10 stop ND: Lee Big Stopper vs. Singh Ray vs. Breakthrough Photography

WOW - what a great comprehensive response Travis. A thousand 'thank you's.
Maybe the trick is to buy the Lee holder and the Haida or Formatt-Hitech glass.

What is the 16 stopper you are referring to? The FH Firecrest?

There are no restrictions on using one brand holder and one brand glass... It's just a name... If the tool. Is right and gets the job done that is what counts.

Yes my 16 stop is the FH Firecrest.

Thanks everyone for their help. After playing around with a variable ND filter and circular polariser I realized that I won't tolerate a 10 stop screw on filter. So I ordered the Big Stopper and the Lee foundations kit and glass polariser - more filters to follow. I should have the kit for this weekend.
My question now becomes what do most people use to cover the eyepiece for long day time exposures. Will a black cloth work for the top of the filter and eyepiece?
What do you use to prevent unwanted light entering in? Or is this only necessary during bright midday exposures?

philmar wrote in post #17778699
Thanks everyone for their help. After playing around with a variable ND filter and circular polariser I realized that I won't tolerate a 10 stop screw on filter. So I ordered the Big Stopper and the Lee foundations kit and glass polariser - more filters to follow. I should have the kit for this weekend.
My question now becomes what do most people use to cover the eyepiece for long day time exposures. Will a black cloth work for the top of the filter and eyepiece?
What do you use to prevent unwanted light entering in? Or is this only necessary during bright midday exposures?

Congrats on the choice and good luck with it!

I use a small piece of gaffer's tape to cover the viewfinder. You can also use the rubber shade that came with your 5D3, it's on the neck strap. In my case, I don't use the neck strap and don't want to lose that rubber piece, so hence the tape.

I compose my shot before putting the BS in because AF usually won't work through the BS. Once composed and focus is achieved, I switch the lens to manual focus and use another piece of gaffer's tape to hold the focus ring from accidentally moving.

The gaffer's tape I have is non marring.

philmar wrote in post #17778699
What do you use to prevent unwanted light entering in? Or is this only necessary during bright midday exposures?

I use one of these right now: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Storm_Jacket_C​amera.html

it works ok, can be a bit of a PITA...but it covers the ports, lens mount and lens barrel...all of those are places where light can leak in...I am in the process of trying to design something a little better suited to the task...I need to get back to that project...been shooting a lot more LE lately.

TRhoads wrote in post #17778886
I use one of these right now: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Storm_Jacket_C​amera.html

it works ok, can be a bit of a PITA...but it covers the ports, lens mount and lens barrel...all of those are places where light can leak in...I am in the process of trying to design something a little better suited to the task...I need to get back to that project...been shooting a lot more LE lately.

No way! This is exactly what im doing. I got a 16 stop ND filter for an architecture long exposure project I have in mind and I will be using the TSE which leaks light when shifted so was trying to come up with something that would slip over the whole body and lens. I was thinking of buying a cheap neoprene lens pouch from ebay and altering it to suit. Now that I have seen your link I might just save myself some hassle and buy something like that. Keen to see what you come up with

xpfloyd wrote in post #17778904
No way! This is exactly what im doing. I got a 16 stop ND filter for an architecture long exposure project I have in mind and I will be using the TSE which leaks light when shifted so was trying to come up with something that would slip over the whole body and lens. I was thinking of buying a cheap neoprene lens pouch from ebay and altering it to suit. Now that I have seen your link I might just save myself some hassle and buy something like that. Keen to see what you come up with

yeah, the TSE can leak like crazy when shifted AND tilted...or one or the other...I lost a good shot this summer due to light leak from the TSE.

My struggle right now with my design is the right material. We did some testing in Yosemite...a friend had a shirt that was one of those moisture wicking shirts...well...that fabric is breathable...and we wound up with little hexagon shaped light leaks spots! it was wild, and took us a while to figure out. It can't be something too thick or it will trap too much heat...

So until I can really figure out a good solution, my rain cover works the best.

TRhoads wrote in post #17778886
I use one of these right now: http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …_Storm_Jacket_C​amera.html

Should have added that to my order...


...guess I'll use a thick garbage bag for now.

Thanks guys. I don't have my camera handy but I'm not sure if there is a plastic rubber dohicky on the strap....but then again I probably couldn't correctly recall the colour of my wife's eyes...
I'll look when i get home.

And what does TSE stand for?

I feel like I'll have to go back in time for an old solution:

The old ways are the best

philmar wrote in post #17778931
And what does TSE stand for?

Canon's Designation for the Tilt Shift line of lenses.


And that picture of the person under the hood...is how we felt shooting LE...I kept sticking my head inside the storm jacket looking at the LCD...problem is, my eyes are not very good close up...so I have a hard time focusing!

xpfloyd wrote in post #17778987
The old ways are the best

Perhaps, but I won't survive too many Canadian winters in those pants

TRhoads wrote in post #17779112
Canon's Designation for the Tilt Shift line of lenses.

And that picture of the person under the hood...is how we felt shooting LE...I kept sticking my head inside the storm jacket looking at the LCD...problem is, my eyes are not very good close up...so I have a hard time focusing!

Of course. TSE rather than the obvious TSL.
WTF

So I have looked at my 5D3 and see the rubber stopper. Too bad it doesn't work while it's on the strap.