Looking for better Grad ND Filters

Question for those of you who have a preference on filters.
Are the Singh-Ray filters worth the extra cost? And if so are the 4x6 Z-Pro necessary for the 77 mm lenses I have?

Thanks in advance for the assistance.

Rod

I think I've got the P size GNDs, and it's a close fit on 77mm, but it works. As for whether the Singh-Rays are worth the extra cost, that's a judgement call. The beef against cheaper GNDs has always been that they tend to have a color cast, but that ought to be less of a problem these days with the controls available in Adobe Camera Raw. The beef against Singh-Ray GNDs, other than the cost, has been that since they're made of resin rather than glass, they scratch more easily, and in my experience, heat warp more easily.

I've heard that there are GNDs available that are cheaper than Singh-Rays but that don't have the color cast, but I don't have any direct experience with those.

You have to be specific about which lens you have. Most of the time the P size is fine. Z-Pro get really expensive and are probably only necessary for wider than 20mm or so. The P size has a WA holder that allows a polarizer and 1 GND that works down to 16 or 17mm but you never know for sure until you try them. I know bedford camera here in Rogers is really good about letting you try things prior to purchase.

I prefer the Tiffen line of glass GND filters instead of the plastic singh-ray, cokin or others which eventually get scratched.

I rarely use GND filters anymore preferring to shoot two exposures and combine them later. I have had too many images ruined using GND such as improper placement (it's tough to see before sunrise) or trees and hillsides darker on the top.

The singh-ray polarizers and vari-nd filters are fantastic though. Especially the warming and color enhancing polarizers.

Ed,
Thanks for the reply.
My lenses are EF 24-70mm F/2.8 L USM, EF 70-200mm F/2.8 L IS USM, EF 100-400mm F4.5-5.6L IS USM

Thanks,
Rod

I should make clear that the way I have used a GND is by hand-holding it in front of the lens, meaning that I can position it very close to the lens. If you plan to use a filter holder of some sort, the holder will probably extend forward from the lens some and the P size filter would block part of the field of view of a 77mm wide angle lens.

In my experience, the Coken P holders vignette a little at 17mm on a full frame or 10-12mm on a crop body. You should not have a problem at 24mm. I've got a large P holder a guy brought me back from Hong Kong and it allows either 2 or 3 filters to be stacked. It vignetts at 24mm on a FF and 17mm on a crop. That is a fairly minor nuisance, as I rarely have a shot that requires the widest setting.

I've got the ND grad Cokin filter but rarely use it. I use the system more for solid NDs to get longer exposures. I would be interested in a higher quality filter than the Coken, mainly to get away from the easily scratched resin. I've read about HiTech. Are they glass? Does Tiffen make a rectangular ND glass filter?

In my experience, the Coken P holders vignette a little at 17mm on a full frame or 10-12mm on a crop body. You should not have a problem at 24mm. I've got a large P holder a guy brought me back from Hong Kong and it allows either 2 or 3 filters to be stacked. It vignetts at 24mm on a FF and 17mm on a crop. That is a fairly minor nuisance, as I rarely have a shot that requires the widest setting.

I've got the ND grad Cokin filter but rarely use it. I use the system more for solid NDs to get longer exposures. I would be interested in a higher quality filter than the Coken, mainly to get away from the easily scratched resin. I've read about HiTech. Are they glass? Does Tiffen make a rectangular ND glass filter?