read a few comparisons of fixed ND filters with approximately the same price difference and the cheap one had a lot more color shift.
Overall, the Polaroid filter seems less contrasty, the sky looks a bit brighter and black isn’t as deep as with the Lighcraft but it’s also because it makes the picture just a bit softer.
September 4th, 2011 at 10:09 am
the price of Polaroid at amazon is 50…
September 4th, 2011 at 12:07 pm
It’s $35 for the 58mm size $49 for the 72mm size. When I bought mine it was $40 for the 72mm and $30 for the 58mm.
September 6th, 2011 at 8:40 am
there are some even cheaper variable nd filters on ebay, like this one. They sure look similar to polaroids. Do you have any idea on these?
September 6th, 2011 at 3:53 pm
I’ll spend the money saved on good sound. Thanks for the time and energy you spent getting us this info. I’ve often wondered whether my money for the Polaroid was what I should have done. Now I can use it knowing.
September 7th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
a previous comment must have been swallowed by your spam protection, because it included a live link. I was wondering about some even cheaper variable nd filters that are available on ebay. Have you got any ideas on them?
September 7th, 2011 at 12:22 pm
Yea, sorry about that. Spam blocker is set to high or the site would be swamped. The Polaroid filter is more then likely made by someone else and branded with “polaroid” most of the filters in the same price range will probably preform about the same. But be careful, I’ve seen a few of them for $10 and read comments about purple tint and horribly soft images.
September 14th, 2011 at 11:34 pm
So for a budget film maker. Would you recommend the polaroid over the Lightcraft?
I love the video by the way. I didn’t see much difference between the two in some shots. but the lightcraft definitely outperforms the polaroid in several shots.
I’m currently in the process of upgrading my gear. I am trying to direct my first big short film soon. I already bought a stabilizer, and gonna buy the tokina 11-16 soon. So would you recommend the polaroid for a budget film maker?
January 21st, 2012 at 1:11 am
Thanks for the demo. I don’t shoot video but the variable ND filters are good for photographers as well.