The Graduated Neutral Density 0.3 Filter from Hitech has several uses and offers the possibility to achieve otherwise unachievable results. It enables the shooter to adjust exposure without affecting colour balance. A Graduated ND filter appears grey and reduces the amount of light reaching either the sensor of a digital camera or the film plane of a traditional film camera. It is clear at the bottom with a gradual transition to darker grey at the top. Primarily, this filter is used to control exposure when shooting bright landscapes where your horizon line displays a great exposure difference between sky and foreground and you need to balance them out for a pleasing exposure.

A Graduated Neutral Density filter is also used to create some unusual special effects such as capturing the "blur" of the rippling water of a waterfall or the swirling effect of city traffic. Since it allows the use of slower shutter speeds in bright light, it becomes possible to create these special effects that would normally not be possible to capture without the filter. And, since it can also help to control your depth of field, it permits you to shoot at wider apertures. Ultimately, its value is in helping to prevent bright, overly washed out images shot in bright light. Soft/Hard designation indicates the degree of transition of the filter. Soft edge grads have a smooth transition from clear to ND. Hard edge grads have a more defined hard lined transition and should be used for longer lenses.

Neutral Density Filters Have Four Main Uses

• To enable slow shutter speeds to be used, especially with high-speed ISOs, to record movement in subjects such as waterfalls, clouds, or cars
• To decrease depth of field by allowing wider apertures to be used, which helps separate subjects from their background
• To decrease the effective ISO of high-speed film (above ISO 400) and allow it to be used outdoors in bright situations
• To allow cine and video cameras (which have fixed shutter speeds) to film subjects such as snow, sand or other bright scenes which could cause overexposure

Absorbing Cell Technology

The secret to Formatt's consistency in filter design lies in its unique "Absorbing Cell Technology" (A.C.T.); this unique process allows colour correct dyes to be applied to optically pure, wafer thin absorbing cells and offers a controllability that ensures the smoothest grad lines and consistent colour across the whole filter surface

Hitch filters are manufactured to exacting standards and can be counted on to be consistent filter to filter which means you can change filters mid shot or from day-to-day and still maintain the same exposure

Hitech filters are made by Formatt, a company with three generations of professional filter-making experience produces every filter to the highest technical standards. The finest materials, together with state-of-the-art production technology have resulted in a standard of optical excellence unmatched anywhere else.

• Formatt-Hitech 100x150mm ND Grad Soft Edge 0.3 Filter (1 Stop)