Never Buy Cheap Camera Equipment

Seriously, when it comes to dSLR equipment, never go cheap!

I bought a 67mm neutral density filter when I was on Kangaroo Island last time I was there. I cannot recall the brand, but I do recall that it was about $15. I should have stopped right there, but I wanted to test some ideas.

Should point out that I had broken the 67mm UV filter that normally sits on the lens on a fence-post. So glad it broke, not my lens – a small price to pay!

Well, at every event and location I have tested it, it has been an abysmal failure.

When I took it off my f.4 70-200 L-series lens, during my weekend shooting children participating in the Little Athletics at SANTOS stadium, my shots improved greatly.

After comparing a lot of shots, my best guess is that either the circular frame is slightly warped, or the glass is not sitting right in the frame. Every shot was blurred or had a double-image. Weird.

Thankfully when I removed the ND filter my photography improved greatly.

So unless you can think of another reason why this might be happening, I am getting rid of the filter.

PS. I will upload some of my photography of the kids in action at the Little Athletics day soon. They will appear in my Flickr gallery.

PPS. Cheap and inexpensive are two different things. Photographers know the difference.