Hitech Filter Holder for a 17-40mm f/4 L, Plus Other Questions!

I have been looking at getting some ND filters and the whole confusing issue has raised a few questions (apologies for so many questions):

From reading other posts I think I would like to get Hitech filters. Are the 85mm Hitech filters going to be wide enough in their respective holder (2-slot) to avoid vignetting on my 17-40mm f/4 L at 17mm on a 20D? I'm referring to the 2-slot holder.

Would the same set-up vignette on a Canon 10-22mm at 10mm?

Would the same set-up (using the 17-40mm L) vignette on a full frame sensor camera (not important at the moment, but I'm planning ahead)?

If I have a (77mm) circular polarizer on my lens, can the adapter ring, filter holder and filter(s) fit to that and work properly, or do I have to use a (larger) circular polarizer and adapter in front of the filters (i.e. so that the light goes through the polarizer before the filters)? I don't want to go and buy an expensive 77mm CPL, then find I can't use it between the lens and filter holder!

Is the MkII aluminium holder the best one to get for price and performance? £46 seems a lot of money to me, but I'll get one of these if it is stupid not to. If there are better holder choices, can you recommend one please?

Does anyone happen to know the price of an 85mm Hitech 10-stop ND filter? I can't find a price for those. I would like one of those, plus a standard filter kit (0.3, 0.6 and 0.9)

I am thinking of just buying some filters first, without a holder, and hand-holding them. I have read quite a few people saying that they do this. Is it a sensible idea, or just a good way to get poor results and scratched filters?

Do you meter through gradient ND filters, or put them on after metering? I presume you don't meter through non-gradient ND filters, or do you?

Thanks in advance for any words of wisdom on these matters!

Mike

You meter as you normally would.

Cokin makes a single slot wide adapter that will work on the 10-22mm.

The regular Cokin holder should be fine on the 17-40/20D without vignetting.

Tsmith wrote in post #4725920
You meter as you normally would.

Cokin makes a single slot wide adapter that will work on the 10-22mm.

The regular Cokin holder should be fine on the 17-40/20D without vignetting.

This man speaks the truth! I use the cokin P series holders for my 17-40 w/ hi-tech filters, works like a charm.

Thanks Toney and Brad. That's cleared up a few of the mysteries!

Mike

No problem, in terms of the circular polarizer, if it has front threads I don't see why it couldn't screw into the filter. However, with a CP you have the front that rotates, and the filter holder itself also rotates. It just seems like it would be really difficult to adjust one without upsetting the other.

Also, with a CP and other filters stacked it would be come very hard to see - the viewfinder would be quite dark and you would probably struggle to see the gradient and/or polarizing effect.

I usually just got with one or the other depending on the needs of the shot.

Thanks Brad. I didn't think of that.

I was wondering because I have seen people mention a CPL and ND filters used together. I suppose if I needed to I could fit the CPL as normal and hand-hold an ND.

Can you use two ND filters in your Cokin P series holder? I have seen people's photos where they stacked a standard ND with a gradient ND, so I would like that capability too.

Thanks

Mike

The skies pretty much the limit has to what or how you want to stack filters in the Holder. Like Bard said as long as your CPL has front threads the Holder Adapter can attach right to it for using the ND or GND filters.

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #4725825
If I have a (77mm) circular polarizer on my lens, can the adapter ring, filter holder and filter(s) fit to that and work properly, or do I have to use a (larger) circular polarizer and adapter in front of the filters (i.e. so that the light goes through the polarizer before the filters)? I don't want to go and buy an expensive 77mm CPL, then find I can't use it between the lens and filter holder!

Is the MkII aluminium holder the best one to get for price and performance? £46 seems a lot of money to me, but I'll get one of these if it is stupid not to. If there are better holder choices, can you recommend one please?

1.) You can mount a GND filter holder to the front threads of your CPL...however, it will be very difficult to adjust the CPL and, more importantly, you will get heavy vignetting. I wouldn't recommend this method (I tried it myself). I ended up spending the money on a Lee CPL that mounts in front of the GND's.

2.) I haven't tried the Hitech filter holder. I first used a Cokin Z-Pro, but eventually sold it off and went with the Lee holder. The Lee is a much better design, and uses a spring-loaded brass clip to attach the holder to the adapter ring. The Cokin uses three plastic pins that you slide in and out to attach/remove the holder...very cheap and prone to wear out. The Lee holder is not that expensive compared to the Cokin...for the money, its a better deal.

I'm also using Hitech GND's. I'd recommend starting off with a 2-stop soft and a 3-stop hard graduation. In using GND's, you'd meter the sky and foreground separately to determine the exposure diffference in stops of light...then just select the proper GND.

If you're using ND filters, just meter through your lens.

You can also try this link for square and rectangular filters...very good selection/prices and the folks are extremenly helpful and will answer any and all of your questions:

http://www.2filter.com

Thanks Toney and Argyle.

What size Hitech filters are you all using? I have read about people using the 85mm filters on here, but I wanted to make sure they are wide enough for the 17-40mm, especially when stacking a couple of filters.

The 100mm Hitech filters are twice the price of the 85mm filters, so for me the price goes from bearable to ridiculous in one small step.

Thanks

Mike

Just in case anyone else was wondering too, I am able to answer one of my own questions from yesterday!

I have been in touch with Formatt Filters about their Hitech 85mm 10-stop ND and they are £30.00. I also asked about a 5-stop ND in the same size and they are £20.00.

Mike

Here's a thought...if you're talking about ND filters and *not* GND filters, Singh-Ray makes an adjustable ND filter that threads onto your lens barrel like a typical filter. I think the product name is "Vario ND" or something close to that. The filter lets you dial in anywhere from 2 to 8 stops of light reduction. No need for a filter holder, adapter ring, and multiple rectangular filters. The Vario ND sells for about $300 or so, but when you factor in the cost of a holder, ring, filters, etc it probably evens out. Plus, you only have to carry one small item in your bag. If you need more than 8 stops reduction, you can always thread on your CPL for another 1.5 to 2 stops. Just a thought.

Thanks Argyle.

In this thread I'm talking about both ND and GND, but I was previously considering the Vari-ND and started a thread about it a little while ago. The 77mm wide angle one is $390, so that's nearly £200, plus postage, duty and VAT. Unless I can get away with the duty and VAT I can see one of those costing me about £280!

Looking at the 85mm Hitech filters, I can get a set of three standard (1,2 & 3-stop) NDs for £30 (inc VAT), a matching set of GND for £30, then a 10-stop for £30 and a 5-stop for £20, bringing me to £110. Then there's the holder and adapter, so taking me up to about £160 if I get a good holder.

I was considering the Vari-ND, but the Hitech option is a lot more flexible. The one I'm really interested in is the 10-stop, so I would get that first to experiment with.

I'm still not 100% sure that I'll be okay with the 85mm filters. I think so, but I don't know what everyone else is using.

Mike

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #4732143
I'm still not 100% sure that I'll be okay with the 85mm filters. I think so, but I don't know what everyone else is using.

Mike

Since you're considering both types, then the holder setup is probably the most cost effective way to go. I'm using the Hitech 4x5 filters (100mm) with a Lee holder and CPL.

I was looking on 2filter.com, and I'm trying to figure out why the Hitech holder is so darn expensive. The Lee holder is only $75USD, and the wide angle adapter ring is another $60USD. The Hitech holder is shown at about $150USD, with the adapter ring another $40USD.

Okay, thanks.

Now, that's a nuisance because the 100mm filters are twice the price of the 85mm filters, which I was hoping I would get away with!

Mike

Well, I see in your gear list that you have a 17-40L and a 20D. I'm thinking that the 85mm filters would be good with the cropped sensor (although I can't actually say for sure). If you ever decide to go wider and pick up a 10-XX zoom, they may present an issue at the wide focal length.

TBH, when I first was considering these filters, I couldn't get a definitive answer either. To play safe, I decided to go with the 100mm size just to be on the safe side. I can definitely say that I don't have any issues when using with either the 30D/10-22 or the 5D/17-40L.

One thing that I would recommend...whatever holder you decide to go with, make sure that the filter slots are able to be removed/added. The holders with a fixed number of filter slots don't leave any flexibility.