Variable ND Shootout and are they as good as Solid ND? 

ND filters are uppermost in my mind these days - critical, but the color casts are driving me nuts. Thanks, for this Dave. Have you looked at PolarPro?

As soon as I have $135 to spare, I'm getting the Aurora-Aperture 67mm PowerXND 2000. Curtis Judd gave it a really good review a couple of years ago. 4 to 11 stops sounded pretty good to me plus none of the weirdness you can get from some of them. 🙂

Dave is one of the few folks in youtube that you can trust the review.

Could you do a video detailing your process in resolve for correcting these? How you lay out nodes in resolve, how to make sure you have adjusted an appropriate amount, etc

Wow. You are the best at investigating and testing gear on the webs. Thanks!

I have seen your previous ND-shootout multiple times over the years, and now again super informative an no no-nonsense filler content just how i like it :). For a budget option you might want to look at the myfoto filters (seen them on nigel barros channel) found the discount cam15% for some discount(no affiliation only a big budget tech nerd), have used their pola filters and i like them.. waiting on their vari-nd to test them, curious to see what you think of them. And i like that this video is so crispy you can even see the dust on your desk :)

Internal ND's are greatly undervalued features of cinema camera's, their ability to let you control exposure outdoors cannot be overstated.

Really helpful. Love work of guys like you and Curtis. Cheers from India.

After all the research, I essentially came to the same conclusion and went with fixed. As a newbie dealing with a variable, especially when still learning color correction in post seems a bit daunting. Nice video!

You've attained redemption from your previous undignified Tiffen support. Thank you for finally coming to your senses. Please feel free to use all of your existing Tiffen filters are drink coasters..... thanks so much for the review..... follow ups are always appreciated, looking forward to the next.

Dave, the adjustability for the SLR Magic is so that you can adjust the position to account for the angle of the light like you would for a polarizer, then lock it down.

no color shifting is my first priority. Nice video sir. Thanks for the review ;)

I like using the SLR Magic Vari ND mk2 because I can lock in the polarising to where I want, and also ride the nd with the lever without getting my fingers in shot if I'm panning. I think testing these nd's on a long lens was great because image quality falls apart on cheaper or inferior Vari nd's. Nice test Dave thanks.

Very informative video as usual. I have been happy with my B+W ND filters. The variable is only 1-5 stops, but maintains good color and clarity. It has hard stops at both ends. When I need less light, I stack it on top of a 6 stop B+W. The images are still sharp. They can be expensive, so I buy used and wait for sales.

Some things worth mentioning :). The softening effect from the cheaper filter can reduce moire. If you are shooting 1080 and the detail is enough... the Polaroid can be a great option. All variNDs are actually two CPL filters. So if you rotate the filter in front of the lens in one point it must work like a CPL. Maybe rotating from the thread should do it for all of them. I wonder how the PolarPro filters will compare to those ones from the review.

Hi Dave, great comparisons here. One brand I'd love to see you try in a follow-up would be Gobe. A company that puts ethics at the heart of their business and uses profits to reforest. They do fixed & variable ND, plus other filters and dumb mounts to adapt old glass to new bodies.

Really thorough and very useful... thanks for taking the time Dave.

Such and excellent review. Thank you sir.

I know your reasons for not including breakthrough, but as an owner it would have/would be nice to see comparisons anyway. I think fluorescent lighting is a lame reason not to include footage comparison. I think the 3 stop breakthrough is great! The 6 stop I can admit has a cyan tint.

I've bought so many and had cyan cast problems. Thanks for this testing!

This video is very useful, thanks Dave.

Hey Dave. Why not include the B+W (German-made) line. I shoot clouds stills and time-lapse. I settled on the B+W 77mm XS-Pro Kaesemann High Transmission Circular Polarizer MRC-Nano Filter, $100. Build quality is smooth and does the job. Thanks for this video and anticipate #3. :-)

That's pretty great! I've been thinking about getting a veritable ND since my fixes ones sometimes get annoying to swap. Also for video variable ND's can be really helpful

What about Polar Pro's 2-5 stop VND? or ND/PL if reducing glare is needed?

Breakthrough photography X4 is my pick, only tried it for photography though, they are fixed but 3 stops is all you need most of the time

Just got the Tiffen one for 92. For my 16-35, gonna test it out today

x pattern is most prominent on wide angle lenses

Excellent review. Great if you could do a future polariser review as well.

I once got a variable ND by mistake. (I've so far never used an ND, although I've owned Hama ND4 for about 20 years). I ordered a Fotga 67 mm UV from lightinthebox (or maybe it was miniinthebox - I think it's the same company), and they sent me a 62 mm Fotga Variable ND instead. And I don't even own a lens with a 62 mm filter thread. (But I do own a stepping ring). They were very good about it when I mailed them, though. They just sent me the filter that I had ordered and let me keep the ND. In case you wonder if Fotga variable NDs are any good, the best I can say is that they're pretty inexpensive. If you turn it to a certain point, you'll get a big ugly X in the frame, but it's pretty easy to avoid: Just don't turn it to that point. I havent tested it, but it does seem to have a green colour cast.

Would have love to have B+W in the mix.

In your Solid ND Filter Shootout video, you seemed to prefer the Hoya IRND over the Benro Masters series, while in this video, the Benro has your preference and you don't mention Hoya. Are there technical reasons for this you could explain ? What filter can save most time editing ? Do you know of filters that require no color correction at all ?

I’m really curious about the new Canon adapter with a built in variable ND.

I am a bit confused. Based on your tests I bought Tiffen as it was the best in previous test. Second-hand and cheap but still. Now you say it sucks because it require more work to color-correct in post and can't be used with lens hood? Only one of them can. And only on that particular lens (and yes, it is annoying that you cannot use the hood). But try to be consistent and tell which Variable ND filter would you use if you had to choose one. That was the reason I watched your test in the first place.

Thanks for the comparison, it would have been nice if the new Power XND (www.kickstarter.com/projects/aurora-aperture/powerxnd-mark-ii-the-best-variable-nd-filters-1-11) was out and if it was a part of the comparison. They claim that it should be minimal color cast and up to 11 stops of ND

I’m just newbie but I’ve heard fixed ND are better than variable which are better than combined polarizer with ND. Does sound correct? Of course there could be overlap if you’re comparing low price in one category to high price in another .

“Hopefully you’re watching this in 4K”.... looks down to see I’m watching in 144p

Great test Dave!

Can you please tell us the difference in temperature and tint with hoya(cheaper one). That would be a great help. Thank you 🙏

Just what i needed!! Thanks

The ND filter is not suppose to be rotated right ? There is nothing that happens when you rotate the ND as it is neutral in all planes of light. Only the Polarizer needs to be rotated capture the correct planed polarized light. Is there planed polarized for neutral density that I don't know about ?

You need to test Breakthrough and Nisi filters, both claim to be sharp and reproduce natural colour and both are becoming more popular and seem to be more innovative than the old guard of filter makers. I use a Nisi 1.5-5 stop variable ND and it looks good so far but its too big to allow me to use my lens hood on my sony 18-105 F4 which is a real pain so i might buy some solid ND filters instead.

Hey Dave great video and information about the different NDs. Question: Have you ever used Heliopan fixed NDs, if so what was the outcome to what you found?

You should try the Polar Pro Variable as well.

I needed a variable and went with Tiffen, now I'm not sure I made the right choice cause colour correction hasn't been easy but I've switched to Sony A73 a few months ago from Nikon

Great comparison. I haven't heard of any of those nd filters. Do you have any experience with nd filters for phones? I haven't seen much info on that topic.

How can I find that lens hood with the sliding door for my Sigma 56mm? Are there similar ones or will the one you used fit?

You cant find a X Pattern when using a Tele Lens. The X Pattern when using Lenses below 60mm without any cropfactor included.

Hey Dave, any update on the mention if Benro/VU filter being the same, just rebranded??

Hi, Dave, have you ever tested Benro variable ND filter? I wonder how it perform compared to the hoya one?

Which SLR Magic Varibake ND did you try the original or the second version? I have the SLR Magic Variable ND II (its supposed to be a bit better than the original but I have not tested the original to find out) and if you want to use it with a lens hood, you can just unscrew the handle and take it off. You can also adjust the polarizer by unscrewing the filter from the lens slightly until you get it how you want (It won't fall off the lens) The thing I found about it is that I use it with a Panasonic GH5 with V-Log L and found I sometimes couldn't get enough light with it at times as it didn't always let enough light in and had to unscrew it which didn't help with constant changing light outdoors. When stopped down to max, I did notice, it does have a X. I took a photo with it on my Olympus 12-40mm f/2.8 lens and I noticed it, but when shooting video I haven't needed to stop down that much so it hasn't been an issue and never noticed an X until I took that photo. I have noticed the slightly warm cast with it but haven't found it that hard to correct in editing.

Great review! Thanks

I didn't have the stamina to watch through all of your video - but did you touch upon the issue that variable ND filters are basically two polarizers combined? Because that has additional effects - because it's two polarizers combined and the effect of these isn't controllable by you but rather is a side effect of the desired darkness of the ND.

I'd love to see the best of these tested against Sony's e-ND in the FS5 and 7 line.

Hey perhaps try out the aputure vari-nd adapter

I purchased the TIFFEN Variable ND filter 6 years ago and like it. I do notice the colour cast but can live with it. It cost me £100 UK

I'm so curious how my B+W filter and polarizer would stand up against others. Color cast seems to be an issue.

Thank you that’s helpful I might go with Benro as well was the one you used a variable Nd if it will it be different in terms of quality how about Nisi variable Nd f ?

Nice review! cheers

SIMMOD 82mm Variable Neutral Density I look at Instagram and I not sure if those are true review or not bud looks very good I haven't try it yet ! Dave did you heard anything about this one ? Thanks for creating this all for us

Interesting.... Thanks again 👍

How many stops ND filter to shoot at f1.8 in daylight?

are there any variable ND filters out there that let you use the stock lens hood(ie doesnt get wider)

X pattern often shows on wide lens

Hi Dave.. can we fit ND filter onto the lens and then fit the CPL filter onto the ND filter thread which becomes a variable ND filter .

how about the Benro Vari ND

Thanks heaps 👍🏼

Dave. Your links seem to not work. Are you able to update? thanks

Great! Thanks

Have you tried breakthrough photography?

Thanks for the answers. I have to do a blu ray for my client. (The Blu-ray Disc format supports MPEG-4 (H.264) AVC and VC-1, two next-generation video) with 40-60Mbps. Davinci in h.264 format with the best settings makes me a file of only 17mbps. Also it does not seem to me that I do encoding in vbr. This is my problem with DavinciResolve. For everything else, it's a perfect software especially for color. I would like to go to Davinci but this problem does not allow me. With Encore I can set all the parameters: VBR, minimum 40 max 60mbps, and it makes me the file I want. Thanks to everyone. I look for advice

Great comparison video as always.. Thank you If you buy solid ND for travel videography which stop(s) would you choose?

Check out the Heliopan sometime it is amazing.

What ISO were you shooting the Sony’s at?

is there x pattern on solid nd filters?

sing ray was made for the camera's of 10 years ago

AWESOME VIDEO LOL Thanks for sharing

If you HAD to pick a variable ND which one?

STINGRAY LOL So funny

No, they are not. Everybody may thank me for saving almost 14 min of their time. ;-)

I cringe when I hear people pronounce bokeh 'boka'