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cmc1

cmc1

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Chris
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I have been looking at purchasing a Lee big Stopper for an up and coming trip to the Lakes. Now, Lee tell me (as they would) that I would also required a medium grad otherwise shooting with the big stopper alone will just totally blow the sky which will not be recoverable. I don't really do much PP. I use lightroom just to tinker a little with exposure, contrast and covert to JPEG.
Now others are telling me that I should just get a B+W 10 stop Nd screw on for my lens and all will be fine.

I don't really want to get to the lakes wishing I had this and that but I also and more importantly don't want to throw cash at unnecessary items.

thanks in advance for any advice/experiences
 
cmc1 said:
I have been looking at purchasing a Lee big Stopper for an up and coming trip to the Lakes. Now, Lee tell me (as they would) that I would also required a medium grad otherwise shooting with the big stopper alone will just totally blow the sky which will not be recoverable. I don't really do much PP. I use lightroom just to tinker a little with exposure, contrast and covert to JPEG.
Now others are telling me that I should just get a B+W 10 stop Nd screw on for my lens and all will be fine.

I don't really want to get to the lakes wishing I had this and that but I also and more importantly don't want to throw cash at unnecessary items.

thanks in advance for any advice/experiences
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To be honest for the Lakes trip the 10 stop isn't exactly an essential filter, I find mine useful now and again as an "artistic" option but can easily live without it most of the time. Using the 10 stopper doesn't mean you'll necessarily blow the sky anymore than you would without it so don't get the comment about the grad..

grads are arguably more useful than the 10 stopper though as they do help balance exposure and avoid blowing highlights, especially if you don't like the idea of doing it the PP route instead.
 
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I agree with Simon

Using a ten stop filter - your shutter speed will obviously be much longer but if you calculate the shutter speed correctly then the exposure will be the same as without the filter. In other words the sky may or may not be blow just like any shot.

Using an ND grad can prevent you blowing out the sky but this is true regardless of the 10 stop.

If it was one or the other I think you'd get far more use out of soft ND grads but obviously the 10 stop filter gives you that creative option for long exposures.
 
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I have the B+W ten stop and it's great for certain shots. When I first got it a few years ago I went through a stage (which I suspect everyone with a ten stop did) where I tried to use it for pretty much every landscape shot I did.

Personally I DO use grad filters, but I know a lot of others don't and prefer exposure blending methods. Usually these arguments go around in circles as each method has it's own merrits. The only thing that comes out of these discussions is that some people like filters and others don't lol. You will need to do one of these methods if you are going to prevent the sky from blowing (the ten stop will darken the whole scene, so the difference between the sky and ground is about the same whether there is a ten stop attached or not.). I personally think ND grads are the best option when using a ten stop as it means you can do it all in one exposure (as opposed to 2 - 3 or more) which is ideal when taking long exposures of 30 secs or more.

If you do decide to go for the grads, then I would go for the Lee Big Stopper over the B+W because it'll be easier to use as they all go in the same holder. When I want to use grads with my screw in B+W I have to set the grads and then take them off and put the screw in filter on, then put the grads back on. I can tell you that quickly becomes a ballsache if you want to change anything and have to take it all off again.
 
It looks like the Lee system then due to its versatility. I was kinda hoping there would be cheaper options/solutions
 
cmc1 said:
It looks like the Lee system then due to its versatility. I was kinda hoping there would be cheaper options/solutions
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Good filters are never going to be cheap, there is also the Hitech Firecrest range but I don't think they are any cheaper than Lee.

You don't need to have a ND grad in conjunction with a 10 stop filter, but it does help get much better results, as you'll end up having to drop your shutter speed to keep the sky exposed properly (reducing the 10 stop effect) & pulling shadows out in post which can introduce noise.
 
I am also looking for a filter set up and the firecrest kit was on the list, any thoughts on it?
 
After a bit of research. It really does look like the Lee system. Although the initial cost is high, I think I could get a good 12 months out of it and sell it on if I wanted for 75% of the original cost. The system sells like hot cakes on auction sites.
 
I'd say the grad filters are much more essential to good landscapes than a 10 stopper is I'd make those the priority. Great if you can afford both but if you are anything like me you will get more use out of the grads
 
Gambit said:
I am also looking for a filter set up and the firecrest kit was on the list, any thoughts on it?
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A friend has this kit and the lee big stopper and he told me the lee BS never gets used now.
 
Which firecrest kit did you get?
Currently i have B+W 10, 6 and 2 stop ND filters, no grads. So would like something similar with a graduated filter as well, not sure on whether it should be the glass version or not.
 
I bought the Hitech firecrest ND 10 stop and 6 stop and soft grads in 2 and 3 stop and holder hardware in the 67 x 85mm size and am made up with them and lack of colour cast even when stacked. I too wanted them for a trip to the lakes; Ordering from the Hitech website looked like a fortnight wait or more so I ordered from Cambrian Photography (a dealer from their stockist list) and had them in four days.

I also considered the Lee 75 system as they have more dealers and better availability but was put off by the cost of the glass grads being three times the price of the glass firecrest filters(std Lee grads being resin and from my experience of resin filters easier to scratch and more problems with static attracting dust) and also the polariser being stupid expensive and holder/adapters being dearer.

There looks to be less of a price difference in the 100mm sizes between the two systems but again the Lee grads are resin not glass which would sway me to Hitech. You may prefer the better availability of Lee.

Have fun whatever you choose!

@ the OP; I found I used the grad ND's and a polariser most. Sorry, nearly missed that off!
 
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Just found this thread & very interested in the views on the Hitech filters . Sorry to jump in to the thread but just about to order 2 Lee filters & was wondering about alternatives when I saw this thread .I have a Hitech 10 stop resin filter which produces the most horrific blue color cast ever, even adjusting the WB doesn't really help matters.......invested in a Lee big stopper & the difference is incredible.

So I'm a bit wary on Hitech stuff but am wanting to purchase a couple more filters without breaking the bank . I'm looking at a .3 & .9 soft grad...the Hitech resin filters are a bit more sensibly priced than Lee's resin ones but are they any good ? I currently have a .6 hard grad resin Lee & .6 Nd Lee glass so think adding the above 2 will give me a pretty decent set ?

Just checking but I presume the 100 x 150 filters will fit the Lee holder ?

Thanks for any info additional to whats already been posted :)
 
You won't have any colour cast problems with hitech grads, I use them as well as Lee grads although the 100x150 are almost as expensive as Lee. Also do you really need a 0.3 soft grad? In my experience I rarely use one.
 
A good grad to add to your collection is a hitech 0.9 reverse grad but I would add a 0.9 hard grad 1st. And yes it will fit Lee holder
 
Hotshots said:
You won't have any colour cast problems with hitech grads, I use them as well as Lee grads although the 100x150 are almost as expensive as Lee. Also do you really need a 0.3 soft grad? In my experience I rarely use one.
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Hi Gordon......not sure bout the .3 either , just seemed like it might be handy at some point ? Think I saw a slightly smaller size than 100x150 , cost was about £60 versus £78 for Lee...as Tesco keep telling us...every little helps

Thanks for your input , much appreciated (y)
 
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