This amazing filter has forever changed long exposure photography. The Lee Big Stopper is a 10-Stop ND Filter that will produce breathtaking images. With the Big Stopper, just a single filter allows you to increase the exposure to many minutes, rendering clouds soft, water smooth and milky, car headlights as streaks of color, or people as abstract, blurred figures.
The Lee Big Stopper is a long-exposure filter that allows you to extend the exposure by approximately ten stops, permitting either a longer shutter speed or a wider aperture – or a combination of the two. In the past, such long exposures have been problematic because of the potential for light leaks, but the Big Stopper features a foam gasket which fits firmly against the filter holder and ensures that a light tight seal is achieved.
Manufactured from high-quality glass, the Big Stopper fits the LEE100 Filter Holder and the 100mm Push-on Holder, so it can be used with a variety of lenses and even in conjunction with other types of filters, such as neutral density graduated filters.
The Big Stopper comes in a hard metal case and includes an easy to use exposure guide.
How to use it:
- Before fitting the Big Stopper, first compose your image;
- Take a meter reading without the filter in place, and set your desired aperture and shutter speed;
- Multiply your exposure by a factor of ten. For example, if your meter reading suggests an exposure of 1/250 sec at f/11, with the Big Stopper fitted, your exposure becomes four seconds at f/11. If your meter reading suggests an exposure of two seconds at f/11, with the Big Stopper fitted, your exposure becomes a whopping 32 minutes;
- With the Big Stopper inserted into the slot nearest the lens, attach the filter holder as usual and make your exposure;
- The Big Stopper must be placed into the filter slot nearest the lens, with the foam seal facing the holder; and
- Always use the sturdiest tripod you can when making long exposures, and take care not to knock the camera or tripod. Cover your viewfinder before releasing the shutter to avoid light encroaching onto the sensor or film and causing flare.
