Hello everyone,
I would like to buy a couple of ND filters,and would like some advice,i've seen them on the singh ray site,and they are not cheap !!
I have ordered already a polarizer and the shipping cost to Belgium (Europe) is abouth 90 $ !!so i can't afford a mistake !!!
Question is wich are the most apropriate for landscape photography ?
Lens is Canon 70/200 F4 filter diameter is 67 mm
Do i need a Cokin P holder or is there an alternitive ??
Thank you very much for advice !! sory for bad spelling !!
Hello Etienne,
Why don't you consider the Hi-Tech filters from format? They only have to ship them from the Uk, the price is way less than the singh ray ones. And the quality is also superb.
You can have the 85mm which will fit the cokin P holder or the 100mm which will fit the cokin Z holder system.
And to answer your second question for landscape i mostly use soft grads 0.6 or 0.9 (that's 2 and 3 stops)
Hello Wim,thank you very much for the information,did not know abouth format, i apreciate the information you gave me very much
By the way, my son lives in Beveren !!
For a plain neutral density filter, you can use the screw-in type or the holder type. For graduated neutral density filers, you need a holder. A Cokin P holder is a good choice for your lens. Hi-Tech GNDs are acceptable quality and tend to be less expensive than Singh Ray.
Which GNDs are best? It depends. If you shoot relatively flat horizons the hard edge are your best chice. If you should irregular horizons, choose the soft edge. You may want both. I use my three-stop hard edge GND the most.
Posted by Bill Chambers on June 22, 2008 at 12:07 PM
It really depends on what type of terrain you'll be shooting as to which filter type would be best. I shoot mostly seascapes where there is a hard horizon line, therefore I use hard grads more often, but mountain scenes typically use soft grads more often. I use Singh Ray, but that shipping charge you mention is outrageous! You might try ebay; I've picked up several there at a decent savings, all to fit the Cokin P holder.
Posted by Dan Baumbach on June 22, 2008 at 1:29 PM
Lee filters are also made in the UK and are as good in quality as the Singh-Ray. Perhaps you could get better prices on them.
Hello Buck,Bill and Dan,Thank you so much for your valuable advices, it is of a great help to me
Posted by Brad Mangas on June 23, 2008 at 11:09 AM
Hi Etienne,
Just as some additional info that has not been mentioned, and before you lay out hard earned money for filters. If you use photoshop you can take advantage of almost any filter you want, except a polarizer. I have decided to keep my money and spend it on things like a new lens in stead of filters. The gradient tool in photoshop works just like a graduated neutral density filter and you can adjust it from 0- whatever density you want! And it's FREE! The only filter that has been recommended to me by a fellow professional photographer is the polarizer. Photoshop can not duplicate this. But all the rest including graduated neutral density is right in photoshop.
And remember the upkeep and time involved when you are in the field if you have to decide which filter you need and then if its clean and then make sure you don't scratch it and then...... well I think you probably get the idea.
Just wanted to throw that out there for you to think about also Etienne.
Have fun.
Brad
Posted by Kah Kit Yoong on June 23, 2008 at 11:58 AM
The gradient tool Brad mentions certainly useful but is better for fine tuning your images after using real filters. Once you blow your sky there is no getting it back in post-production. You'll also get all sorts of artifacts if you push things too far with the gradient tool. It's no substitute for the real thing.
Hello Brad,you sure give me something to think abouth !!,yes i do have CS3, in september i'l go back to night classes to learn to work in a better way with CS3, so i'l keep this possibility in mind !! Thanks very much for putting this to my attention, apreciate your comment very much !!
Hi Kah Kit,i do follow your reasoning for the real thing, but i can only afford two or treeh filters, in former posts i found already many tips for a good choise !! Brads suggestion is an valuable extra way, when i did not had time or possibilities to aply the filters ! i would be most grateful to get your best choise for my limited number of filters !Thanks very much for your time and advice
Posted by Bart Heirweg on July 11, 2008 at 3:48 AM
Have you considerd Lee filters? You can buy them at several shops in the UK and they are the best.
Discussion
11 repliesI would like to buy a couple of ND filters,and would like some advice,i've seen them on the singh ray site,and they are not cheap !!
I have ordered already a polarizer and the shipping cost to Belgium (Europe) is abouth 90 $ !!so i can't afford a mistake !!!
Question is wich are the most apropriate for landscape photography ?
Lens is Canon 70/200 F4 filter diameter is 67 mm
Do i need a Cokin P holder or is there an alternitive ??
Thank you very much for advice !! sory for bad spelling !!
Why don't you consider the Hi-Tech filters from format? They only have to ship them from the Uk, the price is way less than the singh ray ones. And the quality is also superb.
You can have the 85mm which will fit the cokin P holder or the 100mm which will fit the cokin Z holder system.
And to answer your second question for landscape i mostly use soft grads 0.6 or 0.9 (that's 2 and 3 stops)
Wim.
By the way, my son lives in Beveren !!
I'm glad i could help
And isn't the world a small place
Wim.
Which GNDs are best? It depends. If you shoot relatively flat horizons the hard edge are your best chice. If you should irregular horizons, choose the soft edge. You may want both. I use my three-stop hard edge GND the most.
- Dan.
Just as some additional info that has not been mentioned, and before you lay out hard earned money for filters. If you use photoshop you can take advantage of almost any filter you want, except a polarizer. I have decided to keep my money and spend it on things like a new lens in stead of filters. The gradient tool in photoshop works just like a graduated neutral density filter and you can adjust it from 0- whatever density you want! And it's FREE! The only filter that has been recommended to me by a fellow professional photographer is the polarizer. Photoshop can not duplicate this. But all the rest including graduated neutral density is right in photoshop.
And remember the upkeep and time involved when you are in the field if you have to decide which filter you need and then if its clean and then make sure you don't scratch it and then...... well I think you probably get the idea.
Just wanted to throw that out there for you to think about also Etienne.
Have fun.
Brad
Hi Kah Kit,i do follow your reasoning for the real thing, but i can only afford two or treeh filters, in former posts i found already many tips for a good choise !! Brads suggestion is an valuable extra way, when i did not had time or possibilities to aply the filters ! i would be most grateful to get your best choise for my limited number of filters !Thanks very much for your time and advice