Filter Question

[Ussuri]

I'm considering the purchase of some graduated ND filters for use on a Cannon EFS 10 - 22 mm lens, (on my 20D) but am concerned that I will end up with significant vigenetting. I've seen that COKIN have a variety of models of adaptor and filter, but wonder is it necessary to go for the "X PRO SERIES" ? Any help or advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

[milorad]

I think the amount of potential vignetting due to filters on that particular lens has been exaggerated.

I've always got full size sacrificial glass (UV filter) on mine, with no ill effects whatsoever. If you look at the front of it, the 77mm filter diameter is actually quite a lot larger than the front lens element. Some lenses are built a lot tighter around the glass, so its much easier to notice filters attached.

I wouldn't be concerned about a regular sized filter vignetting. Maybe if it were something significantly thicker, like some of the chunkier polarizers... maybe.

If you're really concerned then pick a slimline model, but I don't think there's any reason to steer away from regular screw-in types, unless your plan is to stack them, which I think would be a poor choice.

...

Having said all that... I find graduated NDs difficult to use hand held... and they tend to restrict my framing choices given that they sort of force you to put the horizon at a particular level.

I find I'm almost always wanting a tripod whenever I'm even thinking about an ND filter... for that reason I tend to just bracket my exposures and overlay them in photoshop making my own custom (fake) graduated ND profile in any shape I want with the eraser tool.

I have a couple of (relatively strong) solid ND filters that I couldn't live without, so I'm not discounting NDs, just the graduated variety.

[Ussuri]

Thanks Milorad,
I prefer to try and get the images taken to be as close to what I want to print, without having to spend time in Photoshop. As autumn approaches I have a particular landscape / sunset photograph I want to attempt, but previous versions or attempts have ended up with the sky overexposing, or the river below underexposing, hence the possibility that a graduated filter may help. My particular concern is that the filter holder, through which the filter slides up and down may become visible in the photo, particularly when a polarizer will also be in use, to reduce reflections from foreground water.
If filters can overcome this problem I would prefer to do it that way, rather than with Photoshop ... as a convert from film I'm not yet fully up to speed in Photoshop!

[hollis_f]

I use Cokin's wide-angle lens filter holder. It's similar to the ordinary one, but you can only fit one filter at a time. I've not tried using the full-size holder on the 10-22.

[milorad]

I totally understand not wanting to spend much time in photoshop :)

I still vote for the screw-in kind though...

[SkipD]

I still vote for the screw-in kind though...Screw-in graduated neutral-density filters are quite useless for most of us, as you cannot change the position of the change from ND to clear. The square or rectangular filters and the adapter to hold them is the only thing that makes sense.

If the adapter is not built correctly and the filters are not sized correctly, you could run into vignetting problems with an ultra-wide lens.

Unfortunately, I don't have personal experience with any of the Cokin-style adapters so I cannot suggest which way to go. I merely wanted Milorad to understand the situation.