Recent experience/review of Hitech filters

maninsuitcase

maninsuitcase

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Chris
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Does any one have any recent experience of the Hitech filter range. All the reviews I've found seem to be circa 2010/2011 and most seem to like them but the odd one motions the usual cast issues. However I know they've been working on the cast issues and I can't find a single review more recently other than the odd social media comment.

Specifically I am interested in their Colby Brown kit as a decent starting point for less than the LEE digital starter. I won't be using this a ton but at the same time I don't want to just flush money.
 
I have been using the 10 stop pro for over a year now and had no problems with it at all, cast is very minimal... can't speak for the grads as I use Lee grads.

Hope that helps!
 
I ended up getting the kit as it seemed like good value and I wasn't going to be able to afford the same in lee. Will do a review at some point, but I already have a few likes and dislikes.
 
Had a go with the 6stop IRND last week, not as much as I would have liked sadly.

Seems to have a fairly big flare issue, pictures later this evening. The sun flare caused a HUGE red spot on the frame, which annoyingly I didn't notice on the rear screen when taking the images.

Be interested to know if the little/big stoppers have the same issue? Annoyingly this could have probably been fixed by me standing between the lens and the sun!

Also FTW I found a ding on the kits CPL filter, clearly from screwing the filter together. Hitech had it sorted and a brand new on in my hand inside a week. Can't fault their support so far.
 
I also use a Lee Big stopper when in conjunction with my Lee Grads and have never had any problem with flare. Are you sure its not light entering via the viewfinder?? or light leakage around the filter?
The viewfinder should be blanked off when using a Stopper and check you have nothing leaking in around your filter holder that should have a something on it to seal out the light where the filter meets the frame.
The Lee big stopper does have a very very minimal colour cast, hardly noticable, unless your a pixel peeper
 
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I am pretty sure I had the viewfinder shutter closed, but I had moved the framing so always a possibility. That said all images using the 6 stop had the same issue. edit: should also mention the filter was in the rear most slot with the foam sealed up against the holder.

This was the worst one. Sun was out of frame top left.

CJP20140727-10696.jpg


I picked one of the least affected images and processed and below is the before and after. This one I put a hand in to stop some of the direct light which is what makes me thing it was a flare problem.

Screen-Shot-2014-07-28-at-21.55.28.png


Not a complete disaster, but obviously I would have rather not have had to fix it. Could have also used a 3 stop, the 2 stop I have just wasn't enough on any occasion I used it, this one has an extra 1 stop added in post.
 
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Oh dear yes I see what you mean that's not good! Certainly looks like flare doesn't it.
I guess some more trials are needed... I think if they kept coming in like that I'd be tempted to send it back.
 
I will try find time and test a glare image and also just maybe in garden or something. Try rule out a bad filter and aim for be careful of glare.

At 8s ish there's plenty time for it to get pretty bad.
 
I went from HiTech(not IRND) to Lee because of red/magenta color cast problems with HiTech. We have just been given a new HiTech 16-stop to test out and have to really say that the problems from before are gone. The color is maybe a little cold but not as so much you would really easy notice it. No flare issues experienced with it so far. Fantastically crisp images too so the optical quality is good.
 
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