New A1 owner and forum member
 

Hi everyone.

I recently got the XH A1. It is much more advanced than any camera I've ever owned, and even my preliminary fooling around with it has made it clear to me that I've jumped off into the deep end.

For someone whose previous film experience were a couple of dismal shorts back in undergrad, I've found the array of settings and options a little daunting. This forum has been really helpful in that regard, and I hope you'll all bear with me in the future as I try and learn how not to break this thing.

Although I have literally dozens of questions, at this point I'll limit myself to just one:

Is it a good idea to pick up a ND lens filter, or is the ND filter in the camera sufficient? What advantages does each have?

Thanks!

Welcome and congratulations on your A1!

I know how you feel. My experience prior to buying my A1 consisted of shooting a Canon DSLR for a couple of months (That doesn't even count as experience, does it?).

The built-in ND filter will be sufficient for most situations - but high noon in the Golden State usually means LOTS of light. If you wanna get creative with shallow depth of field (small f-number) under those conditions you might need an external ND in addition to the internal ones.

A circular polarizer filter will cut light by about 1 stop, which isn't much but will certainly help - but also has other benefits; increased contrast/saturation and the ability to cut reflections from water/windows/foliage etc. Might be a good option for a first filter.

Some fieldtesting should reveal your needs.

Good luck and post whatever questions you may have.