Formatt: Filters, Adapters and Vignetting

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Mattfeliks

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I've been reading through the various threads on Cokin/Formatt/Lee filters and can't work out exactly what I need.

I basically want to get the Formatt filters as they seem a good compromise of quality and price.



So, to use on my Sigma 17-70mm (72mm Diameter), I have two choices of filter size (ND grads).

The choices are 85mm filters and 100mm filters. Each obviously have their own holder and adapter ring.

Confusingly, there is a "wide angle holder" in both these sizes. So will I be safe getting a wide angle adapter for 85mm filters? Or will I get vignetting? I can't seem to get a solid answer to this anywhere.




Any advice appreciated.




PS, for those confused about how the system works, I found a good online diagram which helped me decide on the components I wanted to buy:

cokin_system.gif
 
The 85mm and 100mm are filter sizes, you don't need an adapter (wide or normal) to be 85mm.

The adapter needs to be the size of the diamter of your lens (working that it screws into the thread that a screw in filter would use) so in your case you want 72mm.

To decide if you need a normal adapter or wide angle depends on the focal length of the lens you are using, and how many filters you plan on using (or rather how many filter slots you will have on your filter holder, not sure about cokin but with Lee you can add and remove more slots). The wide angle adapters cost more, but the filter holder is mounted closer meaning you can have more slots without vignetting
 
Sorry for the double post, am i going to be able to use my nice Heliopan screw-in CPol with this setup? Perhaps between the Lens front element and adapter ring?
 
The difference between the two is the wide angle doesn't have a front ring for mounting screw in CPLs or hoods. The normall does but its a 95mm diameter so unless your current polariser is 95mm it wouldn't fit anyway
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
The difference between the two is the wide angle doesn't have a front ring for mounting screw in CPLs or hoods. The normall does but its a 95mm diameter so unless your current polariser is 95mm it wouldn't fit anyway
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Hmm... so if I'm using a focal length of 17mm, will I need the wide angle? I'm still confused :D
 
With the formatt holder I honestly don't know, personally I'd try and get the Lee holder as it has 4 slots, but you can remove them yourself and only have 1, 2 or 3, plus with the Lee there is only 1 holder but different adapter rings (which is much less confusing to me)
 
Trying to avoid the expense of Lee atm, but I may go for it in the end.

I'll wait and see if any Formatt owners can say anything in this thread.

Cheers :)
 
Lee holder with formatt 100mm filters, jobs a good'un.

WHE have Lee for £49.99 whereas the formatt is £53.83 with VAT.

If you get a lens with a larger lens diameter later on you may prefer the 100mm filters over the 85mm
 
I have the Sigma 17-70 on a Canon 350D with the cokin set up and Hitech ND grads and don't really see any vignetting from the set up.
 
Shadow said:
I have the Sigma 17-70 on a Canon 350D with the cokin set up and Hitech ND grads and don't really see any vignetting from the set up.
Click to expand...

Is that the Cokin P holder? Am I right in thinking that it's 83mm, but the Formatt filters are 85mm ie a bit too big?
 
Uneducated_Rick said:
Lee holder with formatt 100mm filters, jobs a good'un.

WHE have Lee for £49.99 whereas the formatt is £53.83 with VAT.

If you get a lens with a larger lens diameter later on you may prefer the 100mm filters over the 85mm
Click to expand...

Do you mean the Lee wide angle or normal 72mm?
 
They're the prices for the filter holder.

The Lee adapters are £16.99 for a normal or £33.99 for a wideangle at WHE
 
68lbs said:
...and fully futureproof too. You'll never need to upgrade! :thumbs:
Click to expand...

Does also allow should you want to upgrade to Lee or Singh Ray filters at some time in the future.
 
erding said:
Does also allow should you want to upgrade to Lee or Singh Ray filters at some time in the future.
Click to expand...

Sorry, yeah you might choose to upgrade. What I was meaning was that you won't be forced to, whereas I think the 85mm system must be quite restrictive. The Siggy 24/70 for instance is 82mm.
 
68lbs said:
Sorry, yeah you might choose to upgrade. What I was meaning was that you won't be forced to, whereas I think the 85mm system must be quite restrictive. The Siggy 24/70 for instance is 82mm.
Click to expand...

Completely agree with the Lee WA adaptor you are committed to the 100mm filter system - but realistically everything you would ever want in terms of filter type or manufacturer [except cokin] is covered.
 
I am in a similar situation would the cokin p series holder work along with Hitechs filters as these seem to have a good review or am i better off getting the LEE holder and ring for my sigma 10 - 20
 
I had to make this decision recently and decided to go for a Cokin P wide angle holder along with 85mm HiTech filters (formatt makes these). I was considering going larger but as I have never used grads before I thought it would be nice to try a few different things out. For 1 set of 100mm grads (0.3,0.6 and 0.9) you can get both hard and soft edged sets in the 85mm variant. I believe that there is also a small slot to slide a polarization filter with this filter (someone on here I think informed me of this). Looking around the wide angle holders have been known not to cause Vignetting even at 10mm although this was on a cropped sensor.
 
Thanks MR T think that just settled it for me as cant justify the cost of the Lee kit!!!
 
I'm not going to tell you what to get as I was lucky enough to be given a set of lee filters and the associated gubbins for Xmas one year.

If you're using 17mm you will need a wide angle adaptor and if you ever plan to get a super-wide like the sigma 10-20 or the Topkina 11-16 you will definitely need one.

85mm filters are fine but again, if you ever want to go wider you will want the 100mm ones. Buy once and Buy wise!

If you buy a slot in polariser it will most likely be a linear one and it will stop your AF working, that is why AF cameras have to have the more expensive circular types. Also, you will not be able to use grads and the polariser at the same time as you will not be able to rotate them independantly.

Cheap = Cokin, not colour neutral but you wont worry if you drop them in a lake.

Hi-Tech/Formatt = Bit thinner than Lee but good alternative for those of us not blessed with infinitely deep pockets or kind parents.

Lee = Great quality, but be prepared to cry if you inadvertantly drop your camera in the sea with filters on, get a bit of sand caught between the holder and the filter and put a huge scratch on it getting it out.

Singh Ray = Import only and for lottery winners only.

HTH?
 
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