Need help - Lee Foundation Kit Polarizer

I have a lee foundation kit coming. I'm looking for the best option for a polarizer.

Setup: Canon 5d > Zeiss 21mm > WA 82mm Adapter > Lee Foundation

1. Drop in - I don't want to spend $400 on a drop in Polarizer so let's strike that off the list.

2. 105mm Marumi with 105mm Adapter ring. My worry is that when I just want a polarizer, I will have a space between the front element and the polarizer which will most likely glare like crazy.

3. 4x4 lee polarizer - This seems like a good option, but you lose the ability to fine tune the polarizer when using grads. Also seems like it will fall out if you don't take care.

4. Buy a 82mm Polarizer with front threads. Thread the lee foundation holder onto the polarizer. Most likely be a pain to adjust the polarizer and the polarizer will be behind the grads which probably isn't the best. Would also suspect big time vignetting but that is what I don't know. Would be nice to have an 82mm polarizer though for times when I don't use the lee foundation kit.

So, my question to you experts is what is the best option around the $200 mark?

Why would the square filter drop out??

I use it and it is very good indeed. You can't set the polarisation as exactly as with a circular (shaped) polariser but it is still excellent and you get Lee quality for considerably less than using the Lee 105mm with the required adapter

Using an 82mm polariser behind the wide angle adapter is almost impossible as you can't get your fingers in to tighten or loosen it. I tried it with a 77mm version and quickly realised I was onto a loser. Also with the polariser behind the filter holder it will be extremely difficult to adjust the polarisation and set up your grads as it will be very difficult to hold the front ring of the polariser still if you move the Lee holder

big_g wrote in post #13626454
Why would the square filter drop out??

ISTR Ben Jacobsen (Jacobsen1) had this happen to him. If it wasn't him it was Julian D. (JDizzle). Whichever one it was, and they're heavy users of the Lee holders, they then worked out a fix by putting a couple of small screws in the bottom of the frame.

OK - Ben Jacobsen. Here and several subsequent posts. Remember - the 4x4 CPL is glass, therefore a bit heavier than the resin grads.

I will have to be more careful with mine then. Good advice

big_g

Here is the screw information......
https://photography-on-the.net …?p=12883378&pos​tcount=256

and a pic of what his fix looks like......
https://photography-on-the.net …?p=12870286&pos​tcount=238

I used Ben's info and found the screws at a local hardware store.

I bought an 82mm polarizer for now. Not going to use it with my lee holder and will eventually get the 4x4 square. Thinking I'll just blue tac it in place if I want to leave it in.

Thanks for suggestions.

The screws are a good fix, but there's really no need for these or any other mechanical device, IMO...just place a short, thin strip of electrician's tape along the four edges of the filter (simply fold it over each edge to cover both sides of the filter). This will provide enough friction to hold the filter in place, while also allowing use of the first slot for a GND for those times when a polarizer isn't needed.

Hardcore wrote in post #13616281
I have a lee foundation kit coming. I'm looking for the best option for a polarizer.

Setup: Canon 5d > Zeiss 21mm > WA 82mm Adapter > Lee Foundation

2. 105mm Marumi with 105mm Adapter ring. My worry is that when I just want a polarizer, I will have a space between the front element and the polarizer which will most likely glare like ?

Be careful here with vignetting. I just got my 16-35mm and WA 82 mm adapter to use with my Lee system. I used it with my 17-40 and 24-70 with WA 77mm. Mine is also outfitted with a 4mm and 2mm holder, 105mm adapter and 105mm B+W CPL. With this combo I'm getting vignetting at or about 22mm.

I may have to rethink my setup.

I have seen posts that say CPL can be problematic on UW since you will get uneven polarization across the field of view.

I'm also considering if I can get some kind of step up from 82 to 105mm since I have such a nice 105mm polarizer.

swldstn wrote in post #13631691
Be careful here with vignetting. I just got my 16-35mm and WA 82 mm adapter to use with my Lee system. I used it with my 17-40 and 24-70 with WA 77mm. Mine is also outfitted with a 4mm and 2mm holder, 105mm adapter and 105mm B+W CPL. With this combo I'm getting vignetting at or about 22mm.

I may have to rethink my setup.

I have seen posts that say CPL can be problematic on UW since you will get uneven polarization across the field of view.

I'm also considering if I can get some kind of step up from 82 to 105mm since I have such a nice 105mm polarizer.

You'll need to remove (IIRC) two slots from the holder if you intend to use the 105 along with the Zeiss 21. When I did some experimenting with mine with a 5D2/17-40L, I was using the Lee holder with three slots, the WA ring, and the 105 polarizer. With this setup, I was getting real heavy vignetting. Removing two slots from the holder helped, but didn't eliminate the vignetting completely. Since going to the 4x4 polarizer, my 105 basically sits in the bag (I probably should sell it). Here are a few test shots I took a few years back using the 105 with a single slot, at 17mm on a 5D...notice the corners (stopping down moderately basically removes the vignetting):

5D + 17-40L at 17mm/f4, WA ring, single slot, 105 polarizer:

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argyle wrote in post #13632974
You'll need to remove (IIRC) two slots from the holder if you intend to use the 105 along with the Zeiss 21. When I did some experimenting with mine with a 5D2/17-40L, I was using the Lee holder with three slots, the WA ring, and the 105 polarizer. With this setup, I was getting real heavy vignetting. Removing two slots from the holder helped, but didn't eliminate the vignetting completely. Since going to the 4x4 polarizer, my 105 basically sits in the bag (I probably should sell it). Here are a few test shots I took a few years back using the 105 with a single slot, at 17mm on a 5D...notice the corners (stopping down moderately basically removes the vignetting):

As far as a CPL being "problematic" with an ultrawide, that's debatable and is dependent on the use. Most beginners just use a CPL to get sky/cloud shots that you see so often (and usually way over-polarized in many cases). If shooting with a very wide lens, you can get some unevenness across the sky with a CPL. However, a few caveats:

(1) the CPL does much more than yield pretty skies...removes glare from wet surfaces, controls/eliminates reflections, enhances contrast and saturation. Not every shot needs to have a sky in the picture to get the benefits of a CPL, so no problem here.
(2) By shooting in the portrait orientation with a CPL and a wide lens, you can limit the amount of sky in the image and avoid the unevenness. Again, no problem here.
(3) Sometimes, the "unevenness" can contribute to the composition, all depends on how you set the shoot up (unevenness is not always a detriment).

The CPL is just another tool...know when and how to use it and you'll avoid problems. Just be judicious...

Thanks for the advise. I really want my Lee inestment to work well on my 16-35 so I'm not giving up on it. Each point you made here I can use.