Used gradient / GND filters
Gradient and GND filters (graduated neutral density filters) help you balance a bright sky with a dark foreground, so your landscape doesn't end up half blown out and half too dark. In this category you'll find used graduated filters that run gradually from dark to clear — from neutral grey gradients to colour gradients that give your sky a warm or dramatic tone.
The range largely revolves around the square slot-in filter system from LEE Filters (100mm), supplemented by screw-in versions from B+W and Hoya. You'll see both hard grad and soft grad versions (depending on how sharp the transition is), reverse grads for sunsets just above the horizon, and mood gradients such as coral, tobacco and sunset orange. Those just starting out often look at a simple grey gradient; advanced landscape photographers build a set around different strengths and transitions.
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View out of stock & set alertsBuying used graduated ND filters — what should you look out for?
A graduated filter is an excellent used purchase, because the optical glass or the resin itself wears very little if it has been handled with care. With us, every filter is professionally inspected and supplied with at least 12 months' warranty and a 14-day right of return, so you can take your time to see whether it suits your system and style.
What should you look out for?
Above all, check the condition of the surface: scratches or deep wipe marks sit in the path of your image and are hard to polish away. Light signs of use on the edges of a square LEE filter are usually harmless. With slot-in filters, check whether it fits your filter holder (100mm is the standard size), and with screw-in filters, check your lens's filter size in millimetres. Older resin filters can show a colour cast — with a neutral GND you want as little discolouration as possible.
Hard, soft or reverse?
A hard grad has a sharp transition and works well with a flat horizon; a soft grad fades more gradually and is more forgiving with mountains or trees that rise above the horizon. A reverse grad is darkest around the middle and intended for the bright band of light just above the horizon at sunrise and sunset. You don't use colour gradients such as coral and tobacco to correct exposure, but purely for mood.
Who is it for?
These filters are mainly for landscape, seascape and architecture photographers who want to balance their exposure in camera rather than afterwards in editing. Feel free to combine them with the other filters in our Filters category, such as ND filters for long shutter speeds and polarising filters to combat reflections.