Using large GND filters on small lenses.

<p>My medium is 35mm slide film.<br>

I currently use the Cokin A, 2 stop GND, which has a fairly hard transition.<br>

I want a softer transition. 2 stops usually works well for my taste and journeys.<br>

I've settle on the Singh-Ray GND. As all know, comes in soft or hard transition.<br>

I will Only be using this on my Zeiss 35mm which is only a 58mm thread span.<br>

The "effective span" for the actual front element is about 48mm.<br>

The Singh-Ray GND area is 84x120mm.</p>

<p>My concern - before I buy the Singh-Ray (which I cannot return):</p>

<p>With the soft transion, will there be any actual graduation or is the effective span<br>

of the front element much to small relative to the much larger SR filter. I am<br>

wondering if I should get the hard transition, on the theory that it would perform<br>

as a "soft" since the graduation is being scaled to a smaller thread.</p>

<p>If I could get my hands on one, great, but I can't.</p>

<p>Thanks. Hope this is clear.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Dave,</p>

<p>I think I know what your getting at here. </p>

<p>I use Lee ND Grads (same size as Singh Ray) on 77mm thread front element lenses and also on 52mm front thread element lenses.. My soft grad filters have the same span / room to move on the smaller 52mm lenses as the larger 77mm thread from element lenses I use them with. On my 52mm lenses I can easily adjust the graduation to make a classic 1/3rd 1/3rd 1/3rd composition at the top and bottom of the frame. I expect Singh Ray to have a very close graduation profile to the Lee filters. </p>

<p>So to answer your question, on smaller thread lenses if you want a soft transitioned graduation then indeed get yourself a soft grad, a hard graduation will still be the same hard graduation on lenses with learge or small frontal elements. Hope this helps. </p>

<p>Hi Matthew. That's the perfect answer I was looking for, regarding the span.<br>

Is your Lee soft that you are speaking of a .6 or .9 (2 stops or 3 stops). Yes, I<br>

am mostly just looking for the "classic" effect. Nothing dramatic, just a pleasant<br>

natural looking transition when the sky is metering hot. However, just wondering<br>

whether the Lee/SR GND .9 soft might be a little more versatile.</p>

<p> </p>