Advice on filters

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Sw33ty

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Name
Neil Sweeting
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I could do with some advice on filter please, a couple of years ago when I started out I got a set of cokin P series filters (copies I think) off ebay & OMG they are dreadful & the colour cast is so bad you can't do a thing with the images in post processing. Sadly I just don't have the funds for Lee filters so was wondering if you guy's had some recommendations for something cheaper which doesn't have a dreadful colour cast & was also wondering if I should go for soft grad ND or hard grad ND filters which will be used to to darken the sky
 
On a budget, get yourself quality screw ins the size of your largest lens. Polariser and ND filter (6 or 10 stopper) will do, then step up rings for your other lenses. Grads can be mimicked in post processing. That should set you back no more than £100 if you buy carefully.
 
I have Cokin filters and do not see any significant colour cast. My recommendation would be to go to a real camera shop with you camera and filter holder and ask to try the filter you are interested in - you should then see any colour cast before you buy.
 
I too had the Cokin filters, did a few tests - the degradation in image quality was obvious.

Also, may be unpopular opinion, but I no longer bother with grads. The digital range of RAW files is now so impressive you can just recover everything in post processing. That probably depends on the camera you have, though.

The cheapest acceptable filters I can recommend are the Hoya Fusion and HD series. I've used these extensively, and don't see any issues.

Also, I'd look around forums like this one, as well as for sale FB groups. People sell filters, usually whole kits, quite often. And they have terrible re-sale values. You can get some very good deals.
 
Got to agree with @Ian W . As soon as you add grads into the mix, costs increase dramatically I just don't think really cheap grads or filter holders are worth bothering with. Good quality screw ins would do the trick. Worth taking a look at Ffordes site. They often have good used stuff.
 
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