Cheap Photography Hack: Add a Neutral Density Filter to a Fisheye Lens

Photography Tips

Fisheye lenses are infamous for shooting “hot”—the lens captures so much area that the meter often gets confused, allowing in too much light. Normally the answer would be to just screw on a neutral density filter, but the design of most fisheye and wide angle lenses makes it almost impossible on many cameras. The usual solution is to use a matte box or similar filter, but these can be quite expensive. If you’re not up for making that kind of investment, Cheesycam has found a low-cost alternative that he demonstrates below:

As you can see, adding a Rosco 3040 gel behind your Rokinon Fisheye Lens can reduce your light input by 3 full stops. If you need more light, you can always open your aperture further or bump up your ISO. If you find that you’re having problems with the focus, you’ll probably have to invest in a decent filter or a matte box, but for images that don’t need crystal clarity, this hack might do the trick.

It’s important to note thatCheesycam is using a Rokinon Fisheye Lens with a micro 4/3 camera in this video. If you’re thinking about using it with other camera types beware: hacking any camera or lens may void your warranty.