which filters?

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LensMarc

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Hi all

I am quite new to photography & I was recomended The 'Lee foundation Kit' as a filter holder. What does the "KIT" comprise of? Im sure its the bee's knea's, but it seems you have to buy the adaptor ring to fit the lens seperatly, & also the filters. approximate prices £57 for the filter holder £17 X2 for the adaptor ring (I have 2 lens sises) + another £58 per filter.At over £120 just for starters this seems a hell of a lot to me. I am after a 3 stop ND filter & a similar ND soft grad. Can i get screw in filters with a stepup ring cheeper or is this a false economy.
 
Have a look at Cokin and HiTech filters. Not quite as good as Lee, but a hell of a lot less money!
 
LEE is the way to go. Personally, I avoided buying the foundation kit and sets as they had filters that I would rarely/never use. For example I would probably never use a 0.3.

I would buy the filter holder and adaptor ring and then buy the filters seperately. The filters I use most are the 0.9 Hard, 0.6 Hard, 0.9 Soft and 0.9 Soft in that order.

I also shoot with the 1.2 full ND a great filter, especially for tidal shots at beaches.

Hope this helps.

Scott
 
LEE are no doubt the way to go. The LEE foundation kit is just the filter holder and you do need to purchase adaptor rings. If cost is an issue then you can mix holders and filters from different manufacturers but check and make sure you are buying the correct sizes. You can then upgrade as and when required/funds allow. HiTech fiters get good comments.

I wouldn't advise using screw in ND grads as they are not flexible when it comes to placing the graduation where you want it in your composition.
 
LensMarc said:
Hi all

I am quite new to photography & I was recomended The 'Lee foundation Kit' as a filter holder. What does the "KIT" comprise of? Im sure its the bee's knea's, but it seems you have to buy the adaptor ring to fit the lens seperatly, & also the filters. approximate prices £57 for the filter holder £17 X2 for the adaptor ring (I have 2 lens sises) + another £58 per filter.At over £120 just for starters this seems a hell of a lot to me. I am after a 3 stop ND filter & a similar ND soft grad. Can i get screw in filters with a stepup ring cheeper or is this a false economy.
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The Cokin holders are cheaper, but the Cokin filters cast horribly when you stack them. They literally turn *everything* in the frame pink and cause reflections and other problems. The Lee foundation kit is bang on the money. It ain't cheap but it does the job unbelievably well! The "kit" compromises of a holder (with filter blades for two filters attatched), some screws & instruments and some more filter blades so you can add more filters and a carry case.

No matter what filter kit you go for you'll almost always have to get a filter ring separately. I personally went for the Lee holder, wide angle adapter ring and two Hitech filters (cheaper and just as good ;)) after upgrading from Cokin. See the difference for your self :shrug: Some people like the cast, even I do, but sometimes it casts in ways that are unrecoverable even in RAW and detract from the shot. Just because it looks good in a sunset doesn't mean it'll look good used anywhere else!

Either way you've made the right choice looking at getting some filers, absolutely essential for a landscape tog :thumbs:

EDIT: Oh and I think Hitech have released their own filter holder now but I've not seen or used it so can't comment on how good it is but keep a look out for it.
 
Duplicate threads merged :)
 
Hitech have released filter holders.

They are not modular i.e. you buy separate 2 or 3 slot holders.

3 slot is $150 in USA.
 
Digifrog said:
LEE is the way to go. Personally, I avoided buying the foundation kit and sets as they had filters that I would rarely/never use. For example I would probably never use a 0.3.

I would buy the filter holder and adaptor ring and then buy the filters seperately. The filters I use most are the 0.9 Hard, 0.6 Hard, 0.9 Soft and 0.9 Soft in that order.

I also shoot with the 1.2 full ND a great filter, especially for tidal shots at beaches.

Hope this helps.

Scott
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Same here! I shoot a 1.2 ND and 0.6 Hard GND for beach sunsets :thumbs:
 
Digifrog said:
LEE is the way to go. Personally, I avoided buying the foundation kit and sets as they had filters that I would rarely/never use. For example I would probably never use a 0.3.

I would buy the filter holder and adaptor ring and then buy the filters seperately. The filters I use most are the 0.9 Hard, 0.6 Hard, 0.9 Soft and 0.9 Soft in that order.

I also shoot with the 1.2 full ND a great filter, especially for tidal shots at beaches.

Hope this helps.

Scott
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Thanks evrybody I think I will bite the bullet & buy the Lee holder + adaptor having taken note of the difference (thanks bendihossan), seems a lot better even if a bit pricy, buy crap buy twice I was allways told. I am a bit confused as to what the numbers mean ie 0.9 soft. Obviously they relate to the density, & I understand the difference between soft & hard grads, but how does that relate to EV stops. Thanks. PS Dont know how I posted twice lol
 
The numbering relates to stops...

0.3 = 1 stop
0.6 = 2 stops
0.9 = 3 stops etc.

I believe you can get Lee filters at half stop intervals also.

It really depends on the type of photography you do, but if you are on a tight budget get yourself a 2 stop ND and a 2 stop ND Grad. This will be a good starting point and you will realise what you are missing from that selection once you've used it a bit.
 
If you shoot beaches (like myself) a hard edged grad would be ideal as you're dealing with horizons. I use soft edges for architecture or where the sky isn't so prominant.

If I had to choose one filter to start off with though it would be the 0.6 Hard edged grad.

Rgds
 
Thanks for all your posts much clearer now. I guess since I mainly shoot (or Try To) landscapes/seascapes/sunset/sunrises etc, the 0.6 hard & soft to start off with & 1.2 full ND is probably the way to go for starters.
 
Just been looking on t'internet for the Lee filters etc. Is £50 / filter, £50 for the holder and £20 for the adapter ring correct...

If so, I've now got to decide between a new lens and the filters...!
 
At the risk of posting another 'filter' thread, I thought I'd jump in here and double check some logic/ ask a couple of queries:)

Been meaning to get some filters for a while and have settled on the Lee holder and possibly Hi-Tech filters route.

Is it worth buying the Lee professional kit over the Foundation kit? Assuming I then buy an adaptor to fit the lens- ie 67mm adaptor (don't think I need to wide adaptor as not an UWA lens) and that would be all I need- other than the actual filter of course? Or is there a more cost effective way- assuming it's unlikely I will be using more than 1 to begin with but was more future proofing with the pro kit and more cost effective to buy it as one?

Is there much difference between Lee and Hi-Tech in terms of quality?
 
Dr_O said:
At the risk of posting another 'filter' thread, I thought I'd jump in here and double check some logic/ ask a couple of queries:)

Been meaning to get some filters for a while and have settled on the Lee holder and possibly Hi-Tech filters route.

Is it worth buying the Lee professional kit over the Foundation kit? Assuming I then buy an adaptor to fit the lens- ie 67mm adaptor (don't think I need to wide adaptor as not an UWA lens) and that would be all I need- other than the actual filter of course? Or is there a more cost effective way- assuming it's unlikely I will be using more than 1 to begin with but was more future proofing with the pro kit and more cost effective to buy it as one?

Is there much difference between Lee and Hi-Tech in terms of quality?
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Hi. If I were you I would start off with just the filter holder, adaptor ring, and a filter (or two). You can always build up to the Pro Kit in future if you need to. Robert White Photography stock the available parts.

Rgds
 
Unless you need to be able to rotate the grads independently or use 4 or more filters at once then I can't see why you would need the professional kit.
 
So a complete noob filter question. I take it that the filter holder can turn when fixed to the camera? I ask this as I take it you can attach it then go out shooting with no filters on then if you needed to pop a filter in you could regardless of if / how you are zoomed in and so your lens spins...

I'd hate to have to set up the camera, zoom to the correct length, then add on filter holder and filter to make sure the grad filter is the correct way up?
 
Digifrog said:
Hi. If I were you I would start off with just the filter holder, adaptor ring, and a filter (or two). You can always build up to the Pro Kit in future if you need to. Robert White Photography stock the available parts.

Rgds
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Thanks- will look to pick up foundation kit, adaptor and a couple of filters and see how it goes.
 
MadFrankie said:
So a complete noob filter question. I take it that the filter holder can turn when fixed to the camera? I ask this as I take it you can attach it then go out shooting with no filters on then if you needed to pop a filter in you could regardless of if / how you are zoomed in and so your lens spins...

I'd hate to have to set up the camera, zoom to the correct length, then add on filter holder and filter to make sure the grad filter is the correct way up?
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Yes the filter holder can rotate when attached to the lens and yes you can use it without any filters in the holder.

As for the holder rotating as you zoom the lens you will have to check your lens and see if it rotates as you zoom. Some do, some don't. If the lens rotates as you zoom then your holder/filters will also rotate which is not ideal!
 
scarey said:
Unless you need to be able to rotate the grads independently or use 4 or more filters at once then I can't see why you would need the professional kit.
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Yeah, I was struggling for a scenario, which usually points to unecessary expenditure:D
 
scarey said:
Yes the filter holder can rotate when attached to the lens and yes you can use it without any filters in the holder.

As for the holder rotating as you zoom the lens you will have to check your lens and see if it rotates as you zoom. Some do, some don't. If the lens rotates as you zoom then your holder/filters will also rotate which is not ideal!
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Thanks, I didn't think of that, I've got the canon 17-85mm is usm which, if memory serves me, doesn't rotate on autofocusing but does on zooming. (I'm happy to be corrected).

So, that said, how easy is it to re-align the filter holder once it's fitted?
 
MadFrankie said:
Thanks, I didn't think of that, I've got the canon 17-85mm is usm which, if memory serves me, doesn't rotate on autofocusing but does on zooming. (I'm happy to be corrected).

So, that said, how easy is it to re-align the filter holder once it's fitted?
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I don't have/know that lens so can't help.

Re-aligning is easy enough just APITA!
 
I was very interested to read an article in a recent magazine about the use of very powerfull 10 stop ND filters, the results are amazing, with exposure times in excess of 4 minutes on normal sunny days & with very blured skys & water etc + not true Neutral but a warm colour tone. I would love to give this a go. Are such filters available in the Lee or Hitech range? & has anybody tried this effect as I reiterate the results I have seen are truly amasing.
 
LensMarc said:
I was very interested to read an article in a recent magazine about the use of very powerfull 10 stop ND filters, the results are amazing, with exposure times in excess of 4 minutes on normal sunny days & with very blured skys & water etc + not true Neutral but a warm colour tone. I would love to give this a go. Are such filters available in the Lee or Hitech range? & has anybody tried this effect as I reiterate the results I have seen are truly amasing.
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I don't think so. B+W are the only brand that make them and they are screw in filters. Personally I remove the colour cast in processing, but it does sometimes add. I prefer the use of a 10 stop with black and white images.

Heliopan also make these filters but I have no experience with them.

Rgds
 
scarey said:
A Pain In The A**e.
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Aahhhhh, I get in now. So it's more of a purposeful use, I'd like to be able to just stick it on the lens and then forget about it until I need it for that one special shot.

I like the Hoya filter I have, it screws into the lens and also rotates independently of the zoom / lens so I can do with it what I like but I want a better filter 'kit'

I suppose you can't have everything!
 
Just a little update for anyone. My Canon 17-85mm IS USM lens DOESN'T rotate on zooming so I think I've found a winner in the Lee filters as I can stick it on the camera before I go out and add filters if / where needed without having to realign the filter kit.

Yay
 
LensMarc said:
I was very interested to read an article in a recent magazine about the use of very powerfull 10 stop ND filters, the results are amazing, with exposure times in excess of 4 minutes on normal sunny days & with very blured skys & water etc + not true Neutral but a warm colour tone. I would love to give this a go. Are such filters available in the Lee or Hitech range? & has anybody tried this effect as I reiterate the results I have seen are truly amasing.
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Hi Marc,

As Scott (Digifrog) said, the B+W circular 10-stop is the one to go for. Unfortunately, they're not very cheap... I think Warehouse Express had them for around £80 the last time I looked.

I think the article you're referring to was in Practical Photography. I read it too and wasn't very impressed with the images they used. There are far better examples on Flickr. Have a look for the ND110 group or take a look at either Scott's or my Flickr streams to see what you can do with one. :)

Cheers,
Si
 
A quick question- just about to buy foundation holder and adaptor and filter but interested to know if I really need a wide angle adaptor or not- will be using on a tamron 18-50 which isn't that wide?

Also wanted the 100x150 hi tech filters (soft as mainly take pics of mountains) but teamwork photo only do these as a pack- 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9. Anyone know where these are sold as single units? Been on the Formatt site but seems to be sets of glass filters. I suppose £80+vat for the 3 isn't bad.
 
Whilst Lee filters and holders are an ultimate kit and well built, the Coking P holder with HiTech 85 filters are not bad either. They don't have horrible Cokin colour casts and, what's more important, are significantly easier on the pocket. This is more suitable system for the beginner.

I also found that the Coking P holder being much lighter are better suited to my needs as I can pack multiple of them into my travel bag pre-attached to several lenses ready to be used without increasing the weight and spending lots of money. Then shooting is easier as I just swap the lenses and slot in the filters as necessary. I know it is possibly a minor thing but is important nevertheless - Lee filter holder is significantly heavier.
 
Spiritflier said:
I think the article you're referring to was in Practical Photography. I read it too and wasn't very impressed with the images they used
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There is also Lee Frost article (second one) in March issue (current one) of "Digital SLR Photography"
 
dalex_257 said:
There is also Lee Frost article (second one) in March issue (current one) of "Digital SLR Photography"
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Thanks for that. I might go and grab a copy... Lee Frost is a good landscape photographer so it should be worth a read. :)

Cheers,
Si
 
dalex_257 said:
Whilst Lee filters and holders are an ultimate kit and well built, the Coking P holder with HiTech 85 filters are not bad either. They don't have horrible Cokin colour casts and, what's more important, are significantly easier on the pocket. This is more suitable system for the beginner.

I also found that the Coking P holder being much lighter are better suited to my needs as I can pack multiple of them into my travel bag pre-attached to several lenses ready to be used without increasing the weight and spending lots of money. Then shooting is easier as I just swap the lenses and slot in the filters as necessary. I know it is possibly a minor thing but is important nevertheless - Lee filter holder is significantly heavier.
Click to expand...

Thanks- I'll take a look and give it some thought- weight and practicality are pretty important- closely followed by cost!
 
Just another thought I dont know if anybody is still looking here but If i go down the lee holder/filter rout will I need to buy a seperate lens hood or do I not need one? or is that a silly question.
 
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