Multiple Lee Snap Holders vs. Just One

[zelig]

Hi,

 

I recently decided to make a compromise in buying into the Lee filter

system: I'll use the wide-angle hood and Lee resin grads but use the

cheaper poly black and white filters instead of the resins. It

didn't occur to me until later that each polyester filter also

requires a $20 snap together holder to hold the filter into the

hood. My plan would be ruined if I had to spend another $20 bucks on

every filter. How much trouble is it to use the same snap frame for

every filter vs. buying several? I can already see myself loosing

several to a stiff wind when trying to change them in the field...

 

(to add to my troubles, I don't think the bulky wide-angle hood is

even going to fit in my pack...)

[henry_a]

How about some of the cheap cardboard gel frames? Would they work? Or could you make your own from matteboard or even thin sheet plastic?

[john_kasaian1]

I agree, calumet sells cardboard holders that I use on my Lee filter holder(the one that snaps on with a big rubber band) and it works great! Of course you do have to cut the corners off your filters so the cardboard sticks together, which can be a little unnerving.----Cheers!

[upscan]

Robert: The wide angle hood will look good on one of the CBS/NBC rigs but it is otherwise, backpacking et al, monstruous and heavy. Lee probably sells 3 or 4 a year? Hope you got it for a good price, the previous owner will surely agree with you now. Also, one of the most useful filters is the neutral density, those are resin only. You don't need those many filters unless you get into funny effects that makes the high cost of resin more bearable, and yes, Lee will sell you tons of filters most of which few people need. Optically resin filters are best although I have used on occasion polyester without problems. I do not recall they needed extra frames.

[jason_greenberg_motamedi]

Robert, I think you are confusing the Lee Snap-Gel with the plastic frames for holding

poly filters. The frames are about $18 for a ten pack (cardboard frames are even

cheaper), while the Snap-Gel is a holder which attaches directly to a lens using a

rubber band.

[brian_ellis16]

I used the Lee snap on system and four black and white gel filters (red, green, yellow and orange) for several years. In fact I have two complete sets in a closet somewhere, one virtually unused if you're interested. It never occurred to me to buy a separate holder for each filter, putting them on and taking them off the holder was simple and quick.

 

What was a big deal was trying to keep the gel filters clean without scratching them. The other big deal was the difficulty of using the holder on a lens with a small outer diameter such as the 150 and 210 G Clarons I owned. With small lenses there isn't enough tension put on the rubber band to keep the holder firmly in place, plus there isn't enough room between the filter and the lens to set shutter speeds and apertures with the filter on the lens. I ended up forgetting about the holder and just holding the filter by hand in front of the smaller lenses. Then I decided that the whole system wasn't all that great, at least with the gel filters, and went back to circular glass filters.

[zelig]

Thanks for the responses. I was under the impression that the frames cost $20 a piece vs. $20 for a set of 10 or so. This changes things dramatically.

 

I think I'll take the wide-angle hood back to B&H. It's just too bulky for hiking and probably doesn't do anything a skillfully placed darkslide or baseball cap couldn't do. It also would look really awkward on my 35mm camera.