ND Grad Filters

[Simon.md]

Hey All,

I am off to Scotland next month with the camera and am thinking that I should get myself an ND Grad filter for landscape photography. Normally my landscape attempts are crying out for a filter. I have been having a search around and I think the Cokin ones are going to be the best bet but then I read that they can have problems on wide lenses? Is this right, I want to use with my Sigma 10-20 on my 40D - does anyone use the Cokin filters with this lens?

Don't want to spend my money then realise I should have bought something else

[Mark W]

Simon I use these no worries with that lens and body combo Cokin P ND Graduated Kit H250A - Cokin P 84mm great kit to begin with.

[Simon.md]

Cheers Mark - I looked at the Kit but would I need to get the Wide-Angle holder as well?

[Mark W]

Simon you will need whatever thread the front of your lens has - 77mm from the top of my head ? You will get some of the filter hood in the frame and will have to shoot at 12mm to be comfortable or spend time cropping in PP.

[Alex]

Simon I use the Hitech filters from SRB-Griturn, come at the same price as the Cokins but are better quality IMO. They don't scratch as easy and the magenta colour cast is less evident with these if you stack more on one. With this combination of camera and lens you will need to remove the third filter slot of the filter holder with a hack saw so it doesn't intrude into your shot leaving you with the polariser slot and two grad filter slots, you will need to go to 11mm if you add a polariser to this as it creeps into the corners of the image at 10mm.
I bought a new filter holder and used the old one as the wide angled version so I had the option of the two if needed.

Here's a link for four ND grads which is good value at £46 plus P&P Neutral Density and Neutral Density Graduated Kits

[StuBill]

Good advice from Alex there.
May also be worth considering a 100mm filter system if budget allows.
Cokin (Z-pro), Hi-tech and Lee all do 100mm filter systems - you will have no worries about the UWA lens with the bigger filters.
Also, future proof should you go full frame.
Stu

[Simon.md]

Thanks Alex I'll take a look at those.

Mark - I meant one of these rather than the adaptor ring.

[Simon.md]

Stu - I looked at those but whilst it would be the better option I'm not sure I really want to spend so much at present.

[StuBill]

No worries.
I have p-series (75mm) wide angle holder, which as standard holds 1 filter and polariser (Cokin round type polariser).
On the 10-20 and my 40D, with just the adaptor ring and holder on the front of the lens it's OK at 10mm.

If you have a UV filter, or something else, screwed to the lens this setup will then appear in the shot at 10mm, end result
being same as Alex says with the standard adaptor - zooming in to 11 or 12mm depending on the thickness of the screw in filter.
HTH mate,
Stu

[Mark W]

Thats the one Simon its all about how much you want to spend.

[STUARTINPERTH]

Hi Stu
have seen hitech filters for 100mm size but not seen a holder by them am I best getting cokin holder and adaptor and hitech filters?
was thinking of lee starter kit but it comes with hard filters and I would rather have soft.
stu

[Piano]

Hitech do make their own holders. Take a look here : Hitech Filter Holders : Teamwork Digital Ltd, Suppliers of Professional Digital and Large Format Photographic Equipment

I read one report that said Cokin have a colour cast and Lee are too expensive. It had a bearing on why I bought Hitech which are great and cheaper than Lee. Can't comment on Cokin colour cast because I haven't got any Cokin filters to compare with.

[Hugh]

Simon,

I use that Cokin P holder on my Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 and get absolutely no vignetting even at the 10mm end and the filter thread is 72mm as MW says.

If you have the f3.5 though it may be different and on that lens you would need the 82mm adapter ring.

A word or warning with Cokin Filters, if youb use more than one (which is more difficult with the WA Holder) you do get quite a magenta cast - not a problem if you shoot RAW - you don't seem to get this with the HiTech fiolters which will fit in the P series holder.

Hugh

[StuBill]

I'm sure (in fact positive) that the Sigma 10-20 f4-5.6 is 77mm diameter thread.

[StuBill]

Hi Stu
have seen hitech filters for 100mm size but not seen a holder by them am I best getting cokin holder and adaptor and hitech filters?
was thinking of lee starter kit but it comes with hard filters and I would rather have soft.
stu

Stu, I've PM'd you to avoid confusing Simon's thread.