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grad neutral density


hellobob

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i want to improve my landscape/nature/travel photog with a few n.d. grad

filters but don't know which ones to purchase. my lenses are either 77mm

filter size or i step them up to 77mm (for use with my polarizers, etc.). i do

have a lee apadter ring for 77mm so i need to know which lenses i can use with

the lee and what other type filter holder i have to buy to use n.d. grad

filters.

i know singh ray makes nd grads but i am not sure how to adapt them. can i use

my lee ring as a start?

any other brands of filters which will work with a system i can use? i want top

quality filters only. thanks for your advice.

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There are several manufacturers of nd grads out there. Among the cheapest are those

manufactured by Cokin. Unfortunately, they are not truly neutral and tend to cast a

bluish/purplish hue.

 

Singh-Ray has always worked very well for me and I wouldn't use anything else - but that

is just my personal preference. His filters fit standard Cokin P filter holders - which

happen to be widely available and which are also quite cheap (around $15 with adapter

ring). You can then purchase Cokin adapter rings to accommodate your various lenses.

 

Alternatively, if your Lee filter holder happens to be a "P" size as well (that is, 84mm wide),

Singh-Ray filters should fit it as well.

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I suggest you check the colour of Cokin grads as the last time I looked they were coloured - grey, blue etc. A true neutral grad is more difficult to make as the dies used have to be more precisely formulated to be neutral (reducing all colours equally)

 

In my experience with a 77 mm filter size the 'P' size grads will really only work if hand held rather than in the holder. I would try the 100mm / 4 inch grads such as Lee.

 

I use 0.3 (1 stop), 0.6 (2 stop) and 0.9 (3 stop) ND grads. The best one to start is probably the 0.6 (2 stop).

 

If you buy top quality filters be careful you do not scratch them as the scratches show.

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I can really recommend the LEE filters. The whole system is just excellent, not cheap but worth every penny.

If you have very wide angle lenses (like 17mm on FF), you have to use the wide angle adaptor ring to avoid vignetting. Apart from being a bit more expensive than regular rings, there is no backdraw. You can also use the wide angle ring on longer lenses.

WIth the LEE filter holder you can chose how many slots you wish to have on it by just unscrewing the little plates and remove or add as many slots as you may need. To avoid vignetting with ultra wide angle lenses, you should only put a max. of 2 slots on the holder. You can also add a 105mm ring for a polarizer, either from LEE or Heliopan.

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