HiTech vs Lee ND

Can anyone comment on the quality of these filters compared to each other. Lee is very high quality but I dont know much about HiTech. Is there much image quality reduction from the HiTech filter compared to Lee, and does HiTech have any color cast?
I was using Cokin but these are useless in both of these areas.

I'm interested in this question too, I'm tired of colour casts while using Cokin filters -- although the purple that shows up on long exposures is quite nice sometimes.

I own Lee's filter system. I don't have any experience with HiTech. However, apart from the issue of which one avoids vignetting, my guess is that the filters themselves are not noticeably different. If HiTech doesn't create vignetting, and if my guess is correct that the filter qualities themselves are about the same, then it'd definitely be economical to get the HiTech. I STILL don't know why Lee is so d*mn expensive...

Until recently I had Hitech filters, which I bought originally because I read that they were optically the same as Lee filters. I had the 1, 2 and 3-stop 85mm resin filters in hard and soft edge gradients, plus a 5-stop and a 10-stop standard ND filter.

When used individually the (gradient) ND filters were fine, but if stacking two or three there was a significant magenta colour cast. The 5-stop and 10-stop standard ND filters introduced a MASSIVE magenta colour cast that annoyed me to the extent that I sold the whole lot and moved over to the Lee 100mm resin filter system, which I should have bought to start with.

When compared with the results from my friend's Lee set-up used at the same times/locations as my Hitech filters, I found that the Lee filters were significantly better than the Hitech filters.

My advice would be to go with the Hitech filters if you are on a tight budget, but ultimately the Lee system is the best, which is of course reflected in the price.

Mike

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #7555527
Until recently I had Hitech filters, which I bought originally because I read that they were optically the same as Lee filters. I had the 1, 2 and 3-stop 85mm resin filters in hard and soft edge gradients, plus a 5-stop and a 10-stop standard ND filter.

When used individually the (gradient) ND filters were fine, but if stacking two or three there was a significant magenta colour cast. The 5-stop and 10-stop standard ND filters introduced a MASSIVE magenta colour cast that annoyed me to the extent that I sold the whole lot and moved over to the Lee 100mm resin filter system, which I should have bought to start with.

When compared with the results from my friend's Lee set-up used at the same times/locations as my Hitech filters, I found that the Lee filters were significantly better than the Hitech filters.

My advice would be to go with the Hitech filters if you are on a tight budget, but ultimately the Lee system is the best, which is of course reflected in the price.

Mike

That's a very useful info. For those who do not like to stack 2 or 3 filters together and just use a single filter, it sounds like HiTech would be a better option given what you said about the quality difference when used individually? And Lee option would be a way to go for those who plan on using filters stacked together?

The only slot filter that I use is a Grad ND, and it's a 2 stop soft edge by HiTech. I don't stack, and I use the P series wide angle adapter, so it's only one slot anyway. It's worked great, and I couldn't get myself to spend more for Lee filters. No color cast as far as I can tell, but they can be easily scratched.

The Hitech is fine for non-stacked use, but it's quite common (at least for me!) to stack ND filters, so I would recommend the Lee filters.

Another thing that I forgot to mention is that (unless I'm imagining things) the colours look better in photographs taken with the Lee filters, when compared with the Hitech. The photographs look better straight out of the camera and the blue/green end of the spectrum looks more vibrant. I wonder if that is anything to do with the absence of a magenta cast with the Lee filters. I would be interested to hear if anyone else has noticed this, when comparing different makes of ND filter.

Mike

I wonder what would happen if you stacked 1 HiTech and 1 Lee filter. Say a 0.9 ND resin Lee and a 0.6 grad HiTech, Would this remove unwanted casts, or would the different densities of the filters result in a loss of Image quality? Just have lee full ND's to extend the exposure, and reduce the cost by using HiTech grads.

I expect that the Hitech filters would introduce the colour cast in any set-up where they were involved.

I do wonder whether the quality of the Hitech filters varies a bit. I did read somewhere that the earlier ones were better quality than the latest ones, but I have no idea what constitutes 'earlier'.

Mike

freo wrote in post #7557322
I wonder what would happen if you stacked 1 HiTech and 1 Lee filter. Say a 0.9 ND resin Lee and a 0.6 grad HiTech, Would this remove unwanted casts, or would the different densities of the filters result in a loss of Image quality? Just have lee full ND's to extend the exposure, and reduce the cost by using HiTech grads.

Unless you get some shims you won't be doing that in the same holder. Lee is thicker than HiTech, and I suspect that has a little to do with the price as well. If I remember correctly, Lee's are 2mm and Hitech is 1.5. Lee, at least, sells adaptors so you can use another type filter in their holder but I've never tried that.

The ND's are also 1" longer in the Lee brand. I believe Hitech's are 5 as opposed to 6" long. Unless you're using a rather large lens, you can use a Lee GND hard edge as an ND by using just one end of it. At least that works on a 77mm.

The Lee filters are expensive, but they're definitely a top notch product. I have not experience with HiTech.

jcothron wrote in post #7560180
Unless you're using a rather large lens, you can use a Lee GND hard edge as an ND by using just one end of it. At least that works on a 77mm.

This is really handy. I was going to get a 4-stop standard ND filter, but I can use the end of a 4-stop ND gradient filter as you say, which will give me the option to use its gradient as well.

Strangely the 4-stop ND gradient filters are cheaper than the 4-stop standard ND filters, according to Robert White's prices (£71.00 versus £81.00). That makes it an even better buy.

Mike

Mike-DT6 wrote in post #7560284
This is really handy. I was going to get a 4-stop standard ND filter, but I can use the end of a 4-stop ND gradient filter as you say, which will give me the option to use its gradient as well.

I am thinking of doing the same, but then what if I needed a 4 stop grad and a full 4 nd at the same time? It happens more than you would think.

Someone needs to write a full review for all the major brands and get it made sticky. We have reviews for tripods, batteries, bags, why not filters?

Im heading for Lee's i think.

To get a 4-stop gradient filter, just use your 3-stop and your 1-stop filters stacked, then that leaves the other 4-stop to use in addition. That is of course presuming that you have a set of 1, 2 and 3 stop filters.

Mike

I use Lee and find the result to be excellent. No odd colours, no image degradation... can't complain. If you think Lee are expensive check out Singh-Ray...

I don't understand this whole colorcast thing with Hitech GND's...been using them for years without any ill effects (and sometimes stacked) or in tandem with a high-quality polarizer. The picture of Havasu Falls in my avatar was shot with a 2-stop and 3-stop stacked Hitech GND's to control the sunlight on the cliffs, along with a B+W Kaesemann CPL to control reflections...never had a colorcast.

However, some straight ND's can introduce a colorcast, even the higher-quality B+W filters (especially at higher densities such as the 10-stop).