Beginner Budget Filter System for Landscapes

tonybassplayer

tonybassplayer

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Since following the Thomas Heaton and others videos on YouTube combined with reading lots on here I want to try up my game with my landscapes and dip my toes in to the world of long exposure so I am looking at purchasing a Filter system that would get me up and running and if I take to it I can add things as I go along.

The jury seems to be very firmly out with regard to graduated filters with lots swearing by them and others saying do it it post (I have Lightroom and photoshop) however I would initially like to purchase some ND filters (maybe even just one) to try to get long exposure shots on clouds, lakes, tarns, waterfalls etc

Everything seems to ultimately point to the Lee Filter system but funds are a little low at the moment and I am thinking down the lines of "best bang for my buck"

I have read on here just about every thread on filters but the more I read the more I get confused apart from realising that as mentioned earlier most people who really take to it seem to end up selling the budget stuff and buying Lee so I suppose my questions would be something like:-

a, Should I buy a Lee holder etc and a budget equivalaent of a big stopper so that if I really take to it upgrading would be easier ?

b, Do other (budget) filters actually fit the Lee system ?

c, What would be a good starter budget ND Filter to buy ?

Many thanks for reading.

Tony
 
I went with a Haida 10 stop screw on and have been very pleased. Got mine from the eBay retailer cguk and bought in the largest filter size for my lenses. Stepping rings to let it fit on my other lenses are very cheap.

If you Google you will see the Haida gets good reviews
 
I've Haida and camdiox screw in ten stoppers and find them much easier than hitech or lee style square filters. Colour casts are also minimal. Buy a big one and some step down rings so they fit on all your lenses and give it a go. Same with a (thin) polariser.

If you want to add grad nd filters then you will need a holder but I'd save money on the holder and spend more on the filters themselves. I find Lightroom adjustments and/or exposure blending works much better than a filter as I rarely shoot things with clean horizons.
 
If all you're looking for is ND, the budget option is screw-in filters to fit the largest diameter lens you plan on using plus step-up adaptors for any smaller diameter lenses. I like the Marumi DHG screw-in filters, decent quality that doesn't break the bank. A four-stop for waterfalls would be about right (for me) and whatever you want for clouds.
 
Try thefilterdude.com for Lee equivalent filter holder, rings etc.
 
Many thanks, will have a search round those suggestions.
 
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