Should I buy the Singh-Ray Vari...?

[beachbum2277]

I'm currently thinking about purchasing a Singh-Ray Vari-ND or a Vari-N-Duo. Right now I have a Hoya CPL as well as Lee 4x4 ND's. I mainly shoot landscapes around the wide-angle (17-50mm).

What do you suggest I do? And why?

.

[Jon]

How many Lee NDs do you have? Are you having vignetting problems with stacking the CPL and NDs? If you're not having vignetting problems with a full stack, I'd either stand pat or at most sell off the NDs (keeping the CPL) for the Vari-ND.

[beachbum2277]

I haven't stacked the ND's on top of the CPL yet. I have and mainly use 3-.9 Lee ND's. I haven't found the need to go lower than the .9

I haven't gotten any vignetting on the ND's yet because I hand hold them. My problem is though that I might be taking some longer shots 1-5 minutes and don't want to handhold them that long. I have the filter holder but I know for sure that it vignettes with the holder on at much of the range I shoot.

.

[SoaringUSAEagle]

I haven't stacked the ND's on top of the CPL yet. I have and mainly use 3-.9 Lee ND's. I haven't found the need to go lower than the .9

I haven't gotten any vignetting on the ND's yet because I hand hold them. My problem is though that I might be taking some longer shots 1-5 minutes and don't want to handhold them that long. I have the filter holder but I know for sure that it vignettes with the holder on at much of the range I shoot.

.

Hmmm that is interesting. I just used the filter holder for a 2 minute exposure in Scotland about two weeks ago and did not notice any vignetting at 24mm on my 5D2. Get the WIDE ANGLE adapter ring and you will have no issues.

I'd just keep what you have, and get the wide angle adapter ring.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/87147-REG/LEE_Filters_WAR077_Adapter_Ring_77mm.html

[beachbum2277]

Hmmm that is interesting. I just used the filter holddr for a 2 minute exposure in Scotland about two weeks ago and did not notice any vignetting at 24mm on my 5D2. Get the WIDE ANGLE filter holder and you will have no issues.

I'd just keep what you have.

Doesn't the wide angle holder only hold one filter at a time though?

[beachbum2277]

Only 2 votes? :(

.

[SoaringUSAEagle]

Doesn't the wide angle holder only hold one filter at a time though?

Okay, the wide angle adapter will then connect to the filter holder which will hold up to 4 filters.

[beachbum2277]

Okay, the wide angle adapter will then connect to the filter holder which will hold up to 4 filters.

How does this work? I don't think I've seen what you're describing.

.

[SoaringUSAEagle]

This:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=87147&is=REG

Will go on your lens.

This:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=87108&is=REG

Will attach to the adapter ring. Your filters will then be placed within the filter holder. Voila.

[beachbum2277]

This:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=87147&is=REG
Will go on your lens.
This:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=WishList.jsp&A=details&Q=&sku=87108&is=REG
Will attach to the adapter ring. Your filters will then be placed within the filter holder. Voila.

Oh, yeah, I already have the adapter and filter holder. What I was saying is that the standard holder (the one that holds 4 filters) will cause a lot of vignetting at the wide end. Using the wide-angle holder minimizes the vignetting but it only allows you to hold 1 filter at a time.

.

[SoaringUSAEagle]

Hm, well again, I just used this gear in Scotland and I didnt see any vignetting.

[beachbum2277]

Hm, well again, I just used this gear in Scotland and I didnt see any vignetting.

I'm not doubting you. I didn't see that the adapter was a special wide-angle adapter. I use the cokin holders and they have a separate holder for wide angle which only holds 1 filter. My bad. Still, the adapter is pretty expensive...

.

[SoaringUSAEagle]

Yes the adapter I linked is meant for wide angle lenses, versus the normal one for a 77mm thread size.

It's all relative - I guess the price is worth it if the vignetting is reduced or not evident at all.

Here's the image I took with a 3 stop ND for the whole scene and a 3 stop graduated for the sky:
5D Mark II w/ 24-70mm
35mm
f/13
ISO 50
90 sec
http://blog.jeffreyallred.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/IMG_2013-2.jpg

[argyle]

A few things to be mindful of...First, the Vari-ND is not compatible with a CPL, hence the reason for Singh-Ray coming out with the Vari-N-Duo (which combines a warming polarizer). For that reason, I went with the Vari-N-Duo, but kept my other CPL's for the times when I'm not using the S-R filter. The standard Vari-N-Duo will vignette on a FF camera all the way up to 35mm. The vignetting on the FF camera decreases to 28mm when using the slim version of the filter (no front filter threads either). Since you shoot mostly in the 17-50 range, most of that range will suffer some sort of vignetting depending on the version of the filter that you decide upon, if at all. The Vari-N-Duo is an incredible filter...you just need to be mindful of the focal length limitations with regard to the vignetting issue. If you can deal with that, I'd strongly recommend one.

I can't help you much with the Vari-ND, but IIRC the vignetting on a FF was at or near the 24-28mm range.

[jdizzle]

Well, I don't know if this thread is about. The SR filter? or the Lee filter holder? Can you be more specific in what you're looking for?