neutral density filter
A filter that cuts light evenly across the spectrum, without altering colour.
Also written
ND filterND
An ND filter buys a slower shutter speed than the light would otherwise allow — which is the whole reason to carry one for aviation, since panning a turboprop in bright sun can run out of both aperture and base ISO before the shutter is slow enough. Variable NDs are convenient and can cross-polarise into an uneven sky.
Nearby in Photography
- metering — The camera's measurement of scene brightness, used to choose an exposure.
- monopod — A single-legged camera support that carries a lens's weight while leaving it free to swing.
- noise — Random variation in an image that is not part of the scene, seen as grain or coloured speckle.
- panning — Following a moving subject with the camera at a slow shutter speed, so the subject stays sharp while the background blurs.