Tell me about buying square filters...

[Urban Grimshaw]

I'm thinking about buying a good set of filters. Particularly some grads right now. Maybe some ND filters in the future. And I'd like to use them on different lenses and have some control over positioning. So it looks like square filters are the way to go. However, I know little about them (Currently have a few screw on Filters. Hoya 10 stop, some polarisers).

Having had a quick look, my mind is boggled with choices.

Lee Foundation kit looks a solid choice on first glance, but then I seen you need adaptors for each lens, and the costs shoot up astronomically before you've even bought any glass.

So I'm just wondering what would be a good starting point for someone who wants to get into this and maybe build up a collection over the years to come?

Happy to spend around £100. Any more than that starts making me feel uncomfortable!

 

[graycbr]

I've got Hitech 100 system which is a good system for what I use it for a few landscapes etc ..
Got only 2 adaptor rings for all my lens which keeps the cost down
Lee is the best quality but you have to pay for it ..

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

There will probably always be a use for grad filters and square or oblong ones are the way to go. Like all filters always get the best you can afford., as all filters reduce definition to a degree.

Many photographers never seem to use them and rely, where possible, on various forms of exposure fusion. However there are always occasions when one process has advantage over the other. And any digital photographer needs to master both techniques.

 

[phil_b]

I'm thinking about buying a good set of filters. Particularly some grads right now. Maybe some ND filters in the future. And I'd like to use them on different lenses and have some control over positioning. So it looks like square filters are the way to go. However, I know little about them (Currently have a few screw on Filters. Hoya 10 stop, some polarisers).

Having had a quick look, my mind is boggled with choices.

Lee Foundation kit looks a solid choice on first glance, but then I seen you need adaptors for each lens, and the costs shoot up astronomically before you've even bought any glass.

So I'm just wondering what would be a good starting point for someone who wants to get into this and maybe build up a collection over the years to come?

Happy to spend around £100. Any more than that starts making me feel uncomfortable!

Try here for identical filter holders/rings etc to Lee. I use them, highly recommended
http://www.thefilterdude.com/

 

[Faldrax]

The classifieds here are a good place to pick up holders and adaptors - they're bits which don't really deteriorate with age, and work out a lot cheaper that way.