Hoya PROND EX 8 Neutral Density Filter 55mm

Neutral Density Filter Overview

Neutral density (ND) filters are essential photographic tools that provide precise control over the amount of light entering the lens, enabling greater creative control of exposure. For video creators, ND filters help maintain appropriate shutter speeds to match frame rates while preserving depth of field.

ND Filter Categories

• Light density filters (ND2 – ND8): Reduce shutter speed in bright conditions, allowing wider apertures for shallow depth of field and softer bokeh with fast lenses (e.g., f/1.4 or f/1.2).
• Middle density filters (ND16 – ND200): Enable motion blur effects in lighting conditions that normally prevent slow shutter speeds.
• Deep density filters (ND500 – ND1000 / ND100000): Facilitate extremely slow shutter speeds for creative, surreal imagery beyond human visual perception.

Hoya PROND EX Series Features

Hoya's PROND EX series ND filters utilize clear optical glass mounted in a lightweight, precision-crafted aluminum frame with front filter threads for additional filter stacking or lens cap attachment.

ACCU-ND Technology

This exclusive technology ensures equal reduction of visible and infrared light, preventing color shifts common in lower-quality ND filters caused by poor materials, manufacturing, or infrared leakage. This results in consistent color fidelity across various shooting conditions.

Applications in Video Production

For video shooting, especially with cameras like Sony in S-Log mode where ISO cannot be lowered below 800, PROND EX filters (such as ND8, ND64, ND1000) or their combinations enable achieving cinematic shutter speeds and image quality during daylight.

Filter Combinations

Combining PROND EX filters allows photographers to achieve higher ND values for creative effects. For example:

• PROND EX 8 + PROND EX 64 = ND500 effect for surreal imagery.
• PROND EX 8 + PROND EX 1000 = ND8000 effect, enabling safe solar photography with visible sunspots.

Technical Specifications

• Filter Type: Neutral Density (ND) Filter
• Series: Hoya PROND EX
• Light Reduction: ND8 (3 stops)
• Filter Thread Diameter: 55 mm
• Material: Clear optical glass with ACCU-ND coating
• Frame: Lightweight aluminum with front filter threads