YOUR experiences with Lee & CPL

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Ok....

So I have my foundation kit, 77mm WA adapter, various grads and the big stopper..

My next challenge is what to do about a polariser now...

Note that for the time being the widest I will be shooting is 19mm on full frame.

I am intrigued to hear what CPLs you have had experience of using with your Lee kits.

I'm guessing the options for me are:

Standard 77mm CPL on the lens, holder screwed into this- cheap but possible vignetting, i've read the nikon V2 is nice and slim!

Lee 105mm adapter and A 105mm CPL

100mm standard polariser?
 
I'm also looking into this now and was about to start a thread. As i'm shooting down to 17mm on FF, I'll probably have to be a bit more cautious about vignetting.

My plan is to go for a multi coated 105mm filter (recommendations please!!!) and the Lee 105mm adaptor, probably also removing one of the slots in my filter holder.
 
I sue the front ring and a 105mm hitech cpl. Seems ok but has a habit of jamming on the thread making it hard to remove. Not sure why to be honest. I'd also be interested to hear how people get on with the tandem adaptor and a square 100mm cpl.
 
Heliopan, B+W or Lee .. they're all excellent CP filters.

I wouldn't use a 77mm CP filter, as you will have to screw the filter holder on to the CP; which means every time to make a slight adjustment to the CP you will have to adjust the holder too otherwise the slot-in filters (most likely your GND) will be off-balance.
 
I did a lot of research before getting a CPL for my Lee holder, which I'm using with a Zeiss 21mm on a 5DMk2

It seems that the best 105mm CPL for minimising vignetting is the Heliopan Slim - theres reports of both the Lee and B+W vignetting with WA lenses on FF, and I think the Heliopan too with more that 2 filter slots on the holder. Going by this thread it seems at 19mm the slim Heliopan may be ok with 2 filter slots, but it depends on the lens.

Because I didn't want to go through the process of trial and error with 105mm CPLs I went with the Lee 100mm square CPL. Also I didn't want to be adding/removing slots - I have all 3 on my holder and prefer to leave them on. The only disadvantage of the 100mm CPL is that you're restricted in the angle of rotation when using GNDs (i.e. once the GND is aligned you're limited to 90 degree rotations of the CPL - if you rotate the holder you change the angle of the GND).

In reality though, this hasn't been a problem once for me - 90 degree rotations of the CPL have been enough to produce the desired effect, I've never really been in the situation where I can see a difference that would require fine tuning past the 90 degrees. There is at least one other user on POTN that uses the 100mm like this and reports the same experience as me. Also using the 100mm means no ring to screw onto or keep on the holder, it just slots in like any other filter. In use I set up the CPL 1st, rotate the holder to get the desired effect, return the holder to vertical, then remove and reinsert the CPL at the proper rotation and add the GND and/or ND filter. Another advantage is the cost - the 100mm is a fair bit cheaper than a 105mm plus ring.
 
Last edited:
gad-westy said:
I sue the front ring and a 105mm hitech cpl. Seems ok but has a habit of jamming on the thread making it hard to remove. Not sure why to be honest. I'd also be interested to hear how people get on with the tandem adaptor and a square 100mm cpl.
Click to expand...

I haven't tried my 100mm CPL on a second tandem filter holder, but I'd be pretty confident of vignetting if the 105mm rings are causing it on WA lenses. As above, I havent yet found that I need full 360 degree rotation on the CPL
 
to be honest, there CPL can be very detrimental with such wide lenses under some very typcial conditions. I tend to reserve CPL for anything 35mm++ or use it at dusk, or in the woodlands. For this minor use screw in 77mm is plenty - and you could just hold Lee filter by hand as an alternative.

The 105mm CPL set up will protrude out quite significantly. Not only it will cost a bomb but may also cause bad vignetting. There is a reason my holder was slimmed down to just 2 slots.
 
daugirdas said:
to be honest, there CPL can be very detrimental with such wide lenses under some very typcial conditions. I tend to reserve CPL for anything 35mm++ or use it at dusk, or in the woodlands. For this minor use screw in 77mm is plenty - and you could just hold Lee filter by hand as an alternative.

The 105mm CPL set up will protrude out quite significantly. Not only it will cost a bomb but may also cause bad vignetting. There is a reason my holder was slimmed down to just 2 slots.
Click to expand...

You're right, it can produce some weird looking transitions in the sky, I used to get this with my 10-20mm on a 50D. But since having the 21mm on FF I don't get these obvious effects so much.

I find it useful to have a CPL available even with a WA lens, particularly when not including a huge amount of sky in the frame, or when water is a main part of the image. Also I prefer the CPL to be easy to use with my Lee filters, which a standard CPL wouldn't be for me (I don't really like holding filters in front of the lens).

I think if the user is aware of the limitations, then a CPL on a WA lens can be a useful tool, and I wouldn't want to be without mine.
 
The B+W Kaeseman 105mm attached to Lee filter holder via the Lee front adaptor ring would be my choice.
 
J.D. said:
I did a lot of research before getting a CPL for my Lee holder, which I'm using with a Zeiss 21mm on a 5DMk2

It seems that the best 105mm CPL for minimising vignetting is the Heliopan Slim - theres reports of both the Lee and B+W vignetting with WA lenses on FF, and I think the Heliopan too with more that 2 filter slots on the holder. Going by this thread it seems at 19mm the slim Heliopan may be ok with 2 filter slots, but it depends on the lens.

Because I didn't want to go through the process of trial and error with 105mm CPLs I went with the Lee 100mm square CPL. Also I didn't want to be adding/removing slots - I have all 3 on my holder and prefer to leave them on. The only disadvantage of the 100mm CPL is that you're restricted in the angle of rotation when using GNDs (i.e. once the GND is aligned you're limited to 90 degree rotations of the CPL - if you rotate the holder you change the angle of the GND).

In reality though, this hasn't been a problem once for me - 90 degree rotations of the CPL have been enough to produce the desired effect, I've never really been in the situation where I can see a difference that would require fine tuning past the 90 degrees. There is at least one other user on POTN that uses the 100mm like this and reports the same experience as me. Also using the 100mm means no ring to screw onto or keep on the holder, it just slots in like any other filter. In use I set up the CPL 1st, rotate the holder to get the desired effect, return the holder to vertical, then remove and reinsert the CPL at the proper rotation and add the GND and/or ND filter. Another advantage is the cost - the 100mm is a fair bit cheaper than a 105mm plus ring.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link, it seems that the Slim Heliopan is the one to go for (handily cheaper than the B&W too).
 
I use the slim Heliopan on FF w/17-40. It fits nicely into the padded Lee pouch that the adapter ring comes in :thumbs:
 
Digifrog said:
The B+W Kaeseman 105mm attached to Lee filter holder via the Lee front adaptor ring would be my choice.
Click to expand...

:plusone:

This is what I have and only get vignetting under 12mm on my d300. Not the cheapest set up but works very well.
 
It seems like Heliopan filters are a bit like Lee, I'm struggling to find somewhere with the multi coated, slim 105mm filter in stock.
 
Craikeybaby said:
It seems like Heliopan filters are a bit like Lee, I'm struggling to find somewhere with the multi coated, slim 105mm filter in stock.
Click to expand...

If you do find a place that sells multi-coated Kassman CP please post us a link. I'd live to get a multi-coated one, be it Lee or Heliopan.
 
I've given up on getting one before I go to Devon next week. So I've placed an order with Teamwork photo for the Heliopan (with half price Lee 105mm mounting ring).

My understanding is that the Lee CPL is uncoated and at £50 more than the Heliopan.
 
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