Vignetting with a Lee filter system. Please help me!!!!

[larry_dawes]

I have spent weeks trying to sort out vignetting limitations

of the Lee filter system with the P67 55mm wide angle lens. Sales at

Lee Filters has responded to questions twice without giving me

definite answers. I searched all of the forums and even posted

questions on this forum and failed to get conclusive answers. I have

posed questions to sellers on EB** in an attempt to buy their

merchandise. I even posed questions to the top retail stores in an

attempt to order what I need, but nobody can help me. Is ANYBODY out

there able to answer my questions about Lee filter systems???

I want to buy a Lee filter system that will allow me to use

three filters and a wide angle hood with the P67 55mm (77mm dia). Is

this possible? Somebody must have figured out a way to do it!!!! Is

there any possible way to use a polarizer, warming filter, ND grad,

and hood at the same time with this lens without vignetting? Do I

have to buy a warm polarizing filter to get both effects with an ND

grad since I insist on using a hood at all times? I prefer not to

combine warming and polarizing if I can avoid it. I am ready to plop

down hard cash for the system this instant if anyone can tell me what

to buy!!!

Can I screw a 77mm circular polarizing filter onto the lens

then attach a Lee wide angle lens hood with two filter slots without

vignetting? Can I assemble the new Universal Hood to take 3 filters

and use this contraption without vignetting? Can I screw a 77mm

circular polarizing filter to the lens and attach a Universal Hood

with two filter slots without vignetting? Can I attach a wide angle

adapter to the lens and attach the new Universal Hood with three

filter slots to the adapter? Can I configure a Foundation kit with

two slots, then attach a wide angle hood with two filter slots to one

slot in the foundation kit and end up with three filter slots without

vignetting?? Can I use the accessory rails kit to attach a two slot

wide angle hood to a one slot foundation kit without vignetting??

Can I use the rails to attach a wide angle hood without slots to a

foundation kit with three slots??? There seem to be many possible

combinations but I can?t find out if any of them work.

What combination of gadgets will let me accomplish what I want?

the use of polarizing, warming, and ND grad filters simultaneously??

(Is the new Universal hood also suitable for my XL1S video

recorder?)

These answers can only come from somebody that already owned a

ton of filters and played with various combinations until he found a

system that worked. I need to discover the limitations of various

combinations BEFORE I invest. Please help me!!!!!! Thanks very much.

[allan_jamieson2]

Larry if you search the archives here there has already been a lot of questions

asked and answered on the Lee filter system.

 

But starting off from the perspective of somebody who has a Pentax 67II outfit

and uses Lee filters, I'll tell you what works for me. I have the 45mm, 55mm,

105mm and 200mm P67 lenses. For those I have the standard Lee filter

holder, reduced from three slots to two slots, with the addition of the Lee

105mm metal filter ring, which screws on to the front of the standard filter

holder and allows you to attach a 105mm polarising filter. Thinking that I

would want a warming polariser most of the time, I bought an expensive B &

W one from Robert White, which I could then attach to the front of the filter

holder, whilst still using ND Grad's and extra warming filters if I wanted.

 

This combination works fine on the 55mm lens without any vignetting,

assuming of course that you have no other filters on the lens and have the

correct 77mm Lee wide angle adapting ring to fit the lens. But, this will cause

slight vignetting with the 45mm lens, a wider diameter polariser filter might get

around this problem if you can find one and work out a way to attach it to the

filter holder.

 

I don't think that the wide angle lens hood is wide anough to allow you to use

three slots with the 55mm lens, without getting some vignetting. Also the B &

W warming polariser that I have has a sickly greenish colour cast to it, which I

have grown to detest. So, I wouldn't recommend anybody else to get one of

these filters, stick to pure polarisers and warm as required separately. I prefer

the colours that I get from my square Lee glass polarising filter when

combined with an 81A or 81B filter, but of course that then means that you

can't attach a ND Grad filter as well, as you have already used your two slots

up and if you are willing to risk three slots, you then have the problem you will

probably want to turn the polariser slightly in the holder, which would mean

that any ND Grad filter used would be sitting at such an angle that it would be

next to useless.

 

Maybe, somebody else has worked out a better solution to this. In fact if Lee

could re-engineer their standard filter holder to take slimmer warming and ND

Grad filters and put their standard glass polarising filter up front in the third

section, but engineered so that this part could be rotated at a different angle to

the rear filters, then you would have pretty much the ideal filter holder for wide

angled lenses.

[steve_levine]

The 55 is equal to a 28mm lens in 35mm.There isnt any way to shoot a lens this wide with that kind of apparatus in front of the lens.

[larry_dawes]

Thanks Allan:

Would it be possible to use a step up ring on my lens so I could screw a large diameter round polarizing filter (eg 105mm)directly to my lens for independent polarizer rotation. Then I could attach a two slot wide angle lens hood to the polarizing filter. This would allow warming and ND grads to be used in the hood slots. What is the diameter of the hood opening that would attach to my polarizing filter? Could I attach the hood directly to the large round polarizing filter if the filter was the correct size or would I still need an adaptor ring to connect the hood to the polarizing filter? I would buy what ever diameter polarizer I needed to make the hood work. What diameter would I need? How does the hood attach? Is it threaded or does it clamp on the outside of the lens, filter, etc? Would this fly? Is it OK to use filters in front of a polarizing filter? I have always filtered light through the polarizer first. Thanks again.

Larry

[anton_v.]

I used Graduated ND and Warming filter (2 filters at a time) on my 45mm lense with the adapter reduced to two slots. I experience no vignetting.

[bob_cook]

Is your insistence on attaching a lens hood because you shoot handheld? I use a Cokin P system cut down to one slot for use with ND grads on my 45mm/P67II combination. It's on a tripod so I can use a piece of cardboard or a hat as a lens hood. You might get away with the large stack of filters on the 55 if you eliminated the hood.

[allan_jamieson2]

Larry, I don't know if using a larger diameter polarising filter with a step up ring

would help, it would still be around the same overall length as the normal filter

holder with the extra metal section for 105mm filters in front of it. The problem

that I have with vignetting using my 45mm lens is caused purely by the

105mm polariser filter added on to the front of the filter holder, a greater

diameter filter size would probably get rid of that problem. Taking off the filter

and using a square polariser in one of the two slots works well with no

vignetting.

 

But, if you only have the 55mm lens and don't intend to add a 45mm lens

sometime as well, you would be able to use the normal Lee filter holder with

two slots and a 105mm polarising filter screwed on to the front of that. That

setup would work very well, I don't think that you need the wide angled lens

hood.

 

Lee also sell an extra filter holder with an extra bit called I think a tandem

adapter, which slots into one of the filter slots on the first filter holder and then

allows you to attach a second filter holder with a normal Lee square glass

polariser onto this. This allows you to rotate the polariser separately from a

ND grad filter (held in first holder) and leaves you room to have a warming

filter in one of the two filter holders. But, it does make the whole setup a bit

more bulky and would probably vignette with the 55mm lens.

 

Another option, which is more expensive, is to buy ND Grad's with a warming

effect built in. Lee can custom make most filters. It is an option, but I wouldn't

wish to do that myself. My next move is to sell my B & W 105mm warming

polariser and then buy as slim a standard 105mm polariser as I can find; that

might help cut down vignetting. As for whether to have warming filters, etc in

front of or behind polarising filters; well, I don't think that it makes all that much

difference, but I prefer to have the polariser out in front.

[sumo_kun]

Hi! I think I might have the answer for you. I have the P67II and the 45 (I don't have the 55). BUT, I use the W/A adapter ring and a normal filter holder with 2 slots plus the 105mm polariser ring on the front with no vignetting I can see. If it works with my 45mm it should be fine on your 55mm I would think. I use the B+W Kasemann wide 105mm polariser. Now, this works for me, ie I haven't done any real hardcore tests or anything, just shooting normal scenes (landscapes) and I like the results it gives. Of course your opinion might differ.

Hope that helped a little in your decision making!

[allan_jamieson2]

Interesting that Chuk doesn't get any vignetting, the setup that he is describing

is almost exactly what I already described above; with the only difference

being the actual B & W polarising filter used. I definitely need to get a new

filter to replace the B & W warming polariser!

[stephen_kiley]

I use the 55mm and 45mm lenses with the lee wide angle adaptors, 2 filter slots in the lee holder and the 105mm polarising ring with a B+W polarising filter and no vignetting at all, hope this helps!