Lee bigstopper - are they worth it?

Raymond Lin

Raymond Lin

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I've noticed that these are back in stock again in various places. I already have a Lee foundation kit but are these really the best?

£100 is a lot of money for a piece of resin but if it it causes zero colour cast then that's worth it. Just wondering what you guy's opinion on it as I am not clued up on filters
 
There isn't much other choice for slot in. Ive got the Hitech IRND and its great, slightly less cast than the Lee I had, but they are around the same price, so little in it TBH.
 
I know you can get circular ones, I do have some cheap £5 ebay ones...but of course you end up with adaptor rings anyway, hence I bought the lee foundation kit which I can mount it on all my lenses, plus I can use the graduated filters too, that was the reason for the purchase really.
 
Ah didn't know that, since the graduated is a resin, thought they are of the same material.
 
Considering the lenses you have, if you have a need for a 10-stop filter I would have thought this question was a non- starter.
 
It doesn't cause zero colour cast as it warns you in the booklet about the blue cast, although it is easy to fix. I don't think you can rate what is 'best', some people like Lee best others prefer something like B+W or the even more expensive Singh-Ray. I bought into the 100mm Lee system so that's what is best for me. Research into it thoroughly as the Lee filters stack up so does the costs.
 
Bythesea said:
Considering the lenses you have, if you have a need for a 10-stop filter I would have thought this question was a non- starter.
Click to expand...

I am not sure what my lenses has got to do with my knowledge into Lee filters. I have never been a big landscape shooter, so I don't know much about filters in general.
 
It was more that you have some very high quality lenses, so putting a "£5 ebay" filter on the front of them seems a little odd. And I did qualify it by saying "if you have a need for...".
 
Bythesea said:
It was more that you have some very high quality lenses, so putting a "£5 ebay" filter on the front of them seems a little odd. And I did qualify it by saying "if you have a need for...".
Click to expand...

I know that much but I don't know anything about Lee 10 stop, or any kind of 10 stop, or know any other brand but Lee and Hi tech or something. All I know that Lee is popular, but don't know if they are popular because they are good or popular because they are cheap (on grand scheme of things).
 
Fair enough. They are popular because they are good, and they are far from cheap. I have both a big stopper and little stopper - £100 each but they work and from what I have seen are the best in terms of colour casts. All 10-stops have some cast as far as I am aware but Lee are the closest to neutral.
 
Like I said, I actually find my hitech IRND 10 stop more neutral than the big stopper, but as with any hand made product there will be slight variation from one to another.
 
Thanks, the last sentence is what I am after.

I am asking about Lee as I already have the adaptor rings so in a way it's easier to just go with but if they are not neutral then I rather spend more and get something better.
 
Hitech works with lee holders fine. I have the lee foundation kit, and hard grads, but use the hitech IRND prostop.
 
I use the Lee Big Stopper... The blue cast is noticeable but easy to correct. I wouldn't be without mine. :)
 
Raymond, I use a Lee kit including the BS. It is a very good filter and as stated above I have found it virtually neutral with absolute minimal cast.

Yes they are expensive (hand finished) and made of glass which does mean they can be easily damaged if careless. IMO worth the cost.
 
I only use two filters a polariser and the Lee Big Stopper. It is expensive and very easily broken but very good optical quality and if you want to remove people from long exposures or create that milky water look.
This one was taken in Lyme Regis, people seem to like it.

 
I've not tried this 100mm square Haida ten stopper, but I suspect it's pretty good - £70 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Haida-100...es_CameraLensesFilters_JN&hash=item3f2c501fe6

Unless you want to use a ten-stopper stacked with a grad, my preference would be screw-in, especially the multi-coated ones (Lee is uncoated). B+W, Hoya, Heliopan, and Haida is very good too, and cheaper. Lot's of threads about these filters if you search.
 
Don't know if this thread is still active but try the Progrey glass ND filter. Absolutely no color cast whatsoever in any of the shots I've used it on. A rumor is that Progrey will soon be coming out with square ND filters but not sure if they will be resin or glass. 10 stop densities, and I imagine no color shift just like their round glass 10 stop ND filter. I think Progrey filters have an anti-reflection and anti-scratch coating as well. progreyusa.com has pretty much anything you'll need except black and white filters which are great if you're shooting BW film.
 
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