Cokin/Lee filter user question

[elac2az]

To those of you using Cokin or Lee filter systems, I have a question (after a bit of set-up)...

Let's say you have a conventional polarizer already mounted on your lens.
Furthermore, you know if you expose for details in your blacks, you're going to blow out too much of your highlights.

What would you guys do to "reign in" the RH side of your histogram and why? Would you...

Mount your Cokin/Lee holder on your lens/filter assembly (in front of the lens mounted polarizing filter) and add whatever strength of grad' ND it takes to create a more balanced histogram? (I'm aware of the vignetting and/or flare producing potential of such a set-up.)

Remove the polarizer, mount your Cokin or Lee holder on your lens and make an HDR capture with an appropriate grad' ND?

Or simply make an HDR capture with only the polarizer?

Other options...?

I struggled with how to best phrase all this so I hope it make sense. Thanks in advance for reading this long post and for everyone's input!

[argyle]

If I'm using a standard polarizer (instead of my Lee 105mm polarizer mounted on the holder), I simply hand-hold the proper GND in front of the CPL. Mounting the holder onto the CPL will make it very difficult to adjust the polarizer (unless you have very small fingers) and will almost certainly introduce vignetting at wider focal lengths.

[Adphoto]

I presume you want to try and keep as much of the highlights and shadows in the picture as possible otherwise just reduce the exposure to lower the highlights and the shadows will drop accordingly. Generally, a blown highlight is much more noticeable / objectionable than a shadow that might be a bit dark and start blocking up.

You can replicate grads on computers relatively easily for a basic fix but it's not so easy to create the effect of a polariser via the computer so it may be worth doing an HDR image with the polariser in place, assuming you can get the HDR image how you want it but it will affect all the picture, not just the area that would have been modified by the grad...

[Agnu]

Mounting a GND infront of a CPL won't cause anymore vignetting than a standard UV filter if you replace the UV filter with your CPL. You can do this, and with a Cokin Z holder at 17mm will see no vignetting (or maybe just the smaaalest amount).

[argyle]

Not quite. I had a Z-Pro, and it vignetted badly with a 17-40L on a 5D when set at 17mm. Stacking the Z-Pro on top of a polarizer will make it worse (and since most polarizers are thicker than a UV filter, its that much further from the lens). This is one reason why I ditched the Z-Pro for the Lee holder and wide angle adapter ring. Handholding the GND in front of the CPL is extremely easy...its basically a piece of cake (just gotta be mindful of the fingertips).

[61ache]

I've always had questions about this. In most cases isn't it a lot more efficient/effective to do GND filtering in your PP then with actual glass filters? Kind of like looking at my burning and dodging tools from my dark room setup, which I haven't picked up in years. For complex lighting it seems much easier to take 2 exposures and blend...I guess I've just always wondered if the cost/hassle outweigh the benefits since GND like blends on masks seem so easy in PP