I'm having trouble finding a replacement "Gelatin 52" 52mm Drop-In Gelatin Filter Holder for my 400mm DO lens. I can't seem to find any even listed at the major retailers (e.g. B&H, Adorama). All I can find (other than the screw-in filter holders, which I'm not interested in), is the "WII" version for the new version 2 super telephotos. See here.
Can anyone tell me the difference between the WII and original 52mm Drop-In Gelatin Filter Holders? Is it just paint color and they're otherwise equivalent or should I really hunt down the original model for my lens? If it's the latter, does anyone know where I can find one?
Are you actually wanting to use the holder for holding a gel. If not, the screw in filter holder comes with a clear screw in filter, and might work for you.
I am not sure about the differences between the "old" and "new" holders, but I think that they are physically interchangable, based on how things are listed as accessories, and that the "old" versions are no longer for sale. A call to Canon parts might be a way to get an answer.
Roland W wrote:
Are you actually wanting to use the holder for holding a gel. If not, the screw in filter holder comes with a clear screw in filter, and might work for you.
I didn't realize it came with a clear filter so that may work. The glass element in my drop-in gelatin holder is scratched so I'm looking to replace it -- the screw-in may not be a bad option.
Thanks for your help and suggestions - I'll probably end up calling Canon, but thought I'd check here first. I thought someone may have one of each style and had tried swapping them.
I sometimes want to put a neutral density filter in my 300 f2.8 L IS, so I specifically got the screw in filter holder for that use. I can then in general mount any 52mm filter in the screw in holder. I also found I like a deep red filter for some night photography of stars, so I got a 52mm version of that also.
There is not a lot of clearance in the thickness direction to allow the filter holder to drop in to place when a filter is mounted on it, so watch out for some filters that are particularly thick. B+W is one company that sells thin filters in some types. I do not have a big selection of filters I have tried, but my B+W MRC Slim in Dark Red, and my Marumi DHG ND filter each fit in my 300 easily.
if the regular filter is a clear filter, what purpose does the clear filter serve? I can understand using a polarizer or ND gelatin filter but don't see the purpose of having the clear one
For at least some of the Canon supertelephoto lenses that accept these filters, the instructions say that a filter or some other glass should be installed with using the lens, because it is part of the optical design. I personally do not think there is a big enough issue to worry about, but that is the reason they send it with a clear filter. And, as RallyRocks stated, the gel filter holder also has a glass element as part of its construction, and the gel lays against it if you install one.
