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Archive 2014 · ND filters for basic landscape work

  
 
pingflood
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Hello all,

I will admit that so far I have never used anything more than a polarizer for landscape work and have relied on post processing and occasionally bracketed exposures to handle the little landscape shooting I've done. (I mostly do birds & wildlife type stuff.)

However, I have an opportunity coming up to go somewhere quite pretty and would like to give shooting with ND grads a go. The selection is however quite bewildering and I am not sure how much I actually need for handling the basics. I gather a standard screw-on is fairly limiting so looking at square filter options.

I'll be shooting with no wider than 24mm lenses on a 5DII and I think none of my lenses require a filter larger than 77mm. Should I be looking at something like Cokin if I want to keep this reasonably priced? And if so, would the Z-series be the ticket, or is the P one sufficient? And what would be the minimum setup of filters required?

At this point I am mainly going to shoot wide open landscapes with mountains and sky, so probably really only need to be able to balance out the sky a bit...

Thanks in advance!



May 26, 2014 at 07:55 AM
chez
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · ND filters for basic landscape work


I'd look into the Hitech GND filters as they are of high quality and reasonably priced. For the type of shooting you want to do, uneven transitions, I would look at a soft 3 stop GND filter. As far as holders go, the Z-series are fine, however you might want to give hand holding the filter a try...that is what I do. It allows for even more feathering as you can slightly jiggle the filter as you are exposing the image.


May 26, 2014 at 10:28 AM
taemo
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · ND filters for basic landscape work


a Cokin P vignetted for me when I was still shooting with a 5DII + 24-105L so I had to upgrade to a Z series.

personally my landscape filters kit consit of:
3 stop ND
10 stop ND
Circular Polarizer
0.6 GND
0.6 Reverse GND



May 26, 2014 at 11:03 AM
pingflood
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Thanks for the replies! I am looking at the Cokin stuff and a Z-holder + a 3 stop soft grad ND costs as much as the kit with holder + 1,2 and 3 stop graduated NDs + filter wallet so might just go for that...

Never thought about hand holding it, may have to give that a try too.

Do you use a regular polarizer and then the Cokin adapter on top of that, or do you use Cokin's or another that fits their holder?

Can't get Hitech locally but can order from the UK, so will do some reading on those too.. thanks again.



May 26, 2014 at 02:01 PM
taemo
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · ND filters for basic landscape work


i use a 77mm polarizer, then filter holder when needed.



May 26, 2014 at 02:30 PM
wuxiekeji
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · ND filters for basic landscape work


I use Cokin P ND grads for most quick shooting. I usually jam a B+W 77mm polarizer into the Cokin slot, in front of the filter, since I don't like Cokin's polarizer. Or install a polarizer and then hand-hold the Cokin filter and ditch the Cokin holder.

For exposures over 6 seconds or so, I usually ditch the Cokin system altogether and use a black handkerchief instead as an ND grad.



May 27, 2014 at 10:28 AM
pingflood
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Well, been reading and checking pricing and what I've arrived at is a 3-pack of Hitech 4x6 filters, a Cokin Z-holder, an adapter for my largest diam lens and a couple of step up rings. The 3-pack cost just a little bit more than a single so seemed like a good deal; it contains 1- 2- and 3-stop soft ND grads.

Cokin filters were a bit cheaper but keep reading about color casts so seemed worth it to pay a little more since everyone appears to like Hitech.

Sound good?



May 27, 2014 at 01:35 PM
Dustin Gent
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Cokin filters, in my opinion, are garbage. They scratch so easily and I believe they are not glass like the Singh-Ray or Lees.


May 28, 2014 at 01:33 PM
lwireny
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Call or do a search for 2filter.com in New Hampshire great people only sell filters. Lots of knowledge.


May 28, 2014 at 03:03 PM
RobDickinson
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Dustin Gent wrote:
Cokin filters, in my opinion, are garbage. They scratch so easily and I believe they are not glass like the Singh-Ray or Lees.



Lee grads are resin and scratch. The pro glass Nd are glass.

Imo get a Lee setup, I know it's expensive but almost every cheaper alternative is wasted money.



Jun 03, 2014 at 09:52 PM
3iron
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Just a suggestion. Look into you future and see if a w/a lens might be in the picture. It would be a shame to spend a lot of money on a kit that will not work on your other w/a lenses of the near future. Good filters are expensive if done right, you might want to go to the larger size with step down rings just to cove all the bases.


Jun 03, 2014 at 10:01 PM
3iron
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · ND filters for basic landscape work


Just a suggestion. Look into you future and see if a w/a lens might be in the picture. It would be a shame to spend a lot of money on a kit that will not work on your other w/a lenses of the near future. Good filters are expensive if done right, you might want to go to the larger size with step down rings just to cove all the bases.
Second a call to 2filters.com, they are most helpful.



Jun 03, 2014 at 10:02 PM
castlekeeper01
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · ND filters for basic landscape work


I just invested in a limited Lee system of GND's - 1.5 hard and soft, 3.0 hard and soft. I also have a Singh-Ray Vari-N Duo Thin - a combination variable ND and polarizer.

My plan is to use the Singh-Ray, with its variable ND, to learn the general effects of increasing ND stops - by just twisting a collar I should be able to see not just 1/2 or 1 stop increments but everything between approximately 2 and 6 stops, and with the right lens and setting, even more. Then, if I want a GND effect, I can use a Lee.

Just diddling with the Singh-Ray indoors shows me some advantages. It's simple and easy to dial in the polarizer with 360 degrees of options. Ditto "dialing" up and down through a ND range.

But - the Singh-Ray no does the grad line thing to shade/change only portions of the image.

I'm experimenting with these systems to limit, or better yet eliminate as much post processing as possible.

Have a trip to a distant beach in a week - be back afterwards, hopefully with something to share.



Jun 26, 2014 at 09:49 PM





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