Haida Red-Diamond Medium GND 0.9 | Review

Author: Duarte Sol 

If you recall the last sunset you tried to shot, for sure you will also recall the challenge that every photographer faces. If you expose for the sky you get a dark foreground, if you expose for the foreground then your sky gets blowned away…This happens all the times mainly because through the visible spectrum, your eye sees much better than your camera does.

This behavior is known as Dynamic Range that is the gap between the minimum and maximum values of brightness that can be recorded by a photographic medium.

However, Dynamic Range basically indicates the ability of your camera to simultaneously see details in very bright areas and very dark areas of the scene. Our eye has a bigger dynamic range than the sensor of our camera and its normally twice the range.

FACING THIS PROBLEM WHAT IS THE SOLUTION?

The solution to solve this issue is to use graduate neutral density filters that help you, and your camera, to do a better job in capturing that beautiful sunset you´ve always dreamed of photographing.

First of all, there are several kind of graduate neutral density filters.

If you are the kind of photographer that owns a Hard and a Soft GND but frequently find yourself in situations where they seem not to be enough to handle the light you are facing. Then maybe this review is for you and this GND may fill this gap and solve your problem!

Canon 5D Mark III + Canon 70-200 F2.8L and Haida Medium GND of 3 stops

I have been using Neutral Density Filters since I started shooting so for more than ten years and they have become an absolutely center piece in my equipment.

WHAT IS A GND FILTER?

A GND is a filter made of two distinct parts: a completely transparent one, and a darker one.

By positioning the darkest part of the filter covering the brightest part of the scene, normally the sky, you can reduce the difference between the exposure levels needed within the framed scene we are trying to capture. By doing this we are allowing our equipment, camera, to simultaneously capture the details in both bright and dark areas of the scene.

THE GND MEDIUM FILTER

Egger on feedback from landscape photographers and always trying to improve their products Haida filter brand company, released their first GND Medium in August and they did so using their new Red Diamond line.

After being contacted by Haida to test this new filter I was very curious to see the results would be on the field…here are my first thoughts and experiences using the new Red Diamond Medium GND8 from Haida.

This new Red Diamond set of filters is defined as being “the hardest and the strongest of all diamonds”…and we are here to see how that will adapt to their “glass”!

This filter is made of high quality optical glass providing high definition and sharp results. Due to the ultra-thin nano multi coating, on both sides, ghosting and flare are prevented still maintaining still superb sharpness.

The filter is waterproof and oil and fingertips repellent, therefore suitable for practically any type of weather and very easy to clean. This characteristic will make your life much easier when you’re in action, for instance, shooting seascapes...you will know how important this feature really is!

All these characteristics result in a very low color cast and provides you with results with faithful color reproduction.

The Haida GND Medium filter exists in 1, 2 and 3 stops and in the sizes 100*150mm and 150*170mm.

The filter we will be testing is the Medium GND of 3 stops in 100*150mm.

I saved for last one of the characteristics I’m must interested in; this new Red Diamond line comes in the market holding his ground with a double shock-prove strength glass, low risk of accidental breakage, scratch resistance and rounded corners that make the installation, on the field, much easier.

If you spent around 130€ on a filter this is a set of skills you will really appreciate!

THE TRANSITIONS 

The GND Medium filter differs from the previous GND filters by the type of transition between the clear and the dark part of the filter.

The completely dark area of the filter covers about 60 mm and the transition area is about 25 mm. The completely clear area of the filter is around 65 mm.

ON THE FIELD

The Haida GND Medium filter is compatible with Haida filter holders but also filter holders from any other brand that supports 2 mm thin filters.

With the help of the live view in your camera you’ll see until which part of the field you’ll need to bring down the filter when sliding it through the holder. The dark graduated part should cover the sky.

As a brand ambassador for Haida Filters, I was one of the first test the medium filter from the new Red Diamond series in Portugal and Iceland.As i was saying I took the Haida medium filter for some tests on my last trip to Iceland and I can tell you all that I was very useful because many of the times my horizon line was not clear appearing with protruding elements that make the use of this kind of filters a much better choice than for instant a Hard GND.

The results I’ve achieved with the Haida GND Medium filter so far have been very satisfying, with very well balanced photos from foreground to the background making it much easier to get things done right on the spot rather than having to fix it in post-production.

In terms of sharp and colors I can tell you that I´m overwhelmed with the results!

There were absolutely no impact of the sharpness or colors of the scene when comparing the with and without filter shots I did on the field.

Below you’ll see two photos, one taken without the filter and one with:

without filter

with Medium FIlter

This shots are SOOC (Straight Out of the Camera) so there is absolutely no editing beside the correction of the lens.

How to use the GND Medium filter:

The medium Haida GND filter is very easy to use; make sure you are in Live View mode and simply slide down the GND filter until you have the sky fully covered with the darker part of the filter. Note that incase of  using an ND filter, the GND filter should be in front.

 EDITED SHOT 

 Goðafoss/ICELAND

Canon 5D Mark IV + Canon 16-35 F4L and Haida Medium GND of 3 stops

CONCLUSION:

In conclusion lets recap on the Red Diamond Filters key features:

*Double Shock Proof strength over a normal glass filter

*Low risk of accidental breakage

*Ultra-thin Nano multi coating retains superb image sharpness

*Faithful color reproduction and next to zero color cast

*Waterproof, Oil and Fingerprint proof, easy clean surface

*Scratch resistant for use in harsh environments

*R5 rounded design makes installation much easier into the filter holder

The Haida GND Medium Filter is a must have!