ND Grad - To hold or not to hold

Matty777

Matty777

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Using some advice of these forums I have have decided to invest in a ND Grad set.

I am going to opt for the Hi Tech Soft kit. I have read Cokin give a colour cast and Lee are out of my price range TBH.

BUT.... I want to use them with my Toke 11-16mm f/2.8. I have read also using a standard Cokin holder, vignetting is gonna to be a problem. I'll just use my existing Cokin holder with my Sigma 18-50 f/2.8, that "shouldn't" vignette.

I saw a iPlayer type vid on DSLR user, and the pro just got the filter and held it up against the lens.

So provided I'm going to use them when the cam is tripod mounted, can you see any disadvantages of hand holding the filter or do you always opt for a holder.

Tips/Info appreciated. :thumbs:
 
You could always try a little blue tack at each corner, which will attach the filter to the lens, without creating any vignetting caused by filter holders
 
I use a holder. Might be my beginner status, but surely holding a filter against the lens is likely to cause movement and make it pretty pointless using a tripod? Also, my sigma lens is usually extended at it's widest end (24mm) and holding a filter against the end would need a very gentle touch or you could push the lens in changing the focal length, composition, etc.

Oh... and I have those hitech soft grads, and for what I shoot am wishing I'd gone for the hard edged ones - which I shall end up buying fairly shortly.
 
68lbs said:
Oh... and I have those hitech soft grads, and for what I shoot am wishing I'd gone for the hard edged ones - which I shall end up buying fairly shortly.
Click to expand...

Can you explain?? My shots (for my planned USA trip) will be mainly scenery with hill's / mountains, so the horizon will probably not be uniform. From your point of view, why the hard over the soft??

Thanks Matt
 
You've basically said the answer yourself. Because the soft ones are so gradual I cant really see any clear change through the viewfinder and I often feel that my grad is encroaching on the land. However, most of my horizons are flat (seascape). I would prefer a more defined edge.
 
I always use a holder. I also have some hitech ND grads, I bought the soft ones first but soon decided the hard edges were better from my style of shooting :)
 
Matty777 said:
Using some advice of these forums I have have decided to invest in a ND Grad set.

I am going to opt for the Hi Tech Soft kit. I have read Cokin give a colour cast and Lee are out of my price range TBH.

BUT.... I want to use them with my Toke 11-16mm f/2.8. I have read also using a standard Cokin holder, vignetting is gonna to be a problem. I'll just use my existing Cokin holder with my Sigma 18-50 f/2.8, that "shouldn't" vignette.

I saw a iPlayer type vid on DSLR user, and the pro just got the filter and held it up against the lens.

So provided I'm going to use them when the cam is tripod mounted, can you see any disadvantages of hand holding the filter or do you always opt for a holder.

Tips/Info appreciated. :thumbs:
Click to expand...

So which pro was that then?;)

I thought I was the only person in the whole world not to use a holder! If there were a disadvantage it would be that the filter can get a little bit scratched when you hold it against the rim of the lens.

It just seems a lot more straight forward to me, especially with a tripod. No fiddling around with bits and bobs.:)
 
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