Round or square big stopper type filters..?

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stevewestern

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I am thinking of getting a big stopper or something similar but having read all I can there isn't any one make that seems to get nothing but praise.
The Lee seems to be the best but is very fragile and so expensive and elusive. Others like the Hi Tech seem to have colour cast issues though their new one may be ok.
However, both are filter systems that require a major investment even before you get a filter.

I do have an old Hi Tech filter holder (but no adaptor) that may be just the same as the current ones (have they been updated over the last 10 years ?) and am wondering if that would do just fine to hold a grad filter with a screw in 8-9-10 stopper, given that all my lenses are 77mm.
If so, then does anyone know which screw in makes are worth the money - I hear about Light Craft, Haida, B+W and Hi Tech to name but a few but are there any of you who have experiences that you can share to help me work out which to buy ?
I doubt I would use a system enough to justify a whole new set up, nor can I afford a Lee one but any thoughts would be appreciated.
Thanks !
 
I use B+W Nd filters and wouldn't think twice about recommending them, they do give photographs a slight warm tone but this can easily be corrected with the camera's WB or on the computer, the ones I use are the multi coated type which are worth the extra cost, they seem to be pretty scratch resistant I have dropped mine a few times on sand & gravel and they are still ok.
The only downside I find with the screw in filters is when I am using the 10stop along with a drop in grad in low light conditions, if I change my position I then have to take out the grad remove the filter holder unscrew the adapter then remove the filter so I can set up the next composition then I have to put them all back, if you were using Nd drop in filters then this wouldn't be a problem as you would simply slide them in and out of the holder.
 
Given the choice, I went with a screw in one.

I don't shoot ultrawides and I like the fact there is zero chance of light leaking in behind the filter on a screw in. I can also use the lens hood to help with flare...
 
I went with the B&W screw in so no chance of light leaks too.

I went for the best quality that I could afford because I only wanted to buy once and you really do get what you pay for with filters.


Heather
 
Brilliant stuff - thanks for all the replies, especially as you all agree !
I shall get a B+W filter then. I was concerned about light leaks, the cost and dropping a Lee filter and breaking it. I can cope with the hassle when using a grad as it is a slow business anyway.
Thank you all !
 
DorsetDude said:
How much is the B&W one you plan on getting?
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Amazon, who may well not be the cheapest place have the single coated one for £89 or the multi coated for just over £106.

I am leaning heavily towards the multi coated as if I am spending close to a hundred then I may as well get one that is more flare resistant and tougher, so if anyone finds one for a better price then let me know please !

There is a single coated one in the classifieds right now..
 
Just looked on WEX and they want £124 for the multi as far as i can tell. So the amazon price might be ok.
 
Slightly deviating from your question should you need Lee big stopper, Its available in stock @ TeamWorks photo. Just ordered mine this morning.

I have had hi-tech news ones from past few months. Got quite inconsistent results with bluish cast which I found difficult to get rid of using PS elements. Of course I am no expert with PP, so thinking of giving Lee big stoppers a try.
 
I'm going to go against the consensus on this one and recommend waiting it out for a Big Stopper, or not if Teamwork have them in stock (they're good guys to deal with).

You say the Big Stopper is fragile? I've not seen that, Mine lives in my kit bag which goes everywhere with me, day in day out, I've used it in the worst weather imaginable, it gets chucked in the back of my car daily and hauled out when a shot demands it, never had an issue. It can be elusive, but as said it is available at Teamwork, and as for being expensive, in my opinion there is no point spending good money on lenses only to put a less than optimal piece of glass in front of it.

Using the Big Stopper with other filters is a piece of cake, and recomposing is very easy when you can just pop the holder off, recompose, refocus, then pop the holder containing the Big Stopper back on. You have no worries about mechanical vignetting, you can use it in conjunction with a CPL, or with grads, easily and quickly.

I shoot on full frame, and mainly use a 17-40 for landscapes. Particularly if shooting water long exposures I will often use a 2 slot foundation kit, the rearmost slot will have the Big Stopper in, the next forward slot will take a tandem ring connecting it to a second foundation kit with another slot with a grad in it to balance the scene, and then the Lee 105mm CPL on its adaptor ring at the front. With that set up I've got a grad, a Big Stopper and a CPL and can use that down to about 24mm on full frame, without vignetting. I fail to see an easy way to achieve that effect using a screw in 10 stop filter?
 
+ 1 with what Mark's said.

My personal experience, started with cokins, moved to Hitech, and on Lee's now. So have landed up spending much more!
 
I have to say that if money was no problem then I would agree with both Mark and Anand - the Lee system does seem to be the best option.
I had read a few comments about their filters being all too easy to break though I have never dropped a filter yet (in part as I have rarely used any !) but as one who has never done any landscape photography the idea of spending £200-£300 to get a basic set up of Big Stopper, a Grad and the holder and adaptor is fairly hard to justify so I have gone for a screw in B+W - even better is that the price on Amazon has dropped a few quid !
As a parent I am rarely able to get out at dawn or dusk (there has been just 1 day in the last 2 months when I could have and it was dull and wet then !) so my interest may just fizzle out before I discover just how much of a faff it is unscrewing a filter every time I want to re-compose..
If I were able to get out and shoot pictures like some of Marks (which are amazing !) then clearly the investment would be worth every penny - for now lets see what the B+W does for me !
 
I'd also agree with Mark.

Back when I had my 500D I owned the B+W ND110, and it was the best bit of kit I had. Yes it had a very warm colour cast, but I really liked the look it gave. The downside was that it was a massive pain in the rear when using ND grads with it - it was extremely challenging getting the gradient correct. You almost had to get your ND grad positioned correctly without the ND110, then remove the filter holder and adapter ring, screw on the ND110, put the adapter ring on the ND110 and put the filter holder (containing the ND grad) back on - without nudging the ND grad otherwise you'd mess it up.

Then I moved to the 5D2, L glass and upgraded my filters, going for the Lee system and Big Stopper.

So much easier to get your positioning correct. But I prefer the warmth of the ND110 to the blue of the BS.

Incidentally (and I know it's too late now), you could have gone for the HiTech / Formatt 10 stopper - they do one to fit the Cokin P size, as well as the 100mm format used by Lee.
 
Well, a litle update - I have my B&W ND 110 screw on filter and have been out once to play.
It seems to have almost no colour cast so I am impressed.
However, being out on a cold day, and not owning all the right gear for being out when there is a frost meant I soon discovered that gloves wouldn't be a bad idea, that fumbling about with viewfinder covers, tripods, filter holders, shutter release gizmo's and screw-in filters is a pain and that I am not convinced yet that landscape's are my thing, though having warmed up a little I did enjoy myself !
 
stevewestern said:
Well, a litle update - I have my B&W ND 110 screw on filter and have been out once to play.
It seems to have almost no colour cast so I am impressed.
However, being out on a cold day, and not owning all the right gear for being out when there is a frost meant I soon discovered that gloves wouldn't be a bad idea, that fumbling about with viewfinder covers, tripods, filter holders, shutter release gizmo's and screw-in filters is a pain and that I am not convinced yet that landscape's are my thing, though having warmed up a little I did enjoy myself !
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It is amazing what a few bits of clothing can do. Check out the crag hoppers lined trousers, toasty! Pair them with some decent footwear, 2 pairs of socks and a decent coat and you will be surprised how long you can stay out.
 
I love these crisp mornings, wrap up well and fannys your aunt.

Edit: By the way I went for the Lee big stopper for my Siggy 10-20 cost was £210 with adapter and holder.
 
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Hells Bells, the price seems to go up and up! I've got a B&W that was around £80 (77mm) good results but I have a leakage issue, but used it only once.....
 
Dale_d3100 said:
It is amazing what a few bits of clothing can do. Check out the crag hoppers lined trousers, toasty! Pair them with some decent footwear, 2 pairs of socks and a decent coat and you will be surprised how long you can stay out.
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Thanks for that - I have always hated winter as I am always cold - I never got as far as some decent clothing.....

I am getting some gloves for Christmas which is a start and will look at some of those trousers if I can find a place that sells them nearby !
 
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