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Experimental Study of Transmission and Color Shift in Neutral Density (ND) Filters
© 2026 by the author(s). Learn more.
Published Web Location
https://doi.org/10.5070/BS3.69982Abstract
Neutral Density (ND) filters attenuate irradiance uniformly across the visible spectrum while preserving color balance. We present a RAW-
domain workflow to measure ND transmittance T and color shift across stops n = 1–5. Experimental transmission T exp is compared with
the ideal 2−n . Color fidelity is evaluated through channel ratios (R/G, B/G) and ΔE* ab from ColorChecker targets. The optical setup, acquisition
protocol, and data-reduction pipeline are described for reproducibility. We discuss polarization leakage, spectral flatness, illuminant
dependence, and signal-to-noise effects. The tested filter follows 2−n closely and shows only minor, illuminant-dependent drifts near
perceptibility thresholds at 5 stops.