17-40L and filters

With one of my interests being landscape photography, I've been looking round for a suitable filter system and holder to place ND Grad filters in front of the 17-40L (perfect landscape lens by the way!) in order to tone down the sky to match the darker ground.

The only system that I have found so far here in the UK that will work without vignetting or the holder showing is the Lee Filters System. Their wide-angle hood, with filter slots, seem ideal but when I cost up what is required the cost is prohibitive for a mere cop like me:-

Hood - £140
77mm Adapter Ring - £30
ND Grad Set - £90

The Cokin 'P' series won't work below 28mm and as I really want to use the grads on both my 10D and the 5, that system, albeit much much cheaper, is a non-starter. Hoya do circular ND Grads but only up to 58mm thread size.

Anyone got any suggestions? Getting desperate now, especially if the European Forum trip goes ahead for Scotland in October.

Cheers,
Barry

Would the "no filters" method work? I.e. take two exposures and combine them in PhotoShop? With RAW, you might not even need to take two exposures, just develop the image twice at different exposure settings.

Get the large rectangular filters and a rool of black gaff tape

The filter holdes like the oes Cokin make are nothing but a nuisance even if they do work with your lens.. Gaff tape all the way!

I'd keep a UV filter (77mm screw on) in place though, to avoid the possibilty of getting tape or fingerrints on the front elemnet while you tweek the grad filter into place.

Also be sure you get GAFFERS tape.. (NOT Duct tape!) it designed to release easily without any residue.

The best is "Permacell" but others make it to.. "Pro-gaff",. etc..

hmm i have a 10d with a 17-40L and I just bought a Cokin P 77mm adapter along with a solid ND and a grad ND...

they seem to work fine at the 17mm end of my lens... where did u read that they dont work below 28mm...

maybe the crop factor comes into play. the 17 is really like a 27mm lens by 35mm film camera standards... who knows, i know the p series works fine for me. i even placed the filter on the furthest slot away from the lens and didnt see any problems...

good luck.

Hi all,

Thanks for the replies so far.

Tomi - I had thought of the old double exposure and merge in Photoshop but hadn't considered the use of your RAW method. I'll give it a try. Thank you.

Abel - You are, of course correct re the 17-40 on the 10D but I am looking for a 'universal' system for both my 10D and the 5. However I may well have to accept the Cokin 'P' system on the 10D - but I do prefer a wider angle lens for some of my work other than the 17mm end effectively coming out as 27mm. Hence my seeking a system for the EOS 5 where I can gain the benefit of the true 17mm (the real down-side of D-SLR's). But thanks anyway.

CDS - I do bow in respect of your work and input on this forum but the thought of putting tape all over my beautiful 'L' fills me with more trepidation than .......... I can't bring myself to even think of a worse example! Adhesive and me do not get on together - it either ends up all over me or all over what I'm sticking But hey, thanks for the reply.

Cheers,
Barry

ahh i didnt catch that part of your post... the part about using it on the 5 as well.