Long exposure is two problems: killing light, and not moving the camera. Filters and a tripod solve both. Bodies do not.
A 10-stop ND and a tripod that does not creep. That is the whole sport for most water and cloud work.
Ten stops is the difference between a bright afternoon and a 30-second river. Waterfalls, piers, and cloud streaks all start here.
What to look for: 10-stop (ND1000), multi-coated, in a filter size you can share across lenses with a step-up ring.
Exposures run from 2 seconds (fireworks) to 30+ (water, lightning, light painting). A travel tripod is enough if the head locks; a wobbly one is not.
What to look for: A head that stays put when you let go, and legs that do not bounce when someone walks past.
These keep you out of the frame and give you a shorter-stop option when 10 is too much.
Pressing the shutter by hand is a tiny kick. A cable or wireless remote (or the 2-second timer) removes it. Lightning and fireworks also need you away from the camera.
What to look for: Simple shutter release is enough. An intervalometer is better if you also shoot star trails.
Skip it if: you are happy using the 2-second timer for every frame.
Ten stops is often too much at dawn or under trees. Six stops (ND64) is the everyday waterfall filter — silky water without a black sky.
What to look for: 6-stop (ND64) in the same thread size as your 10-stop so you can stack or swap.
On waterfalls, a CPL kills the glare on wet leaves and rocks so the water is the thing that shines. It also knocks off about 1–2 stops, which helps in bright shade.
What to look for: Multi-coated, slim ring, same thread as the NDs (or a step-up ring).
Organization. Filters are easy to scratch in a jacket pocket.
A padded pouch for two or three filters so they are not rattling against each other in the bag. Cheap insurance.
What to look for: Padded slots for 2–6 round filters in your size.
If you mostly shoot waterfalls in shade or overcast, start with 6 stops. If you want daytime cloud streaks and empty plazas, start with 10. Many people eventually own both in one thread size.
No. Apps cannot remove light hitting the sensor. You need glass in front of the lens, or a very dim scene (blue hour, night).
The 2-second timer handles most landscape long exposures. A remote is worth it for fireworks, lightning, and light painting, when you cannot be next to the camera.
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