Which filter system?

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Mike410

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Mike
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Hi there,

I would like to get a filter system with ND and graduated ND filters primarily.

What would be the best option/setup to get?

Lee filters are very expensive, and Cokin are less so...And Hitech seem to be in-between. Are there any other reputable ones I am missing?

I don't have money to burn but I don't want to waste money on cheap/bad filters and have to spend to upgrade later on.

Thanks for the advice,

Mike
 
I've had Hitech and were happy with them, also Cokin Z pro is a Lee sized filter (100x150mm grads) but a lot cheaper to buy, then you can upgrade to Lee bit by bit if you need to.

I've gone fully to Lee now (hard and soft grad sets, 105mm cpl, 100mm square cpl etc) just because to me they feel tremendously well made and I hope they'll last me many years. Also they're big enough to use on medium format.
 
Just bite the bullet and go Lee, they are expensive for a reason! Although Hitech would be my second option.

I wouldnt touch Cokin again even if they paid me,.

Kood also make some, but I only have limited experience with those
 
Thanks guys, does the filter holder matter? If I used a cheaper Cokin Z pro filter holder with Lee filters would that make a difference?

TCR- why wouldnt you touch Cokin again?
 
Horrible colour cast, cheaply made, just overall not very good.

You can use a Hitech Holder with Lee filters, and I imagine A cokin Z too. You can get a lee holder off ebay for £30 though.
 
OR - don't use in front of lens filters, ever again....and shoot RAW, slightly underexposed to maintain detail in the highlights, then selectively mask and increase local exposure post processing. I haven't found a sunset, or twilight filter that can be matched this way, but certainly the ND effects can be.

In Nikon Capture 2, you can place ND grads in the computer, and it is every bit as effective. Star filters (Lee made me a briliiant GRADUATED 6 point star, so I could just twinkle one or two highlights if I wanted to) are another one that is difficult to replicate.

Got some Lee grads (the large size ones) though if you want them.:D
 
Lensflare said:
OR - don't use in front of lens filters, ever again....and shoot RAW, slightly underexposed to maintain detail in the highlights, then selectively mask and increase local exposure post processing. I haven't found a sunset, or twilight filter that can be matched this way, but certainly the ND effects can be.

In Nikon Capture 2, you can place ND grads in the computer, and it is every bit as effective. Star filters (Lee made me a briliiant GRADUATED 6 point star, so I could just twinkle one or two highlights if I wanted to) are another one that is difficult to replicate.

Got some Lee grads (the large size ones) though if you want them.:D
Click to expand...

Try making a 30 sec exposure effect in software!

Lightroom can replicate the ND grad pretty well, but I'd still prefer to get a close as possible in camera using actual filters.
 
I've just invested in some Hitech filters and so far I am very happy.

Singh-Ray are very popular in the US (I understand they are hard to source here in EU) but are extortionately expensive. But it is another to your list.
 
You don't use a grad to extend exposure time. So a non starter answer...like the sunset and twighlight filters i said couldn't be replaicated.

take my Lee grads off me then! i won't use them again - I get it right in camera.My post processing time is limited to about 1 minute per shot, max. I do not possess fancy editing suites, just capture NX2 - a couple of clicks and I get the same as image degradation filters, no longer than it takes to line them up wither. Believe me, I am a complete computer incompetent - I don't do difficult post processing and I grew up having to use colour management filters too, so I know how to use filters (always used E6 for 20 years of my professional career, I had to get it right)....I now don't use any grads, other than those colour enhancement ones I mentioned. People like fiddling with filters - I like to get on to the next job!

So Mike410 - do you want those Lee ND grads?
 
Lensflare said:
You don't use a grad to extend exposure time. So a non starter answer...like the sunset and twighlight filters i said couldn't be replaicated.

take my Lee grads off me then! i won't use them again - I get it right in camera.My post processing time is limited to about 1 minute per shot, max. I do not possess fancy editing suites, just capture NX2 - a couple of clicks and I get the same as image degradation filters, no longer than it takes to line them up wither. Believe me, I am a complete computer incompetent - I don't do difficult post processing and I grew up having to use colour management filters too, so I know how to use filters (always used E6 for 20 years of my professional career, I had to get it right)....I now don't use any grads, other than those colour enhancement ones I mentioned. People like fiddling with filters - I like to get on to the next job!

So Mike410 - do you want those Lee ND grads?
Click to expand...

You are also incompetent in the use of grammar :lol:

OP, here's how it boils down :
LEE - expensive, but the best
HiTech - cheaper, not as good, but still good
Cokin - cheapest, nowhere near as good

It's really up to you on whether you prefer to buy something cheaper even if it's not as good, or whether you prefer to buy what will give you the best image
 
Lensflare said:
You don't use a grad to extend exposure time. So a non starter answer...like the sunset and twighlight filters i said couldn't be replaicated.

take my Lee grads off me then! i won't use them again - I get it right in camera.My post processing time is limited to about 1 minute per shot, max. I do not possess fancy editing suites, just capture NX2 - a couple of clicks and I get the same as image degradation filters, no longer than it takes to line them up wither. Believe me, I am a complete computer incompetent - I don't do difficult post processing and I grew up having to use colour management filters too, so I know how to use filters (always used E6 for 20 years of my professional career, I had to get it right)....I now don't use any grads, other than those colour enhancement ones I mentioned. People like fiddling with filters - I like to get on to the next job!

So Mike410 - do you want those Lee ND grads?
Click to expand...

What specific Lee grads do you have and how much are you selling them for?
 
IMHO just go with the Lee system. You can get a starter kit, as I did, which includes the mount, 0.6 and 0.9 ND and 0.6 ND grad hard which I would say are the most commonly required ND filters. I just want to get hold of a big stopper now!!
 
It does make sense to start with what you will eventually want to end up with!
 
Dredd123 said:
IMHO just go with the Lee system. You can get a starter kit, as I did, which includes the mount, 0.6 and 0.9 ND and 0.6 ND grad hard which I would say are the most commonly required ND filters. I just want to get hold of a big stopper now!!
Click to expand...

Was this kit made up, or was it an official one? Because the only ones I've seen only have 1 ND and 1 grad, or 1 grad and 1 grad colour for a cheaper one..
 
Hitech are the best of the cheap filters but stack them and purple / magenta casting becomes a big problem, even the single filter pushes towards the casting.

For £30 the Hitech set certainly gives you an intro to filters but the Lee filter system is in a totally different world altogther. Cost is very high but they are awesome, so good its hard to tell if you even used one sometimes(obviously you do because the balance is now correct but you know what i mean)

Oh and i agree with the getting it as close to correct in camera and doing as little PP as possible :thumbs:

Mike
 
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