VND & CPL Filters
$10USDWhy every serious operator carries a variable ND and a circular polariser. Stop reflections, hold shutter, and protect the cinematic look in any light.
Overview
Two filters live on the front of almost every serious operator's lens: a variable ND and a circular polariser. They solve different problems, and between them they let you protect the cinematic look in any light.
A variable ND (VND) is a darkening filter you can dial up or down. It cuts the light reaching the sensor without shifting colour, so you can hold a slow cinematic shutter and a wide aperture in bright daylight instead of being forced to stop down or speed the shutter up. A circular polariser (CPL) manages reflections and glare, rotate it to kill reflections off glass and water, deepen skies and saturate colour.
What's Inside
- VND (Variable ND): a darkening filter that holds your 180° shutter and wide aperture in bright light, with no blown highlights
- How it works: two stacked polarising elements you rotate to add or remove density (roughly 2–8 stops)
- Watch the cross: pushing a VND to its extreme can show an X-shaped uneven patch, worst on wide lenses
- CPL (Circular Polariser): cuts reflections off glass and water, deepens blue skies and boosts saturation
- The CPL trade-off: it costs about 1–2 stops of light and works strongest at ~90° to the sun
- On set: run a VND for exposure, and reach for a CPL when reflections or sky are the problem
Format & Access
- One-page PDF reference, built clean and written tight
- Instant download link emailed the moment you pay
- Saved to your dashboard for re-download anytime
- Designed to print and pin to the wall
Delivery
Your download link is emailed instantly and also saved to your MD MEDIA dashboard. Sign in with the email you used at checkout to grab it again whenever you need it.
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