Gel filter options

[colin_miller3]

I'd like to purchase some 4"x4" gel filters for use in landscape photography. I wonder if the Lee or Singh-Ray filter system is what I'm looking for. Has anyone ever just held a grad ND gel filter out in front of a lens? Daylight conditions, shutter speed about 1 sec max. Seems like it would work okay if you had a steady hand. Handholding comes up to avoid vignetting with a filter holder. 24mm on 35mm and 40mm on 6x45. Is vignetting even aconcern? Is 4"x4" big enough for even a 20mm lens in 35mm? I've never used a gel system, so I don't know what kind of coverage they offer.

[j._o.]

Hi Colin. Vignetting shouldn't be a problem with 24mm lenses and grad

ND filter holders. 20mm is where they get marginal -- apparently a

lot of folks cut down a Cokin "P" holder to one slot for their 20mm

lenses.

 

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I use 3x3 gels in a cheapo gel holder for my 20mm, and it barely fits

over the outside of the lens (62mm filters). It's pretty marginal,

and I'm going to move up to 4x4.

 

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The only advantage gels offer is that they're cheap, very thin, and

come in standard Kodak designations. They're probably not as good

optically as nice glass filters, and aren't coated in any way.