Why nobody talks about stacking filters for moon photos

I spent $60 on a cheap variable ND filter last month and it totally messed up my lunar shots. The image got this weird color shift and softness that I couldn't fix in post. I swapped to a single fixed ND filter for $25 and suddenly got crisp details on the craters. Has anyone else had problems with cheap variable filters for bright targets like the moon?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant5691d ago

I mean, I actually had the opposite experience with a $40 variable ND from Amazon last year. I stacked it with my polarizer for a full moon shot and got some of the cleanest crater detail I've ever pulled off. The secret was keeping the variable filter dialed to the middle of its range, not maxed out at either end. I think a lot of people blame the filter when it's really user error from cranking it too far. My buddy tried the same cheap variable on his 200mm and got sharp results too, so maybe it's more about technique than the price tag.

webb.stella20m ago

My $30 K&F Concept variable ND from last year actually held up fine during a waterfall shoot in the Smokies. I kept it at the 3-stop mark and got really smooth water without any weird color casts or softness in the trees. Maybe it's just me but I think a lot of these cheaper filters work if you just don't push them to their extremes.