Filter Types

[Skeleton1200]

Hi All,

I am looking at purchasing some filters, I have a circular polarising filter. I am looking at getting some ND Grads, however there seem to be so many I'm not sure what to get. Do I buy them as pack or individually? Also what constitutes a good price? After all I don't want to have to pay over the odds.

Thanks for your help.

Andy

 

[Harlequin]

Hey Andy,
There are 3 main brands of filter: Hitech, Cokin and Lee.

Hitech and cokin are the cheaper with Lee being professional standard. I would recommend getting Hitech which can be bought in pack of 3 for £50 (from teamwork photo and digital). The cokin apparently have a colour cast to them when stacking multiple filters but more importantly they are slightly more expensive.

If buying it for an SLR, you would have to buy the 85mm size ( Cokin Size P) along with the adapter (for you lens diamter) and filter holder (for 85mm).

Harlequin

 

[Whiters]

I'm also keen to choose a set of ND Grad filters. What is it about the Lee filters that sets them above teh Hitech ones?

 

[Whiters]

*the

 

[Digifrog]

Hi Andy

Lee's are slightly larger than Hitech. I can use my hard edged 0.9 grad as a full ND if I wanted to & Lee's offer less colour cast. You get what you pay for and all that. I went for Lee because eventually I knew I would anyway so it would be a waste of money to go for another manufacturer.

edit: I would buy them individually (one a month maybe) Sets will give you the 0.3 which is for me obsolete.