First Filter Set Advice

pridash

pridash

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Pradeep
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Hi everyone.

I'm looking to purchase a filter set to use with my 24-70L, so please let me know if my thinking is correct. Background: -

• I don't do that much landscape photography, but I'd like to have some filters that will help when I'm away on holiday (Sicily next weekend and Seychelles in May), as well as those that I'm starting to take to use in my composite portrait work. Something I'm starting to really enjoy, so landscape shots may be something I will pursue more and more in the future. However, I can't say for sure.

• Trying my best to keep budget down, given that I don't do that much landscape work. And if I do less in the future, I'd rather not have expensive stuff sitting around wasted.

From what I've read, the Lee 100mm holder is a pretty solid bet and gives me the option to go the Lee route if I take this more seriously. So I'll go with that unless someone advises me on another route. The cost seems to be £123(holder + 77mm adapter).

However, I'm stumped as to what GND filters to get to start off. I was hoping I could get away with just one for now and I may have read somewhere that a 3 stop would be a good "overall" one to get to begin with. But whether that should be a hard edge or soft edge has stumped me. For now, I'm thinking what would be most useful for both Sicily & Seychelle shots. I'll worry about UK landscapes later! Maybe for budget reasons, a Hitech filter will suffice?

Also, I was looking for a CPL & 10 Stop ND to use for the holidays. The following sound good?

B+W 77mm MRC CPL (£99)

B+W 77mm 110M ND (£123)

I'm assuming that both these can be used in conjunction with the Lee holder without any futher adapters? Sorry, if that sounds like an ignorant question as I've never used any filter on my lenses...ever! :)

Any opinions or advice?
 
If you're going with a Lee Holder I'd get the Big Stopper, around the same price and a lot easier to use than a screw in, and in conjunction with grads. Similarly I'd look out for a used Lee or Heliopan 105mm CPL to go with the Lee holder.

In terms of grads, if I was going to have just one I'd go for a 3 stop hard, a 2 stop soft as a second filter. Hitech are OK, not as good as Lee but still presentable.
 
Thanks for the reply & advice Mark.

How is the Lee big stopper easier to use than a screw in? I thought a solid nd wouldn't need any adjusting so would it not be the same?

Also, I guess my other option is to continue with exposure blending and just get the CPL and solid ND - two things I can't really replicate in PS! Sound like a good idea?
 
To recompose or refocus, with a Big Stopper, you just slide it up in the holder, even if you're using a grad at the same time. With a screw in filter you've got to remove the filter holder, detach the filter adaptor ring, unscrew the filter, then put it back together again.

The other thing is whilst you should be OK on a 24-70 if you get more into landscapes and want something wider like a 17-40 you may struggle with vignetting with a screw in filter and grads attached on top. With slot in filters they are more flexible, if you buy a lens with a bigger filter ring (I am just about to buy a 24mm TS-E for example with an 82mm filter ring) you just buy a new adaptor ring.

If you're happy at exposure blending that is an option, my personal preference is to get as much done in camera, which is why I use filters, as most top landscape photographers do. As you say a CPL can't be replicated in PP.
 
Ahh I see what you mean! Thanks for clarifying that. Would that principle apply to a screw in CPL as well?

The upgrade path point is a good one, especially since I've been toying with the idea of the 17-40L. However I'm wondering if I would get the best use out of it. The other option is the Samyang 14mm but that has no easy option for filters.

I wonder if I'm just better off getting the 10 stop and CPL for now and just carry on with exposure blending! Also, with budget in mind, whether to pick up the screw in versions for now and maybe sell them if ever I move on to square filters!
 
Yep it would be harder to compose I guess. Will give the 17-40L more thought. Might even just rent it for Sicily and see if it fits my needs. Thanks for the advice. :)
 
I've got the same lens as the OP, and after a lot of thought got a lee holder, a lee proglass 0.9 ND and a set of hard grads and never regretted it. I have since added a lee 100mm CPL (not the round one) and a big stopper. My holder is the professional kit so you can rotate the cpl, and that does vignette a bit on my 10-22, so i would imagine it might on a 17-40 if you're on full frame, but not on crop.

Hope that helps
 
johnw4 said:
I've got the same lens as the OP, and after a lot of thought got a lee holder, a lee proglass 0.9 ND and a set of hard grads and never regretted it. I have since added a lee 100mm CPL (not the round one) and a big stopper. My holder is the professional kit so you can rotate the cpl, and that does vignette a bit on my 10-22, so i would imagine it might on a 17-40 if you're on full frame, but not on crop.

Hope that helps
Click to expand...

I've got the 100mm square filter as well as the 105mm. The 100mm square is nice to use and ideal for studio applications where you're not using a grad too but the 105mm is a lot easier to use in conjunction with grads, Big Stopper etc.
 
Mark have you ever used a square polariser outdoors, I am also looking to go with the Lee system and rather than chop and change (circular polariser & square filters) rather go with one system. However, the video on the Lee site suggests the square polariser is intended for indoor use.
 
I have got the square polariser in addition to the 105mm. The reason it is recommended for indoor use is you can't easily use it in conjunction with grads. There is a workaround using another foundation kit and a tandem ring but it isn't ideal. For studio work where you just want to cut reflections it would be fine, for landscape use with grads it really has to be the 105mm in my opinion
 
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