Solid neutral density filters lengthen exposure by cutting out a specific amount of light. This is very useful for creative purposes, whether you want to blur a wave, waterfall, leopard or a street scene. They are available in many different densities, ranging from 2 to 20 stops, but the most popular are 3-, 6- and 10-stops. Please read the bullet points below to understand the purpose of each.
- 3-Stop | 0.9 - This filter is used to add a slight blur to water before the sun has set or after it has risen. At f/16 and ISO100, it is impossible to achieve a slow enough shutterspeed to get the ideal amount of blur in the waves while the sun is up. Three stops of darkening will normally allow a shutterspeed of 1/10s to 1/2s during this golden sunlight phase, producing soft lines in the waves. Example - Image #2
- 6-Stop | 1.8 - This filter serves the same purpose as the 10-stop, but it is better suited for sunset and sunrise. When the sun is close to setting or rising, a 10-stop ND will require a very long shutterspeed at f/16 and ISO100 to produce the correct exposure - often as much as 5-10 minutes. A 6-stop ND is thus much more suited for capturing long exposures of 30-60s around sunset and sunrise. Example - Image #3 + 4
- 10-Stop | 3.0 - This filter is used primarily for blurring the sea to a flat mist and for blurring clouds into abstract lines. It can also be used to remove traffic and people from urban scenes by blurring the moving elements. At f/16 and ISO100, it usually produces a shutterspeed of 20-30s in early morning or late afternoon with strong sunlight. Example - Image #5
NiSi is renowned as one of the world's top manufacturers of completely colour-neutral and vignette-free ND filters. Made from H-K9L optical proglass, it allows optimal light transmission to produce sharp and contrast rich images with true-to-life colour.
IR Blocking - This filter blocks out unwanted Infra-red light that can cause strange colours in undesired areas and rob images of critical shadow-contrast.
Nano Coating - This filter features a super tough scratch-resistant nano coating that ensures that it lasts for years. It also ensures that any rain or spray from the ocean beads properly and is easy to wipe off so you can continue shooting the sunset.
*This filter is also available in 2,4,5,7,8,9,11,15 and 20 stops. Please get in touch via the contact page if you would like to order one of these densities.
Do you have the item in stock?
Products are either in stock, out of stock (sold out) or special order.
- In stock: We have stock at our local warehouse. You can see how many we have in stock, add these products to your cart and check out.
- Sold out: We usually carry stock of this item but it has sold out. Please get in touch to get an ETA and reserve and incoming product. Or use the "Email me when available" button to get an email when new stock arrives.
- Special order: We don't carry local stock of this item. Get in touch to confirm stock availability and ETA to place an order.
Delivery options and what they cost
We pride ourselves on FREE lightning fast shipping. Apart from large f-stop gear orders, most of our items ship overnight and the daily cutoff is 14:00. You can read more on the deliveries page or get in touch for a confirmed delivery date and time.
Can I collect my parcel?
Yes, you can collect your order from our office in Bosman's Crossing, Stellenbosch (09:00 - 17:00). Just choose the collection option at checkout- we'll follow up with the specifics. Please note that we are very strict about payment if collecting. We will not release any goods if we are not 100% comfortable about payment. We accept the following as payment confirmation in order to release the goods. Please call or message Rudolph on 061 468 1931 if you have any questions.
- Payfast Card Payment (any customers, new or returning)
- EFT from FNB to FNB, pending fund clearance (any customers, new or returning)
- Normal EFT from other banks to FNB (return customers only)
- Instant EFT from other banks to FNB, pending fund clearance (Any customers, new or returning)
- Cash (any customers, new or returning)
What payment options are available?
- EFT
- EFT via Payfast
- Credit card: VISA & Mastercard
What is your policy on returns and or exchanges?
We are more than happy to exchange any product for something else or a full refund* if you feel that the item you chose isn’t quite right for you. See our Return Policy page for more.
*If paying with any card, 4.5% of the transaction value goes to the credit card payment facilitation company. "Full Refund" means that we will return the full amount we received after the credit card service fees. If you are at all unsure that what you're buying is ideal for you, rather opt for EFT payment to be safe.
Where is my order? How can I track my order?
You will receive an email with your tracking number once your order has been collected by our couriers. You can also find tracking number for your orders under "My account"
You can shop NiSi Filters at the following retailers.
Orms BellvilleVictorian Towers, 2 Palm St, Bellville, Cape Town
Fritz, 021 910 1380
KamerazRosebank Mall, 50 Bath Avenue, Rosebank, Johannesburg
Martin Wright, 011 880 2885
Photoquip28 Pearce St, Berea, East London
Damien, 083 574 9134
Katz
66 17th Ave, Broadwood, Port Elizabeth
Lascel, 041 367 4401
Lime Photo
Kloof, Durban
Emil, 084 484 9959
Photo Freedom
Ballito, Durban
Graham, 032 586 1212
DPC
Pretoria
Danie, 072 608 3345
We have a no-nonsense approach. If a product breaks due to a manufacturer defect, we will replace it without asking any questions. If we have any reason to believe that the product was put through unreasonably heavy usage, we will have to follow the manufacturer's standard warranty procedure.
Leofoto
The manufacturer offers a 10-year limited warranty on all products and we extend that warranty to our customers. Please read the below very carefully, so you understand your position when something breaks or doesn’t work ideally anymore.
It is critical to understand that this warranty only applies to factory faults and not to standard wear and tear. Tripods are subject to a lot of gray areas in this regard as tripods used outdoors, particularly in sand and sea water, are subjected to extreme wear and tear. We will e.g. replace the affected part of your tripod if a carbon tube snaps or cracks without much pressure applied to it or if the apex breaks. We will not replace your tripod or the affected part if e.g. a joint locks up due to sand or salt build up or if a hinge becomes corroded or stiff/floppy and unserviceable due to corrosion or salt build up.
In sum, if we see that you took good care of your tripod and something went wrong, we will go out of our way to fix or replace it for you. If we see that you dragged it through the mud (literally or metaphorically), then we are unlikely to fix/replace it for you. How you handle your tripod and take care of it, is all the difference between 3- or 20 years of service.
The best of tripods will not last longer than 2/3 years if used regularly in the sea, INCORRECTLY, and never serviced. Always make sure to extend the lowest leg section first, so you keep the joints out of the water/sand. Always rinse with freshwater after use in the sea, wipe down with a wet cloth, leave extended to dry and ENSURE YOU KEEP THE HEAD AND APEX DRY. If your tripod’s joints start feeling sandy/gritty, open them up, give them a proper clean and lubrication and fine-tune the tension on the joints.
If travelling on dirt roads, ensure that your tripod is in its carry-bag when not in use.
Your tripod will not take care of itself – it is up to you to do so. All our tripods ship with an info-sheet on taking care of your tripod. We also offer a full tripod disassembly and service for R1000, including shipping both ways.