Lee filters - any opinions ?

john-oh

john-oh

Messages
1,195
Name
John
Edit My Images
Yes
I'm considering getting some new filters, Lee seem very good, also very expensive !
Anyone use them ? Are they worth the extra costs ? The holders seem very fiddly with little screws and suchlike, do you get on Ok with these ?

The hoods look funky, anyone use these ?

Ta.
 
They 're worth the cost if you need them :)
 
tbh if you are planning on doing landscape photography, a Circular Polariser, graduated ND's are essential. There is no way to reproduce the effect of a cp in PP. Unless you fancy taking multiple exposure for sky etc and then merging them in PP you will need a graduated ND. the other filters bar maybe an IR and solid ND's are a waste of time, and can be done in PP
 
I think differently how can a ND be replicated in PP. how can you get the misty water effect etc?
 
Thanks guys, but what you are giving me is the advantages of filters generally. What I would like to know is if Lee filters in particular are worth the additional costs ?

Ta,
 
john-oh said:
Thanks guys, but what you are giving me is the advantages of filters generally. What I would like to know is if Lee filters in particular are worth the additional costs ?

Ta,
Click to expand...

If you're defo gonna buy - then YES they are worth it

Think of it like buying a lens, you can buy a (whatever) for £100, but if you could afford £300 you'd spend it to buy the better glass right? Same with all accessories that directly affect the image

ALWAYS buy the best you can afford - IMO

DD
 
Agreed Dave. No point skimping if you can afford the best.
 
If you can afford them, get them. It really is quality kit. (I get mine locally from www.robertwhite.co.uk)

I have a set of ND grads and I consider them an investment, just like a lens.

Don't worry about the 'fiddly screws', you only assemble the holder once usually, unless you are constantly changing your mind about the number of 'runners' fitted... It even comes with a neat brass(ed) screwdriver to assemble it!

If you are using ultra-wide-angle lenses I'd only put two of the 'runners' on to avoid any possible vignetting.
 
I use Lee filters, however im in the process of switching back to screwins. The Lee filters are good, the holder is adaptable, but are they worth the price of say Cokin or Kood? Im not so sure about that one tbh. The main reason im switching is because slot in filters can leak light behind the filter during long exposures. And as I tend to use VERY strong ND filters, this becomes an issue. The only time I need the flexibility of a slot in filter is if im using ND Grads, but most of the time this can done on the computer with exposure blending.
 
If you are going to get a slot filter system then Lee's are the ones to go for.

However, IMO there are only a limited number of filters that are useful with digtal photography.

1) Polarisers - impossible to achieve the effects (removal of reflections) of a polariser in post processing.
2) ND filters to increase the shutter speed for effect (misty water, movement blur etc)
3) ND Grads to stop highlights blowing in the sky on a landscape shoot - exposure blending is OK but is time consuming so I prefer to get it right in camera.

Slot filters are only really useful for 1 thing; ND Grads, the others are better in screw in format (tip: save money and buy only 77mm filters plus step up rings for all your lenses).

I bought the Lee Digital Starter Set and along with a 2stop ND and 2 stop ND Grad it came with a prebuilt holder so I didn't have to fiddle with little screws.

Word of Warning - I (and others) have found that Cokin ND grads give a magenta colour cast (which is why I moved to Lee)
 
I think I may have been the only person in the world to have had problems with Lee filters.

I had a grey grad a few years ago which always gave "warm" (but variable) results; Lee replaced it free of charge and I had the same problem with the new one....

In the end I bought a couple of Singh Ray "Galen Rowell" ND grads from the US which are absolutely neutral. They're pricey but the exchange rate is good. Not so good if you have to pay import duty though, as I did on one of them ...

By the way - I find you can get away without the filter holder. Just hold the ND grad filter in place against the end of your lens ... Its easy to do especially if you're using a tripod.
 
Lee kit is the best, if you have any probs they will replace. It is essential to have the correct screw in adapter, eg make sure you have the super wide angle one for eg a 16-35.

If the there is sufficient interest in the forum, I could arrange a visit to their factory, but it would be during normal working hours, perhaps in the autumn.

George
 
I went with the Lee holder/77mm WA adaptor ring and the Hitech NDG filters. My ND's are Lee. The Hitech are very well regarded but I ain't an expert on this stuff and maybe there is a marginal difference in quality ... I dunno, but that is a good option IMO.
 
Cokin are a good starting point.....you can play around with these at very little cost and determine if filters are for you and if so which you need/use the most. Once you have decided buy the sets your budget will allow......Lee, B&W, High-Tech & Singh Ray are all quality filters and I am aware most will tell you certain effects can be achieved in PS but if you are doing landscapes Nd's, Nd Grads and a cp are essential.

I use a lee holder with HI-Tech filters, the holder is imo far easier to use than the cokin holder I had previously. I'd like the hood but these are expensive and find it cheaper to hold my hand above the filter to block unwanted light!!

HTH.
Ken.
 
I dont use filters myself anymore since going digital. I used to use Tiffen filters with matte box and bellow system for years, I believe London Camera Exchange were the only place selling them at the time.

They were about 20% cheaper than both Cokin and Lee as I recall, with the exception of a few specialised filters, but were of equal if not greater quality. Tiffen filters are used in many TV and film studios around the world, so they gotta be pretty good.

I believe they are still available for sale, but I dont know If London Camera Exchange still sell them. May be internet only now.
 
John - Have you used filters beforehand?
If so and you know how to use them well, then go for Lee's. If not I would suggest starting wih Hi_tech's, getting used to them and then upgrading to Lee.
That's the path I took. I used Hi-Tech's in a COKIN holder for a year and in the last month have just upgraded to Lee. Why? They are bigger, better quality, the holder is vastly superior, and with my limited testing so far, seem to perform allot better. I steered well clear of COKIN filters due to the well known colour casting ...
 
Thanks for all the opinions guys.

I have used filters before, mainly Cokin, although mainly on film.

I would be using these mainly for landscapes, so ND and grads would be the thing. I think the hoods are too expensive even for posing...
:)

Cheers
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top