Tiffen 4x5.65 CLR/ND SE HO Filter Set

This Tiffen set is a graduated neutral density filter, part clear and part ND with a soft transition between the two. It balances a bright sky against a darker foreground in one exposure.

Without a grad, you either expose for the foreground and blow out the sky, or expose for the sky and lose the foreground. A graduated ND darkens only the top of the frame, so you keep cloud detail and still see the ground. The soft edge blends the transition, which suits wide lenses and uneven horizons. The grad can be stacked with ND or diffusion in the other stages.

The filters are 4x5.65 inch and the grad runs horizontally when mounted. The soft edge makes a transition area roughly 1/2 to 2 inches wide, and the clear to ND 0.6 grade is often the best match for a sky against the foreground. Rotate the filter in the stage to line the grad up with the horizon. The glass is made with Tiffen's ColorCore process, so the density stays consistent.