Cokin adapter on top of circular polarizer???

Dear Friends,

I have a Sigma 10-20mm with a circular polarizer on it. I saw a grad ND filter for sale and was wondering how it would work if I bought a adapter. Could I screw on the adapter over the polarizer or would i have to take off the polarizer?

We are traveling to New Hampshire next week and I want to take scenery shots. Would it be a good idea to buy the new filter and use it at times without the polarizer?? What would you do?

Please help as I need to decide in a couple of days.

Thanks,

Zsolt

zzpethe wrote in post #2049503
I have a Sigma 10-20mm with a circular polarizer on it. I saw a grad ND filter for sale and was wondering how it would work if I bought a adapter. Could I screw on the adapter over the polarizer or would i have to take off the polarizer?

We are traveling to New Hampshire next week and I want to take scenery shots. Would it be a good idea to buy the new filter and use it at times without the polarizer?? What would you do?

Zsolt, I've experimented a lot with the 1020EX and filters. Using a bayonet-thread-type CPF with any 10mm lens will render uneven polarization across skies. You can use it effectively though if you're careful, and the CPF can double as a 2-stop ND filter too to slow down exposures.

I find that the Lee/Cokin/HiTech set up with rectangular filters are more effective though. The P-versions won't vignette assuming you only use 1 filter and a single-slot holder (i.e., wide angle holder). I think the best filter you can use with your UWA is a rectangular 2-stop (or 3-stop) ND GRADUATED.

I'd recommend you invest in a Cokin P-style wide angle (single slot) holder for $13, a P-style 77mm adapter ring (to mount to your 1020EX), and a good quality Lee or HiTech ND Graduated filter. You can buld around this set up later on.

Polarizer + adapter + holder. Great advice given by LightRules. I would suggest both a 2 or 3-stop GND to equal out exposures when the sky is much brighter than the foreground, and a 2 or 3-stop ND to use for motion blur effects for water shots.
You can buy a Cokin WA holder with adapter set for around $15-$20US and the GND/ND's will run you around $40US each for the HiTech's. The Lee's are much more expensive but, undoubtedly, higher quality.

Thank you for the quick replies. Just to make sure I understand your advice: do I have to screw off the CPF and use just the others for best scenery results? Would I lose the benefits of CPF (bluer skies, no reflection on water etc)? Or should I just stick with the CPF and forget about the others?

Actually, I thought about getting a Cokin 121S gradual ND filter...

Still not sure how the two kinds of filters would work together if at all.....sorry if I am slow on the uptake

Zsolt