Filter System

-Jamo-

-Jamo-

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Paul
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Hi ..
Im going to be looking at a slide in filter system.
As the filters can be quite pricey id like some advice on what brands
and what type of filters id need to get started..as id like to buy once and make sure there the correct ones,(mainly for sea and landscapes)
I did search but as im new to photography it can get a bit daunting reading all the different posts as what i may need ...
so any direct answers to my needs would be less confusing..;)
im sure this has been asked before,so thanks for any help..
 
Hi paul,if you want to buy once then get lee filters,very expensive & can be hard to get but they are the best.cheaper filters can leave colour casts.you will get best use out of nd grads 0.9 & 0.6 hard.and nd's if you want to slow your shutter speeds down to get the milky effect on water etc.you need the holder & adapter rings to suit your lenses.a polarizer is a must also.
 
Hi Cokin P series filter holder is on sale at 0.95p at Jessops, just spotted it in the TP thread. Not sure how much and adaptor ring or filters may cost.
 
As said above if you want to buy once lee filters are the best around but for a price!

When I started out I found cokin p series was great to use to get a feel for doing landscapes ect

I've just upgraded my self to hitechs new modular what I paid for around £120 for the whole kit on there website after contacting them.

Personally if your on a budget or unsure what route to go down in photography I would look at cokin p series and the set of slide in filters ( grad 0.3 , 0.6 , 0.9 / 0.2 , 0.4 , 0.8 each brand slightly diffrent) to get you started. Used them for a year before I upgraded so got my moneys worth either way :)
 
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To start get a lee foundation holder, adapter rings to suit your lenses and I'd recommend a 0.6 and 0.9 hard grad and the same in soft grad. The lee big stopper is great for those really long shutter seascape shots, but is impossible to buy and very expensive, so if that's the kind of shot you want, go for the hitech pro stop instead.

If you really want to buy once, avoid cokin. Not saying they are awfull, but most people who buy them usually end up upgrading to Lee, so just go straight there.
Check eBay for bargains. I picked up my 0.3, 0.6and 0.9 soft grad set, a foundation holder and 77mm adapter ring for £150 posted.
 
Mani Gill said:
Hi Cokin P series filter holder is on sale at 0.95p at Jessops, just spotted it in the TP thread. Not sure how much and adaptor ring or filters may cost.
Click to expand...

Correct price ?????
 
swiftflo said:
Correct price ?????
Click to expand...

Yep as far as I am aware, could not get the link from the thread, but two TP'ers have actually purchased at that price.

It is in the talk photography thread.
 
Mani Gill said:
Yep as far as I am aware, could not get the link from the thread, but two TP'ers have actually purchased at that price.

It is in the talk photography thread.
Click to expand...

Looked on the Jessops web site and it actually say's 19.95. ??
 
Best option to get started is buy a lee foundation kit or starter, From there you can eigher buy lee/Hitech filters 0.6HG and 0.9SG, 0.9 Solid Neutral Density is also a good buy as is a 10 Stopper from Lee/Hitech.

Lee Filters are not Cheep but they are the best, But you can get some very good results with Hitech filters which are usualy less than half the price of lee.
 
swiftflo said:
Price is as you say, yet when I went on the main site it did say 19.95.
Click to expand...

Not bad for 0.95P if you want to get into Cokin, but as advised there are better ones.
 
-Jamo- said:
Ok thanks for the replys..looks like the filters are going to be very expensive for what they are..

so something like this to get started would be a waste of money..and produce bad results?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170812989824?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
Click to expand...

Hi Paul, like they've all said above - if you only want to buy once - buy Lee. I went through the whole Cokin, then Hitec, then finally Lee route and wished I hadn't bothered with the first two to be honest. Although I think the Hitec Pro 10 stop is a big improvement on the original one that I had. The Lee's are expensive and frustratingly difficult to get hold of - but please stick with it and you won't regret it! Big Stopper is a must if you're really wanting to do seascapes! :thumbs:

Cheers, Dougie
 
-Jamo- said:
Ok thanks for the replys..looks like the filters are going to be very expensive for what they are..

so something like this to get started would be a waste of money..and produce bad results?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/170812989824?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2648
Click to expand...


What they are, is something that goes directly in front of your lens and will have a direct impact on not only the sharpness of your image, but also the contrast and colour.
Stick some cheaply made plastic in front of it, and its downhill from there.
 
TCR4x4 said:
What they are, is something that goes directly in front of your lens and will have a direct impact on not only the sharpness of your image, but also the contrast and colour.
Stick some cheaply made plastic in front of it, and its downhill from there.
Click to expand...

Tom, would you only use Lee filters? I've recently purchased a B&W 10 stop MRC and also a CPL, they seem to be very highly rated. Screw on filters as opposed to the slide in type.
 
TCR4x4 said:
What they are, is something that goes directly in front of your lens and will have a direct impact on not only the sharpness of your image, but also the contrast and colour.
Stick some cheaply made plastic in front of it, and its downhill from there.
Click to expand...

Great reply,i guess when put like that they are worth investng in, its just at first glance you think god im not getting much here for my dosh,very well said, i think i will be patient and wait till i can get the lee setup..
 
Mani Gill said:
Tom, would you only use Lee filters? I've recently purchased a B&W 10 stop MRC and also a CPL, they seem to be very highly rated. Screw on filters as opposed to the slide in type.
Click to expand...

No, I also use a Kood screw in Polariser and a Hoya Pro1 polariser, and I used to have a LCW screw in 10 stop filter.
I got a Lee big stopper so sold the LCW, as it was a pain having to keep screwing and unscrewing when recomposing, but then sold the big stopper too, so currently dont have a 10 stop. I might get the hitech pro stop sometime.
 
TCR4x4 said:
No, I also use a Kood screw in Polariser and a Hoya Pro1 polariser, and I used to have a LCW screw in 10 stop filter.
I got a Lee big stopper so sold the LCW, as it was a pain having to keep screwing and unscrewing when recomposing, but then sold the big stopper too, so currently dont have a 10 stop. I might get the hitech pro stop sometime.
Click to expand...

Cheers Tom, I think my last purchase will be the 3 stop B&W grad and then hopefully I'm all done with filters.
B&W 10 stop
B&W CPL have sent me back £150 alone, a bit of a drain on the resources.
 
One other factor that might be worth considering is future flexibility, e.g. if you end up with a UWA lens, it would be a shame to have to change your filter system.

This is one of the aspects I went through when choosing mine a couple of years ago, and ended up with the Lee foundation kit plus wide angle ring and Big Stopper.
 
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