OK - I've always used regular screw in filters - Tiffen, Canon, and B+W.... Circular Polarizers, Moose Warming Polarizer, and GND.
Now I think I'm ready to step up a bit for more serious landscape work - or at least learn about them more - remember I've always just used regular circular filters.
I'm looking at Cokin P and Singh Ray Polarizer & possibly GND.
Here's my STUPID questions! How does the Cokin P Filter Holder attached to the lens? Does it also screw onto the lens - just like a regular filter? Then you can also stack square filters in it - right?
Does anyone here stack SR polarizer and a GND?
Most of my Canon Lenses are 77mm - so I need a 77mm Cokin P Filter Holder? And whatever else my other lenses are? The filter holders are around $15.00 - relatively cheap.
Do you use Cokin hoods? Stack them too?
Anything else I should know before jumping in to the BIG filter system? Accessories?
SR glass is pretty high - and I'm sure that its worth it - So the main filter I want first is a regular ? circular ? polarizer at $339.95 B&H - A circular polarizer square filter?
You will need an adapter (metal ring) for every lens filter thread size you use. The holder fits over the adapter.
Yes, I've stacked polarizers and ND filters many times.
Your choice of GND depends on your most used lenses. If you shoot more on the wide end, the 3-stop soft is a good choice. For longer focal lengths (or slower lenses) you may want to go with a hard edge since the magnification effect will diffuse the line and the hard edge will make the filter easier to position.
I use polarizers for any kind of landscape but only when the effect is needed (e.g. removing glare from leaves, adding contrast to skies, cutting through reflections etc.) One thing to watch for in the mountains is the "black sky" effect that may result due to the fact that light at high altitude is not as diffused so the polarizer can potentially block a lot more of it.
Cokin P holders attach to an adapter ring, then the holder slides over the ring and the filter slides into grooves in the holder. All P holders are the same size and the rings vary in size to adapt to any lens. So, you buy a 77mm ring, P holder and Singh-Ray ND grads, which are 82mm square to cover your 77mm lens.
Sing-Ray is IMO the most neutral and the way to go instead of the circular type, which have a line down the middle that is hard to line up.
If you buy one, get the 2-stop soft. I'd recommend also buying the 1 stop soft. The you can stack them to make a 3 stop. You can also buy the Galen Rowell 3-pack that includes a 3-stop hard at a (small) discount.
Here's the problem with the P holder: The grooved part sticks out and can cause vignetting with wide angle lenses. There are two solutions: 1. saw off the outside groove and check for vignetting by stopping down the lens and using the depth of field button. Or, 2. hand-hold the ND grad over your lens.
These days, I generally hand-hold the grad because I'm in a big hurry, can't risk vignetting and with digital can check to see if my thumb is in the image. With a little practice, you'll become very good at holding one or two filters in place.
Good Luck,
Dave Showalter
Posted by Brent Murphy on May 19, 2006 at 12:46 PM
The Cokin P filter system comes as two parts: The filter holder and the adapter for a specific lens size. You will want to buy the kit with the 77mm adapter. What you then want to do is buy a step-up ring (or step-down ring, I can never remember which is which). These are attached to any lenses smaller than your 77mm lens. I keep my step-up rings attached to my lenses all the time, so I can easily put my 72 mm filters (or Cokin system) on any lens without too much fuss. You need to find the right size step-up rings to go from your lens size to your standard filter size. For example a 58mm-to-77mm step-up ring.
The Cokin adapter just screws onto the lens, like any other round filter.
I still use a round polarizer, on occassion. I haven't used it with my Cokin filter set, but I used it with my old Lee rectangular filters. I just put the polarizer on the lens, then attach the Cokin adapter to the polarizer.
I've never used a Cokin hood, so I can't help you with that.
I'll stick with my Moose warming circular polarizer. Great filter, and never felt a reason to go with one that fits into my Cokin system. Besides, I bought the "wide angle" system from Cokin, which cuts down on the depth of the filter holder by only including one slot for filters. The standard one comes with 3 slots. I know many people who have physically cut off the outer two slots to cut down on the depth. That's probably why they started offering this wide angle version. Keep in mind that like any filters, the more it sticks out in front of the lens, the more chance you have of getting vignetting on your image. So, I stick with only 1 rectangular filter at a time, and only add my circular polarizer if I'm not shooting wide angle.
If I had just one rectangular filter to buy, it would be a 2-stop soft GND. I started with the 2-stop soft and a 3-stop hard. Then added 2-stop hard and 3-stop soft a little later. Keep in mind that if you go with someone other than Singh-Ray, you can afford to buy a few more filters. I use Hitech, which are a whole lot cheaper than Singh-Ray, and excellent quality. I'll highly recommend them, and I know others on this forum will also. Not quite Singh-Ray quality, but pretty close.
I rarely use my polarizer any more. (I think there was a thread about this a while ago). I've definitely stopped using it just to create dramatic skies, as polarizers tend to add an unnatural dark-to-light gradation across the sky (rather than up-and-down). I use my polarizer sparingly, to add a punch of color to intimate landscapes, or to cut down on reflections from water. I'll also recommend trying a warming polarizer instead of just a standard polarizer. I little more money, but the photos look great. You can get the same effect by stacking an 81a or 81b with a polarizer, but you have that 'multiple-filter' issue again. The fewer filters the better, especially at wide angles.
Hope this helps. I'm sure by the time I actually finish typing all this, someone else will have already chimed in with answers for you...
edit: HERE'S the wide angle holder from Cokin. Same as the one above, but with only one filter slot. You'd have to buy the 77mm adapter separately.
To make the process easier I've put step up rings on all my lenses so they are the same. I can switch the same filter from lens to lens. It is much easier tham buying multiple filters for each lens.
Dave, don't forget, a "wide angle" version just came out to cure the problem you speak of. It comes with only 1 slide so it is already sawed off for you! B&H carries it. The downside? Well you can't stack multi filters.
Discussion
7 repliesOK - I've always used regular screw in filters - Tiffen, Canon, and B+W.... Circular Polarizers, Moose Warming Polarizer, and GND.
Now I think I'm ready to step up a bit for more serious landscape work - or at least learn about them more - remember I've always just used regular circular filters.
I'm looking at Cokin P and Singh Ray Polarizer & possibly GND.
Here's my STUPID questions! How does the Cokin P Filter Holder attached to the lens? Does it also screw onto the lens - just like a regular filter? Then you can also stack square filters in it - right?
Does anyone here stack SR polarizer and a GND?
Most of my Canon Lenses are 77mm - so I need a 77mm Cokin P Filter Holder? And whatever else my other lenses are? The filter holders are around $15.00 - relatively cheap.
Do you use Cokin hoods? Stack them too?
Anything else I should know before jumping in to the BIG filter system? Accessories?
SR glass is pretty high - and I'm sure that its worth it - So the main filter I want first is a regular ? circular ? polarizer at $339.95 B&H - A circular polarizer square filter?
<http>http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=167003&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation</http>
If you only had ONE GND filter - would you have a 2 stop, 3 stop, hard or soft? I'm leaning to three stop soft, but I'm not 100% sure on that.
For mountain landscapes do you just mostly use polarizers?
Thank you in advance - I know that there are some way serious landscapers here! I am always admiring the work here!
I am mostly a people photog - so I'm looking forward to doing more landscapes.
Kathy
Yes, I've stacked polarizers and ND filters many times.
Your choice of GND depends on your most used lenses. If you shoot more on the wide end, the 3-stop soft is a good choice. For longer focal lengths (or slower lenses) you may want to go with a hard edge since the magnification effect will diffuse the line and the hard edge will make the filter easier to position.
I use polarizers for any kind of landscape but only when the effect is needed (e.g. removing glare from leaves, adding contrast to skies, cutting through reflections etc.) One thing to watch for in the mountains is the "black sky" effect that may result due to the fact that light at high altitude is not as diffused so the polarizer can potentially block a lot more of it.
Guy
Cokin P holders attach to an adapter ring, then the holder slides over the ring and the filter slides into grooves in the holder. All P holders are the same size and the rings vary in size to adapt to any lens. So, you buy a 77mm ring, P holder and Singh-Ray ND grads, which are 82mm square to cover your 77mm lens.
Sing-Ray is IMO the most neutral and the way to go instead of the circular type, which have a line down the middle that is hard to line up.
If you buy one, get the 2-stop soft. I'd recommend also buying the 1 stop soft. The you can stack them to make a 3 stop. You can also buy the Galen Rowell 3-pack that includes a 3-stop hard at a (small) discount.
Here's the problem with the P holder: The grooved part sticks out and can cause vignetting with wide angle lenses. There are two solutions: 1. saw off the outside groove and check for vignetting by stopping down the lens and using the depth of field button. Or, 2. hand-hold the ND grad over your lens.
These days, I generally hand-hold the grad because I'm in a big hurry, can't risk vignetting and with digital can check to see if my thumb is in the image. With a little practice, you'll become very good at holding one or two filters in place.
Good Luck,
Dave Showalter
The Cokin adapter just screws onto the lens, like any other round filter.
I still use a round polarizer, on occassion. I haven't used it with my Cokin filter set, but I used it with my old Lee rectangular filters. I just put the polarizer on the lens, then attach the Cokin adapter to the polarizer.
I've never used a Cokin hood, so I can't help you with that.
I'll stick with my Moose warming circular polarizer. Great filter, and never felt a reason to go with one that fits into my Cokin system. Besides, I bought the "wide angle" system from Cokin, which cuts down on the depth of the filter holder by only including one slot for filters. The standard one comes with 3 slots. I know many people who have physically cut off the outer two slots to cut down on the depth. That's probably why they started offering this wide angle version. Keep in mind that like any filters, the more it sticks out in front of the lens, the more chance you have of getting vignetting on your image. So, I stick with only 1 rectangular filter at a time, and only add my circular polarizer if I'm not shooting wide angle.
If I had just one rectangular filter to buy, it would be a 2-stop soft GND. I started with the 2-stop soft and a 3-stop hard. Then added 2-stop hard and 3-stop soft a little later. Keep in mind that if you go with someone other than Singh-Ray, you can afford to buy a few more filters. I use Hitech, which are a whole lot cheaper than Singh-Ray, and excellent quality. I'll highly recommend them, and I know others on this forum will also. Not quite Singh-Ray quality, but pretty close.
I rarely use my polarizer any more. (I think there was a thread about this a while ago). I've definitely stopped using it just to create dramatic skies, as polarizers tend to add an unnatural dark-to-light gradation across the sky (rather than up-and-down). I use my polarizer sparingly, to add a punch of color to intimate landscapes, or to cut down on reflections from water. I'll also recommend trying a warming polarizer instead of just a standard polarizer. I little more money, but the photos look great. You can get the same effect by stacking an 81a or 81b with a polarizer, but you have that 'multiple-filter' issue again. The fewer filters the better, especially at wide angles.
Hope this helps. I'm sure by the time I actually finish typing all this, someone else will have already chimed in with answers for you...
edit: HERE'S the wide angle holder from Cokin. Same as the one above, but with only one filter slot. You'd have to buy the 77mm adapter separately.
For your 77mm lenses – here is the package for both, filter ring and filter holder.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=387341&is=REG&addedTroughType=categoryNavigation
(Save yourself a dollar by not purchasing the 112 page “Pamphlet”!!!!
For your other lenses, just buy an additional filter ring, found here:
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?A=search&Q=&a=475_3971&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&shs=&ci=3848&ac=&Submit.x=5&Submit.y=12
Personally I use the following Grads: 2-Stop Hard, and the 3-Stop Soft.
The Singh-Ray GNDs are very good but expensive. Hi-Tech are a little more economical and probably just as good. I would stay away from the Cokin GNDs.