WonderPana Explained – Our ND16 + ND32 Kit Configuration

Our WonderPana system has introduced filters to super-wide and ultra-wide angle lenses for over fifteen years, and as of right now, we intend to keep going. We offer various kit configurations for our WonderPana cores. If you need a quick recap on WonderPana nomenclature, check out our “WonderPana Explained” article.

In this article, we will walk you through our ND16 + ND32 kit configuration that is offered to both our Classic and FreeArc core options. Let us begin by defining what “ND16 + ND32” means. It is short for neutral-density 16 and 32 filters; these are also known as 4-Stop and 5-stop filters due to their level of light reduction. Neutral-density filters are typically neutral gray and reduce the light coming into your camera. The reduction in light transmission allows you to slow down your shutter speed or use the maximum aperture on your lens in bright conditions that would normally cause overexposure. In the case of the former, you are most likely interested in slowing down your shutter speed to achieve results like this:

4'0" f/22 ISO160

Much love to the three filmmakers out there using the WonderPana filter system to maintain shallow depth of field, but that’s a topic we will visit later in this series.

The ND16 + ND32 kit gives you two practical filters for creating quick and simple long exposure photographs. These are also some of the most popular and versatile neutral density filters, so it only makes sense to bundle them together.

12" f/22 ISO400

Both filters for the 145mm WonderPana system are double threaded, meaning that the front of the filters have a 145mm inner, or female, thread for stacking multiple filters. These filters are also kept slim at only 7mm thick. There are also ultra-slim options available for many of our 145mm WonderPana filters. Ultra-slim variants are 5mm thick and do not offer the front, inner thread for stacking. One thing to note is that we do not offer Ultra-slim ND filters for our 186mm WonderPana XL system.

By utilizing the double threaded design mentioned above you can stack your filters, which will offer a total of 9 stops of neutral density when using the ND16+ND32. This means you can slow down your shutter speed drastically for more dramatic, epic long exposures (if you are into that) measured in minutes rather than seconds.

4'0" f/11 ISO320

9-Stops of neutral density can help achieve photos like this. A four-minute exposure at f/11.

There are two important things to note about stacking traditional threaded filters. The first is the possibility of vignetting. This will darken your corners but is relatively simple to resolve in post where the image will most likely go before being share online. Secondly, while you edit you might notice a degree of softness and small chromatic aberrations if you did not expose correctly for the scene. These common issues can happen regardless of the optical quality of a filter and are caused by the light being refracted through the layers of filters and internal lens elements at exposure times longer than 60 seconds.

40" f/11 ISO320

This sums up our ND16 + ND32 kit and we hope you found this article useful. All that is left is for you to give our WonderPana system a try on your super-wide and ultra-wide angle lenses. With 22 WonderPana 145mm and 4 Wonder XL 186mm, we are bound to support your lens. Check out our website for more details. Remember to push yourself and have patience when it comes to long exposure photography. While it is not something you can master in a day, taking time to practice and understand the science behind it will pay off. We hope we become a part of your creative journey.

Be sure to share your results with us on social media by tagging us(@fotodioxpro) or using #WonderPana, #fotodiox or #fotodioxpro. Subscribe to our newsletter so you don’t miss out on the next installment of WonderPana Explained.

Happy shooting!