Graduated Grey filters (ND grad filters) are a must have for the landscape photographer. Images can often be spoiled by bland, washed out skies. If you live in the UK where these skies are the norm, then ND grad filters are the landscape photographer's best friend.

 

A Graduated Grey Filter is one half coloured (grey in this case) and one half clear, fading between grey and clear, hence the name graduated. The darkness of the grey is used to balance out the exposure of the bland, white sky. Grey Grads are available in different strengths, meaning the correct strength can be selected for a particular shot.

 

There are a range of Grey Grad Filters available from many leading brands including Cokin, Lee and Hoya. The strength of the filters effects how much light is blocked from entering the lens, this is depicted by the code the manufacturer uses:

1 stop of light = code: ND2 / ND2X / 0.3 ND
2 stop of light = code: ND4 / ND4X / 0.6 ND
3 stop of light = code: ND8 / ND8X / 0.9 ND

Some of the Cokin Grey Grad Filters are available with a soft, subtle graduated line or a short harsh line, again ideal for different types of shot.

 

Grey Grads and Neutral Density Grey Grads; both of these do the same job, reducing the brightness difference between the sky and the ground, thereby allowing your film or digital sensor to record detail in both these areas. The difference between the two types is in the consistency of the colour - a neutral density grey grad shouldn't cause any colour casts on the sky, whereas the more inexpensive grey grads can often produce unwanted colours.