Neutral Density Filter for camcorder

[houseng]

hi. i have a lousy D8 camcorder with don't perform good in low light. when in low light there are many noises. so i want to know should i buy a neutral density filter? i heard ND filter will make camcorders 2 get a slower shutter speed, so will it help in shooting indoors? i also don't like to manual focus, does the nd filter requires a lot of manual focusing?

[redwudz]

The main purpose of using neutral density (i.e., ND) filters is to reduce the amount of light that can pass through the lens. So if you have too much light, it will help. However if you have problems with low light, it will only make it worse. It has no effect on focusing, although the dimmer image may make autofocusing more difficult.

[lordsmurf]

It can also reduce contrast.

[Steve Stepoway]

... i heard ND filter will make camcorders 2 get a slower shutter speed, so will it help in shooting indoors?...

Because, as redwudz said, it reduces the light coming through the lens, it forces the camera to use a slower shutter speed and/or open the lens aperture, resulting in a shallower depth of field.

This is the real benefit of an ND filter. It forces a shallower depth of field, making the main subject stand out more. If you want a more "film-like" look shooting video, this is the number one thing to do. Some cameras have an option for doing this (my Canon does). But sorry, houseng, it won't help your problem. It will only make it worse.