12 mm - Cokin P?

Hello all

 

I was looking at some of the videos on this website and realized that ND grad

filters would solve some of my problems, like burnt out sky.

The thing is im about to invest in a tokina 12-24 lens for my d70s and then

thought if cokin p filter series would be large enough to take a 12mm photo

without vignetting?

Another thing; i've heard that the filters made by cokin are rather bad, so the

best thing would be to buy filters from a brand called Hitech?

 

Thanks

 

Anders L Ebbesen

Bad? I use Cokin P series filters for everything from digital up to 4X5, and haven't seen "bad" yet......

The regular cokin P holder vignettes from <28mm on full frame so will vignette on tht lens until 19mm at least and probably further. I used to use cokin quite a bit when shooting med format. It wasn't until I started shooting digital that I realised how 'iffy' the polarizer was. With that I sold the entire system, bought a B+W MRC polarizer, a Hoya Pro1 ND filter and nothing else. Almost every other filter in exsistence can be better done in PS including ND grads.

HiTech ND grads are more neutral than Cokin ND grads, which have a slight purple cast. You can spend a lot more on really nice glass ND grads ($100+), but the HiTechs have been good enough for most users at $35 each.

 

The 3-slot holders vignette pretty badly with super wide angle lenses, but the one-slot holders are fine at 16 or 17mm full frame, or 11-12mm DX.

I think you need to use Z Pro sytem reversed for under 20mm, check other threads here

I have also not had vignetting at 18mm full-frame with film using the wide-angle holder. I think you'd be okay.

 

allan

Ben,

 

Digital capture does have substantial more range than slide film but there are still times that ND grads are helpful. Particularly at sunset and sunrise it is very easy to have a huge contrast range.

 

If you have a tripod and the everything is stationary then blending exposures is better (no need for a straight dividing line) but otherwise the ND grad is pretty useful.

12mm = 18mm equivalent

 

Cokin P is certainly OK till 20mm fov, if you really want to use it at the very widest (12mm - meaning an 18mm fov), you could cut off the third filter holder. It can only hold two then, but you'd be fine all the way zoomed out. Otherwise just use it from 13-14mm and you'll be fine at any rate.

I have a Canon 5D (full frame sensor and using the 'P' system on a 16-35mm f2.8 'L' lens both the standard and wide angle holders vignette badly at the 16-20mm range.

 

I'm looking for an alternative solution to hand holding the 'P' filters over the end of the lens ;-)