GND filteres,holders and set up questions

[Simply Ravishing]

I've decided to start investing in some filters to add to my collection and have really ran into a whole new world of complicated things I don't understand! I've done a fair amount of reading today, but haven't been able to find anything specific to my situation so I thought i'd just ask questions.

From what I've read I am pretty sure I want either Lee or Hitech filters, but the holder is the issue I am having. I am looking to use these on my 77mm lenses (tokina 11-16, canon 24-105) and I can't figure out which holder I need. I don't really want to break the bank here, but I want something that will work.

I am also having a hard time figuring out the density I need. I've read that 2 stops is a pretty good starting point, so I guess I start there? I also am not sure about hard/soft filters. I am primarly shooting landscapes/citys at sunset and things of that nature. Sometimes there is water invovled, sometimes not. Which would you say are the more versitile option between soft vs hard??

I hope this isn't too confussing! :oops:

Thanks!!

[jcothron]

I highly suggest the Lee holder, and in your case a wide angle 77mm adapter ring for the Tokina 11-16/24-105. The ring will work on other 77 lenses as well, but you'll be protecting yourself from possible vignetting at really wide angles.

If you have no gnd's at all, I'd suggest starting with a 2 stop soft edge and a 3 stop hard edge filter..and work from there.

If they have them in stock, you can get good prices from 2filter.com.

[Simply Ravishing]

I highly suggest the Lee holder, and in your case a wide angle 77mm adapter ring for the Tokina 11-16/24-105. The ring will work on other 77 lenses as well, but you'll be protecting yourself from possible vignetting at really wide angles.

If you have no gnd's at all, I'd suggest starting with a 2 stop soft edge and a 3 stop hard edge filter..and work from there.

If they have them in stock, you can get good prices from 2filter.com.

Thanks. I've checked out their site, I'll keep them in mind.

[bps]

jcothron has summed it up well. The holder you're looking for is called the Lee Foundation Kit. I also highly recommend the wide angle 77mm adaptor ring. It's more expensive, but guarantees that you won't run into problems on the wide end or when you stack multiple filters. (which is often the case in landscape photography)

Bryan

[Simply Ravishing]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like this is going to be a bit more expensive than I had thought.... So is www.2filter.com the spot to go?

[timecut]

i always want to ask, can i handhold the lee filter in front of the lens without the holder?
i know a lot of people doing it.

[jcothron]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like this is going to be a bit more expensive than I had thought.... So is www.2filter.com (http://www.2filter.com) the spot to go?

They have the best prices I've found (on the filters anyway). The foundtation kit is basically the same price at B&H IIRC. On the other hand, I don't constantly search for a better price.

[jcothron]

i always want to ask, can i handhold the lee filter in front of the lens without the holder?
i know a lot of people doing it.

Yes, obviously set-up isn't quite as easy as you're handholding it.. but you can do it and I have done it....especially prior to having the 105mm screw-in filter attachment on the Lee holder.

[Simply Ravishing]

So I'm looking at the prices right now...

Lee FK Holder - $75
Wide Angle Adapter Ring - $58
And the Hitech 4x5 filters are $66 bucks a piece

Sound about right?? So that set up would be roughly $200 w/ 1 filter... or they offer this one for $146 w/ the Cokin Z pro holder. Is the extra $50 or so worth it for the Lee set up?

http://www.2filter.com/prices/Hitech_Z_package.html

[jcothron]

Sounds about right and in my opinion... yes it is worth it.

[Simply Ravishing]

Anybody else? I'd really rather spend the majority of my money on filters rather than the holder... I've been doing some more reading and it sounds like I could probably get away with one of the Cokin holders till 13mm or so... anybody??

[jasonleehl]

I tend to handhold my filters but it works fine for me at the moment.

I had a Cokin holder which vignettes very badly on 17mm (FF) but sees no sign of vignetting at 24mm (FF). I really should had bought the Lee Foundation Kit + Wide Angle Holder in the first place.

[Simply Ravishing]

I tend to handhold my filters but it works fine for me at the moment.

I had a Cokin holder which vignettes very badly on 17mm (FF) but sees no sign of vignetting at 24mm (FF). I really should had bought the Lee Foundation Kit + Wide Angle Holder in the first place.

How difficult is hand holding the filters? That might be the way to go... save more than a few dollars that way.

[jasonleehl]

It's not difficult to hand-hold them, but the holder makes things a lot easier. If you have the money, go for the foundation kit.

[monkeymike]

well, if you dont have the money for the lee, get the cokin Z kit from 2filter. think about the vinnetting this way... you are already using the GND to darken the entire sky... whats the big deal if the upper corners are ever so slightly darker than the rest of the pic. plus, the bottom corner vinnetting is going to occur on a part of the landscape.

i read the entire GND thread a couple months back, and it seemed that most people were ok with the z-pro kit on a 10-22. yes it is going to vinnette, but if the difference in price is going to keep you from buying the lee kit, then go with what you can afford, and enjoy using it.

if the vinnetting really iritates you that much after you buy it, you can sell it to finance a lee kit, or you can bump your focal length up a little bit, or you can crop the pic to get rid of any noticable vinnetting...

~mike

[Simply Ravishing]

Well its not that I don't have the money, I would just rather spend it on other stuff than a fricken filter holder! Haha... it's just me being a cheap @ss more than anything.

[markyb555]

I personally im going the Lee holder and Hitech Grads sometime next week.. But thats mainly due to the recommendations from others on here, Believe it or not.. its quite abit cheaper here for the filters and lee holder.. for once :p hehe

I guess im one of those types of folks that i'll research a thing so much.. decide.. down grade it as i know i wont use it that often and then find its not what i expected it to be (poor quality or like said above vignettes so bad it looks bad on the shots ive took). So if i want something.. I normally just get what i can want.. save up if necessary to afford it and suffer the pain, paying for it.. i totally appreciate thats a hell of a lot of money for experimenting with Grads etc.. but if you love the shots it produces.. im sure they would be worth it and justified.

Im gonna try hand holding when i get mine also but i just think it could be abit fiddly and also risk of movement etc.. too much going on for my liking!

[jcothron]

Well its not that I don't have the money, I would just rather spend it on other stuff than a fricken filter holder! Haha... it's just me being a cheap @ss more than anything.

Well, if you want to try the hand-holding route go for it. I've done it.. what I expect to see though.. is after a certain amount of time you'll have a lee holder as well. (regardless if you happen to purchase another brand now)

Good luck!

[Simply Ravishing]

I should probably just suck it up and spring for the Lee kit... Any truth to the rumor that they are backordered at 2filter.com?

[jcothron]

I should probably just suck it up and spring for the Lee kit... Any truth to the rumor that they are backordered at 2filter.com?


I think there is some truth that they're back-ordered just about everywhere from what I've read. I haven't seen anything about it in a few days however...so maybe things have changed.

[Simply Ravishing]

One more quick question.... If I have a crop camera, do I really need the wide angle adapter ring? Or will the regular one be fine?? Thanks again for all the help!!

[anshu]

Your gonna want the wide angle adapter ring!
The lee filter holder was backordered everywhere in the country a few weeks ago when I was looking to buy.
I bought the cokin holder instead. On my 10-20 I have to cheat out to 12mm to get rid of the holder in frame. I don't mind in the least. On my 24-70 I can slam all the way back. This is all on a 40D.
I was planning on something similar to what your looking to buy. Instead I was able to get the cokin holder, wide angle ring and the lee filter 1,2,3 stop kit and case for roughly the same cost!

[Simply Ravishing]

Your gonna want the wide angle adapter ring!
The lee filter holder was backordered everywhere in the country a few weeks ago when I was looking to buy.
I bought the cokin holder instead. On my 10-20 I have to cheat out to 12mm to get rid of the holder in frame. I don't mind in the least. On my 24-70 I can slam all the way back. This is all on a 40D.
I was planning on something similar to what your looking to buy. Instead I was able to get the cokin holder, wide angle ring and the lee filter 1,2,3 stop kit and case for roughly the same cost!


Which Conkin holder did you get? I could handle the vignette at 12mm... I wouldn't lose that much anyway. And I'm not sure I want to wait around for the Lee to become un-back ordered.

[jcothron]

If it is really out of stock everywhere, that wouldn't be a bad option. It's not like you're talking 100s of dollars if you want to get the Lee holder later. If the Cokin does what you need it to (I'm assuming Cokin Z-Pro)...perhaps you won't change at all, so a few $ saved and you get it faster. :)

Neither way would be a "bad" move IMO.

[Simply Ravishing]

Alright, finally pulled the trigger on the Cokin Z Pro w/ the wide angle adapter ring and a 2 stop and 3 stop soft edge from www.2filter.com I'm stoked and nervous at the same time!

[markyb555]

There is a few places over here thats also on back order.. But other are ok on stock.. Wonder if there is gonna be a price rise, as so many other manufactures are doing at the moment.. (Tokina being one of them)

im also going for the UWA ring.. the difference is £10 which to have it utilised for all lenses makes sense to me. if your gonna do it.. may as well do it proper :)

[anshu]

Indeed! The Z- Pro Holder. Whose filters? lee or hitech? Be on the lookout for a call from 2filter, when I ordered from them they had 1 of the 4 things I ordered in stock so they called me but they were very nice on the phone and ended up sending me back to B n H

[Simply Ravishing]

I got everything last week... although I still haven't had a chance to get out and use it!