100mm filter holder

<p>Hi guys</p>

<p>I own a lot of 85mm Hitech filters from <a href="http://www.formatt.co.uk/default.aspx">http://www.formatt.co.uk/default.aspx</a> and I want to convert them to 100mm because the Cokin P Series wide angle filter holder I'm using is still causing vignetting with my Tokina ATX 116 PRO DX AF11-16mm F/2.8 lens.</p>

<p>My plan is to use adapter mounts to convert the 85mm filters to fit in a 100mm filter holder: <a href="http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lee-card-mounts-for-cokin-p-series/p1010435">http://www.warehouseexpress.com/buy-lee-card-mounts-for-cokin-p-series/p1010435</a></p>

<p>And use the Cromatek 100mm Compact Filter Holder which can be hard for £19.99 <a href="http://www.spaphoto.co.uk/store/acatalog/Compact_Holder_and_Proshade_100.html">http://www.spaphoto.co.uk/store/acatalog/Compact_Holder_and_Proshade_100.html</a></p>

<p>The point of doing it all this way is that 100mm filters and 100mm filter holders from all other manufacturers seem to be stupidly expensive.</p>

<p>The sticking point in this plan is whether or not the 77mm adapter ring for Cokin P series filter holders is going to fit with the Cromatek 100mm Compact Filter Holder. The dedicated 77mm adapter ring is £29.99 here: <a href="http://www.spaphoto.co.uk/store/acatalog/Adaptor_Rings_100.html">http://www.spaphoto.co.uk/store/acatalog/Adaptor_Rings_100.html</a></p>

<p>I’d be very grateful if an owner of the Cromatek 100mm Compact Filter Holder could please measure the outer diameter of the adapter ring to aid me in this endeavour!</p>

<p>Any other ideas welcome – many thanks, Arch</p>

<p>I don't have a clue personally, but is the solution you propose certain to prevent vignetting with your lens, which isn't much smaller than the filters? Irrespective of the holder, the card mounts themselves could cause vignetting.</p>

<p>Are you sure that the Lee card mounts for Cokin P series will fit your Hitech filters? Certainly at 100mm, Lee are a bit thicker than Hitech. Will they fit grads?</p>

<p>Are you sure the Lee card mounts when applied to Hitech filters will fit in a Cromatek mount.? </p>

<p>You need to take into account thickness as well as size, and rectangular as well as square. I think you might not find it easy to find someone who has done exactly what you propose to verify that all of your assumptions work. I did try some card mounts some years ago to fit with a medium format bellows shade i bought. They made sliding the filters in and out harder and the friction meant they didn't last long.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>Thanks David<br>

<br /> I'm not so confident of my plan now given all your concerns.<br>

<br /> I don't know.<br>

<br /> But the Lee Foundation Kit is £53 and the 77mm wide angle adapter ring is £39 and the 72mm wide angle adapter ring which I'd also need is £36 - that's £128 for simple metal and plastic constructions - and that's without adapter mounts for my 85mm filters or buying new 100mm filters.<br>

<br /> Am I the only one who is appalled at the exorbitant cost of 100mm filter holders? An 85mm generic filter holder can be purchased with adapter ring on eBay for £1.99 but a 100mm filter holder of any brand with adapter ring costs at least £50 - why!<br>

<br /> I'm interested to find out how other people have tackled this problem?<br>

<br /> Thanks</p>

<p>How have other people tackled the problem?</p>

<p>They cut off all the slots but one off their Cokin holder. <br>

They hand-hold the filter(s) at the wide end of the zoom range- assuming use of a tripod. Not a perfect solution, and easier if you use Live View. <br>

They accept minor vignetting/ fall off and correct in post<br>

They invest in a combination of filters and holders that are consistent with their lens array, remembering that thats still not a gurantee of no vignetting- but at least its cutting the complexity of question you need to ask on here down to one- does the Hitech 85mm holder vignette with my lens? </p>

<p>I'm sure there will be others.</p>

<p>I agree with you on the pricing of Hitech and Lee ironmongery. Its disgraceful. That said paying £29.50 here in the UK for a Hitech 100mm grad - essentially a piece of flat resin , dyed somewhat inconsistently, isn't exactly bargain of the week either. Lee are more expensive for which you get a slightly thicker filter with what I think are the same material and dyes, and Singh Ray dearer again. None of these companies are registered charities. </p>

<p>I thought Arch Stanton was dead- seem to recall seeing a gravestone in a Clint Eastwood movie years ago. If you can come back to life, I'd have thought a bit of vignetting wouldn't be of concern at all. Think of it as a reverse halo.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>I already did the cut off one of the slots with a hacksaw trick - I wonder how many people have done that!<br>

<br /> The Cokin wide angle 85mm filter holder with single slot has less vignetting though than doing that if anyone is interested. FYI, it's ok at 15mm and 16mm on the Tokina ATX 116 PRO DX AF11-16mm F/2.8 lens and ok above 21mm on the Nikon 18-200mm AF-S DX VR f/3.5-5.6G IF-ED Lens, but of course I can only use one filter with it.<br>

<br /> I'm going to live with the vignetting and one filter I guess and crop post shot or zoom in until I figure out a way to adapt my 85mm filters and mount them in a 100mm filter holder on the cheap, it's not worth the current upgrade prices, maybe something will materialise.<br>

<br /> Well done for recognising the pseudonym, nobody else has - love that film!</p>

<blockquote>

<p>Am I the only one who is appalled at the exorbitant cost of 100mm filter holders?</p>

</blockquote>

<p>You gotta ante up to play the UWA game. Just wait'll you look at the prices for Singh-Ray 100mm/4" filters, and you'll forget all about the holder prices. Then again, they have filters you can't get anywhere else. Their quality control is excellent, and so is Lee's. Have a look at the Lee holder for the Nikon 14-24 lens, never mind the filters.</p>

<p>I got my first Lee Foundation Kit on eBay a few years ago from a guy who was selling out his filters "to go digital". Got a pile of mint-condition Lee WA adapter rings with it (some were unused), and several color grads to play around with. :-) You can catch deals if you look around.</p>

<p>With that pile of gold in your grave, I'm surprised you're complaining. I had to work much harder for my money. ;-)</p>

<p>You've had a good idea there! Sounds like you got a bargain, although the only coloured filters I use currently are an ND2 grey grad, an ND3 and an ND6 full grad and a threaded circular polariser. You just can’t replace those filter effects digitally can you.</p>

<p>I'm going to save some searches on eBay and see what comes up - I hadn't thought of that.</p>

<p>Pile of gold or no pile of gold, the cost of these filter holders is ridiculous!</p>