Big Blog Day - Genus

Gosh this is a lot of writing to do. I'm fading away. Fading to black....


You can too, particularly if you come in and get one of the Genus Faders. These are starting to become a favourite for the makers of videos - either on dedicated video cameras or DSLRs.

Imagine your average filter for the front of a lens. ( And remember that some lenses have filters at the back but not this morning.) Picture a circular polarizer out there in front and try it out on a blue sky with fluffy clouds. Look directly toward the sun and nothing happens. Look directly away from the sun and nothing happens. Look at 90 degrees from the sun and the sky goes deeper blue and the clouds still stay fluffy and white. Lovely.

Now put another polarizing filter in front of the lens. Never mind whether you are pointed at the sun or not. Rotate that second filter. Ooh, it's gone all dark. That's the point - that combination of two polarizers can attenuate the light practically to black. Video makers can achieve the fade-to-black effect on their cameras in real time as they shoot. To help with the smooth fade, there are a couple of little detachable levers that you can grip as you rotate the front filter.

Stills people who want to get progressively deeper ND effects can also use them - you know, the misty waterfalls and seashores look or the city street with no people visible.

We have just gotten in a batch of them and I saw 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm,  77mm, and 82mm.