Another Lee Filter Setup Question

Hi - I've bought a 77mm super wide angle adaptor ring as I will be using it on a 24-70 (where i got vignetting from the Cokin holder) and I may use it on a 17-40mm.

So I take it that I need a Lee Filter holder? Anything special or can I just buy a standard one.

The other question I had was along the lines of what ND to buy. I want to get some soft water affects and the chances are that I will be shooting on overcast days / evenings. On this basis what strength of ND would be most use? I don't want to go too dark...

Other than that despite buying Lee holders I was thinking of using Hitech filters for cost and availability. Can anyone recommend a good landscape starter kit please?

Many thanks

Hi

Thats all you are going to need just the Holder standard and some filters

hi-tech are very good for the money you can get a set of ND filters 100 for $77 US fromteamworkphoto

i find myself using a ND8 (0.9) the most in what i shot, closely followed by a ND4 0.6 in combination with a set of grads.

if you were looking at hitech just get the ND kit or even the ND and GRAD kit for like 160 bucks

i think the Lee filters are worth the extra but you can always get a set of hi-tech ND and see how they go for the money they are a bargain

Based on what you are looking for, I would start with:

- Lee foundation kit (the filter holder itself)
- One 4x6 Lee GND hard edge 0.75 (2.5 stops)
- One 4x4 Lee ND 0.9 (3 stops)

Approximately $280.

I would add a Lee GND soft edge later on.

Can I ask where you found the 77mm W/A adapter ring?

lerroy wrote in post #10567121
Hi

Thats all you are going to need just the Holder standard and some filters

hi-tech are very good for the money you can get a set of ND filters 100 for $77 US fromteamworkphoto

i find myself using a ND8 (0.9) the most in what i shot, closely followed by a ND4 0.6 in combination with a set of grads.

if you were looking at hitech just get the ND kit or even the ND and GRAD kit for like 160 bucks

i think the Lee filters are worth the extra but you can always get a set of hi-tech ND and see how they go for the money they are a bargain

I did inquire @ teamworkphoto about the 3 GND and 3ND for GBP 100. the problem is I need to shell out GBP65 for the shipping plus taxes, custom duties etc. damn it!! haayyy


If you can deal with shipping, their prices are very good.

I don't know what a "super wide angle adapter ring" is...do you mean the Lee 77mm wide angle adapter ring? If so, all you need would be the Lee foundation kit holder and some filters.

If you'll be shooting on overcast days/evenings, you most likely won't need an ND filter. Use a good polarizer (which will also do double-duty as a 2-stop ND filter), shoot at a low ISO and a fairly small aperture and you should be fine (you only need to get down to about a 1/2-second shutter speed to start seeing the effects of silky water). ND filters are much more useful in brighter light. If you do need to get ND filters, I'd recommend two...a 3-stop and a 6-stop, but you'd have to check availability...not sure who makes what anymore.

If you're looking for GND filters, I'd recommend starting with a 2-soft and a 3-hard...these will cover you for most situations. Hitech filters are a good alternative, and I've actually used them for years before switching to Lee. Lately, some users report a colorcast from the Hitech filters (I never experienced this), so maybe something has changed at Hitech over the years to cause this.

Not sure where you're located, but if you're in the States, B&H and 2filter are good places to deal with.

- I found it on eBay. Pure chance that someone happened to be selling one!

Thanks for the comments guys - I've been doing some more reading and it seems that if I use the LEE holder, I will need the 150mm Hitech filters as the shorter ND's aren't quite big enough; is that correct? The problem is that the ND Hitech filters on this site

http://www.teamworkpho​to.com …ct_info&product​s_id=10364

don't seem to be larger than 100mm....so will this give me any issues if I am shooting at 17mm? The GND's are 150mm....

The cost comparison is interesting:

HT
GND 0.3, ND 0.6, ND 0.9 hard edge set 150mm £80 +VAT
GND 0.3, ND 0.6, ND 0.9 soft edge set 150mm £80 +VAT
ND 0.9 £25 +VAT
ND 0.6 £25 + VAT

TOTAL - £240 (£282 inc VAT)

Lee
GND 0.3/0.6/0.9 hard edge set £120 +VAT
GND 0.3/0.6/0.9 soft edge set £120 +VAT
Lee RF75 0.9ND £50 +VAT
Lee RF75 0.6ND Filter £50 + VAT

TOTAL - £340 (£399.50 inc VAT)

So both are expensive - do the Lee's justify an extra £100?? Also there is a comment on the website that says " does not fit foundation kit" what does this mean??

Thanks again...

It means that the filters are either too big (150mm wide) or too small (85mm wide) for the holder. The Lee foundation kit holder will accept any 4-inch (100mm) wide filter...the length doesn't matter. Filters that are 150mm wide will definitely not fit. Most GND filters that fit the foundation kit holder will be 100mm wide x 150mm long, with the exception of Hitech (these are 100 x 125). Most ND filters that I'm familiar with (including Lee's 10-stop filter) are 4x4 (100mm x 100mm). These will provide all the coverage you need at 17mm.

Thanks for the info - that's useful to know. For a start it reduces the cost of the two GND sets by £70.50 and to know that 100 mm is OK at 17mm is good news....So I guess the HT's are looking better value for money.

I had no luck with Hitech filters recently though, in the past, had no problems with them. Below are a pic with just the GND and then one with a GND/ND stacked together. Not good.

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monk3y wrote in post #10569330
I did inquire @ teamworkphoto about the 3 GND and 3ND for GBP 100. the problem is I need to shell out GBP65 for the shipping plus taxes, custom duties etc. damn it!! haayyy


If you can deal with shipping, their prices are very good.

They charged me 15GBP for shipping to Australia for holder,ring, sets of lee filter,set of hitech ones and wallet...so i was pretty happy with that

no taxes not custom duties...

also i never paid any VAT on the orders...

heres a nice review of hitechs link given they are the smaller non 100 ones but still give you an idea

HrcRacing wrote in post #10569897
I had no luck with Hitech filters recently though, in the past, had no problems with them. Below are a pic with just the GND and then one with a GND/ND stacked together. Not good.

The color cast may not be entirely due to the Hitech filter, and probably more to do with the fact that you had stacked an ND filter with it. I can't check the EXIF, so I don't know what your shutter speed was, but anytime you have an extended exposure, there is the risk of some IR light getting through to the sensor...this is what causes the magenta cast (known as IR contamination). This even happens with filters that are considered "high quality". Take a look at the "Post your 9 and 10 stop ND shots" in the Landscape Forum...you'll see lots of color casts in the images. Its just the nature of the beast. Some filters behave better than others, but they all will have a color cast to some degree.

So HrC says "not good" Bur Argyle says "The color cast may not be entirely due to the Hitech filter"
lerroy says "Would I recommend the Hitech Grad ND filter? Yes"

Ummmmm......nothing's simple is it!!

On balance I think that the Hitech's are worth a go. I guess I can always put them up on eBAy if they don't work out for me?!

lerroy wrote in post #10570179
They charged me 15GBP for shipping to Australia for holder,ring, sets of lee filter,set of hitech ones and wallet...so i was pretty happy with that

no taxes not custom duties...

also i never paid any VAT on the orders...

heres a nice review of hitechs link given they are the smaller non 100 ones but still give you an idea

wow!! that's cheap...

here's the quote from teamwork

I am contemplating on getting it at 2filters.com instead, a bit more expensive but I will only be paying around $20 in shipping cost. I inquired, and the Hi-tech filters I want are available.

monk3y wrote in post #10570502
wow!! that's cheap...

here's the quote from teamwork


I am contemplating on getting it at 2filters.com instead, a bit more expensive but I will only be paying around $20 in shipping cost. I inquired, and the Hi-tech filters I want are available.

wow crazy, they sent mine via royal mail. maybe they cant send to us that way i dunno
but yeah 65 pound shipping is way to expensive..