GOOD filter setup for 16-35 F4 IS for landscapes/cityscapes

Planning on some vacationing and will be taking the 16-35 F4 IS to do some cityscapes and landscapes. I'll be at the beach and want to get smooth flowing water on sunrises/sunsets. Anyone recommend some filters for me to use?

Oh... budget. ~100-150 max?

Well, a smooth flow at the beach is at about 0.3s shutter speed.

You can do that without a filter.

But, if you want to stop some light, a 6 stop or 10 stop Haida is cheap and just as good quality as anything top branded. Well within budget.

Very best,

What kind of filter are you looking for? Myself, I'm mainly just a circular polarizing filter person. I got a deal with my 70-200mm that included a B&W ND filter and CPL...IMO B&W and Hoya HD filters are good. These days, though, I just use CPLs when I'm shooting some landscapes....most of the time bare and post processed are best. 5D4 getting slower water fall in sunset, you should be OK with intended shutter speed: I took photos with the 5Dc and 70-200mm 2.8 non IS on the beach and it was rather good.

Thought the gradients was needed for the balance of light of the sunrise or sunset

Do you want to get a good ND gradient filter holder setup though That's my main reason for not investing in such a setup. Also the problem of it being a linear gradient, and what if you have a picture with something that isn't linear? No, I'll stick with post processing for those situations...

Well I'll get a CPL to knock out a stop of light and go with it. I'm not use to stopping down but need to explore outside of my realms.

I've never done sunrise/sunsets in any consistent form. This is my only real landscape attempt at sunrise.

Photo from Talley's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (807146)

With my 5Dc I was still able to get some good sunsets. Your example does look underexposed: even with earlier 5Ds, you can get some good highlight recovery. Now with the 5D4, you have even more play with the shadow recovery. CPL can knock down some exposure, but it's more for getting a good saturation in the sky.

Talley wrote in post #18385574
Thought the gradients was needed for the balance of light of the sunrise or sunset

Maybe you're thinking of a reverse graduated ND filter? For $100, getting a good one of those, and a filter holder, probably isn't going to happen.

You can get a good high stop power circular ND though, if you really feel like blurring the water.

Otherwise, you use the dynamic range of your sensor and expose the sun, and lift shadows on the water/beach.
Or you take more than one exposure, and blend.

I used to used plate filters and all that.
But it's so cumbersome, glare and reflection issues at some angles.
The cost for what it is just isn't worth it to me beyond a normal good quality thread on circular ND filter.

These days, I just take more than one exposure and blend it.

Even my ancient 5D classic can grab enough to work with:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/FzQe​UR

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Gpj7​AH

MalVeauX wrote in post #18385741
Maybe you're thinking of a reverse graduated ND filter? For $100, getting a good one of those, and a filter holder, probably isn't going to happen.

You can get a good high stop power circular ND though, if you really feel like blurring the water.

Otherwise, you use the dynamic range of your sensor and expose the sun, and lift shadows on the water/beach.
Or you take more than one exposure, and blend.

I used to used plate filters and all that.
But it's so cumbersome, glare and reflection issues at some angles.
The cost for what it is just isn't worth it to me beyond a normal good quality thread on circular ND filter.

These days, I just take more than one exposure and blend it.

Even my ancient 5D classic can grab enough to work with:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/FzQe​UR img_a1248_proc_mark by Martin Wise, on Flickr

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/Gpj7​AH img_a1233_proc_mark by Martin Wise, on Flickr

Very best,

Very good advice and I share the same opinion.

6-stop ND. check out Ice brand on amazon/ebay. I use Ice big and little stoppers instead of Lee in a Lee filter holder. cost half as much. no color cast. sharp. Ice also makes screw ons that are way less expensive than top brands. if you want to use grads all I use is a 3-stop lee, but that requires ring and holder and is out of your stated budget.

for general landscapes with water, i'd rather have a circular polarizer than a grad ND filter...i bought a grad ND, but never use it...i prefer bracketing and blending the exposures personally

it sounds like you're going to be traveling, i'd say make sure you've got a travel tripod more than anything

ed rader wrote in post #18387892
6-stop ND. check out Ice brand on amazon/ebay. I use Ice big and little stoppers instead of Lee in a Lee filter holder. cost half as much. no color cast. sharp. Ice also makes screw ons that are way less expensive than top brands. if you want to use grads all I use is a 3-stop lee, but that requires ring and holder and is out of your stated budget.

Maybe I need to increase my budget

DreDaze wrote in post #18387898
for general landscapes with water, i'd rather have a circular polarizer than a grad ND filter...i bought a grad ND, but never use it...i prefer bracketing and blending the exposures personally

it sounds like you're going to be traveling, i'd say make sure you've got a travel tripod more than anything

Will look into the circular. I have small and large tripods. Large is the Sirui 5241xl and the small is the Sirui 1205x w/ K-10x ballhead. Folds to 14" w/ head and is 2.3lbs total. While it's no super massive strong tripod it handles perfectly fine w/ the 5D4 and lenses up to 2lbs. The 15-30 tamron worked well on it but I prefer to use it w/ the 16-35 F4 IS. It can handle pretty decent winds too. So ya the tripod thing is covered.

option 1: avoid filters by shooting during the burn, like 15 minutes after sunset, best time to shoot IMO

option 2: look into a LEE style filter setup with 100x100mm filters. I personally ditched "LEE" brand and experimenting "Bombo" holders, very inexpensive, although, my personal setup is even more expensive than LEE since it works on the CV10. Regular adapter ring goes for only $7. Worth exploring if you have multiple lenses and very fast in the field, sunsets dont last very long!

option 3: Circular filter of your largest lens with adapter rings for smaller stuff. 82mm filter + 77 to 82 adapter

golden hour, 3-6 stop gives you best water texture IMO, the wider the lens generally longer exposure time you'll want (1/4-2s)

6 stop probably my favorite for that type of shooting, just enough, not overkill. 3 stop can work too, 10, way overkill.... that said, 3,6, 10 are my core filters. I have a square CPL, but dont use too often. I dont use grads, just bracketing. You'll have to find a good exposure for the water flow, then grab a few brackets for the sky. You eventually get better at post processing and it becomes second nature.

LEE brand filters this day and age.... overpriced. you get what you pay for does not apply, in fact my LEE's have performed worse than some of my generic stuff!

haida makes the best 10 stopper, but a tossup now with cheapo ICE filters*

*older ICE filters were really bad or possibly fakes, so buy with a good return policy, 10 stoppers are the most tricky due to high density

zomei/ice have good 3/6 stop filters, generally very reliable, and made from glass (LEE plastic too easy to scratch).

I do have a complete set of 82mm filters that I've been thinking of selling. A combination of the filters that give the cleanest results for smallest price. The CPL costs more than all the filters combined

attached is my newish filter system by bombo, which has various adapters from inexpensive to very expensive. The ultra small size has made a difference for me, I can fit in my photo vest just barely, couldnt do that with the LEE.

I forget the option 4: if you have a fairly burly tripod, you can simply hold the square filter on the lens itself and take a shot. not the best option, but I've done it before. I think I lost an adapter ring in the sand, somehow fell off the lens

if you want cheaper lee bits check out The Filter Dude. for example, his wide angle rings are as good as Lee but half the price. haven't used his filter holder but I've heard it's as good. for ND grads i'd stick with Lee tho. also, forget reverse grads. I hold the sky back and work the lower half of an image in LR by reversing the ND grad too. you have more DR now with 5d4.

I shoot before the burn and after. sometimes there is no burn or the best shots occur before the burn. I had to clean up a little flare in this shot but I push my my equipment. I used a 3-stop grad here to hold back the sky.

IMAGE LINK: http://erader.zenfolio​.com/img/s7/v157/p2387​174498-4.jpg