Hoya 55mm Pro 1 Digital Neutral Density 32x Filter (5 stops)

The 55mm 55mm Pro 1 Digital Neutral Density 32x Filter from Hoya is an ultra thin filter that permits you to shoot and create images that would not ordinarily be possible to capture. This filter effectively reduces your ISO by 1/32 (5 stops). This means a shot normally taken at 1/500 @ f/11 can be shot at 1/15th second at the same aperture. Designed with the outdoor shooter in mind, this filter helps reduce the amount of light entering the lens. This translates into the use of wider apertures and, thereby, permits the photographer to have more control over his depth of field. This is especially useful when shooting outdoor portraits when you wish to establish more of a separation between subject and background. The result will be a sharp, clear subject with a soft background. The ultimate value of this filter is its ability to allow you to use high speed ISOs under bright light conditions.

This effect can be used to create even more exciting images such as the "whooshing" effect of a mountain stream or the chaos of city traffic where one car appears to blend into the other. The operative effect is to enhance movement within the shot.

In order to provide the photo industry with a better made filter, Hoya created their multi-coated line of filters. These filters have a minimum of 3-layer coating system (front and back) that minimises reflections off the filter's glass with the average being about 1-2%. In other words, Hoya states that approximately 98-99% of the light striking the filter will pass through the glass, and depending on the type of filter, into the camera lens and onto the film or digital sensor. During the manufacturing process these layers of anti-reflective coating are bonded to the surface of the glass in a furnace at a temperature of up to 800°F.

The almite filter ring is special manufactured to withstand the effects of corrosion. Hoya prefers to use aluminium filter rings since they believe that aluminium will "give" a bit if your lens accidentally bangs into another object and not, as with brass rings, remain completely rigid and transfer the brunt of the impact to the optic itself. The ring itself is knurled to make it easier to instal and remove the filter from your lens - a clever innovation. As an added benefit, the plastic storage case that the filter is packed in has been UV protected. This will help extend the life of the filter.

Hoya optical glass has been around since 1941 and is world recognised for its superiority in the fields of not only photography but advanced optics such as electro-optics, photonics, vision care, health care and crystal products.

Features

Digital Multi-Coated

Digital multi-coating greatly reduces the appearance of lens flare and ghosting caused by reflections

Black Almite Frame

Filter features a black matte aluminium satin finish almite frame which reduces reflections. The almite frame is manufactured to minimise any corrosion

Black Rimmed Glass

This filter is equipped with black rimmed glass to reduce the chance of light reflecting off the edge

Low Profile Frame

Ultra thin filter frame to help avoid vignetting on super wide angle lenses are also designed to hold a lens cap

Knurling Edge Frame

This filter is equipped with a straight knurling edge for non-slip, easy attachment and removal

UV Protected Case

Filter case is UV protected to further lengthen the life of the filter #### Neutral Density Filters Have Four Main Uses ####

• To enable slow shutter speeds to be used, especially with high speed ISOs, to record movement in subjects such as waterfalls, clouds, or cars
• To decrease depth of field by allowing wider apertures to be used, which helps separate subjects from their background
• To decrease the effective ISO of high speed ISOs (above ISO 400) and allow it to be used outdoors in bright situation
• To allow cine and video cameras (which have fixed shutter speeds) to film subjects such as snow, sand or other bright scenes which could cause overexposure

Specifications