PLEASE Help...Lee Filters, What do I need

[timecatcher]

Here is my problem. I shoot 35mm only and have a minolta 24-105

lens . I presently use the cokin P filter system but have a lot of

problem when using the ND Grads, If I place my horizon high within

the frame I often end up seing the edge of the filter in my shot. I

have heard that the Lee systems is bigger so it should fix my

problem. Is Lee the only alternative beside the Cokin X-Pro system

wher the circular polasrizer would cost me $650.00 Cdn. And if yes

what exactly do I need to get. There is not one place in Montreal,

Canada that carry the Lee system and would like to make sure of what

I need before ordering it online. I saw that Lee have different

systems available.

 

What I would want is

Polarizer

Warming Filter

1 Stop ND Grad

2 Stop ND Grad

3 Stop ND Grad

1 stop Neutral Density

2 Sto Neutral Density

3 Stop neutral Density

 

Also, is there any kind of filter system that would work on my sigma

15-30EX.

 

Thank you for your time

Patrick Di fruscia

[nikos peri]

It's a great filter systen, and the ND grads are the product that has made the name of the company. The resin filters are 10x15cm, so you will have no issues of seeing the edge of the filter. What you need is the filter holder (comes with four slots, but you can remove as many as you think are superfluous. You also need the adaptor ring for your lens, which depends on your filter diameter. There are two types of screw-in adaptor rings: normal or wide-angle. The latter simply holds the filter holder <i>behind</i> the edge of the lens to move the whole filter holder far back enough to avoid vignetting. To my knowledge, there is no drawback to using the wide-angle ring. For your 15-30mm, you will need that wide-angle ring. If your two lenses have different diameters, you need to get a ring for each lens, but then the filter holder just clips on. <p>

Regarding the polarizer, I am not familiar with how to combine the filter holder with a CPL or LPL so can't help there.<p>

As to finding them, that could be a challenge. The ND grads are often in serious back order. I ordered a set from the Lee distributor in Italy, and it took them 4 months to come back and say they couldn't get any. One place that is most likely to have them in stock is <a href="http://www.robertwhite.co.uk">Robert White</a>. You will also need to decide whether you want the hard edge grads or the soft grads. <p>

Hope that helps!

[sravan]

I think Lee is the only 100mm Filter system. A few companies make filters for this size but for holders, i think it is only Lee.

 

I dont think Cokin Xpro makes an adapter at the 58 mm thread range (I think 28-205 lens has 58mm front thread diameter)so that is out of question here.

 

As for a polarizer, To use one you can do one of two things

1. buy a polarizer for your lens thred and then screw the Lee system on Top of that. The Problem with this is that it can cause vigenetting. Also you will need one polarizer for each thred size in your set.

2. Buy the 105mm adapter that goes on the front of the Lee Filter system. Then you buy any 105 mm Circular Polarizer. This then can be used on any of your lenses. This might be the cheaper option if you even have two thread diameters in your lens arsenel as circular polarizers (Especially the warming ones) are one of the costlier filters you can find.

 

Also to reduce the chances of vigenetting, i would suggest you remove two of the normal 4 slots (You will need to buy the 1/2" screw set from Lee to do this correctly). Two should allow you to use one ND and One ND grad on top of the polarizer.

 

This setup might work for the Sigma lens also, but i am not sure about it. You might have to reduce the number of slots to 1 and dont use the circular polarizer on it. Circular Polarizer can give uneven sky colors at this wide angles due to the difference in polarised light withrespect to the sun angle. But then you can try getting creative with it also.

 

Buy the Wide Angle Adapters only for two reasons.

1. It reduces the chance of vigentting.

2. It is made of metal.

 

One Word of Caution, the Holder is made of plastic. It was a shock to me when i first saw it today (Yes i saw it only today, but did enough reading on this site to give this summary:) )

 

As for the Other Filters, The Grads come in Soft Grad and Hard Grad. Soft Grad is supposedly for Wide Angle lenses and Hard Grad for Telephoto. So In the end you will have 9 filters if you want to go along and get the full set as you seem to be doing. (Singh Ray makes higher Stop grads on request if you really need them!)

 

This is what i am planning on owning as far as filters / filter systems go

1. Lee Filter Holder modified to hold two filters

2. 77mm Wide Angle Adapter and maybe 72mm if i get those prime lenses

3. B+W Circular Polarizer

4. Singh Ray Grads Soft Grads - 1 and 2 ND, Hard Grads 1,2,3 NDs, 1ND and 2ND

5. Singh Ray Color Intensifier (Just plain color and not those red, blue, green ones)

 

Anybody else, care to comment please. I will be starting the aquisition in the next two weeks for my france trip this july and i think it will continue into end of next year for the above set.

[robert_davis2]

You might try contacting lee Canada and asking for a retailer. I'm a little suprised nobody in Montreal stocks it.

 

 

http://www.tyi.ca/

[jorgeortega]

Vistek in Toronto carries them

 

http://www.vistek.ca/details/srchresults.asp?txtsearch=lee

[neelphoto]

As someone pointed out above, RobertWhite.co.uk stocks them. Their prices are lower than anyone else's. I bought the holder, adapter and 6 grads from them and it cost me 10GBP to have them ship it to US by the british equivalent of Priority mail. It took about 10 days.

[david_henderson]

"I think Lee is the only 100mm Filter system. A few companies

make filters for this size but for holders, i think it is only Lee. "

 

No. Hi-Tech make 100mm holders and filters too, and their filter

-holders are metal. Further the filters are most often cheaper

than Lee, for an extremely similar product . In fact I think Lee

filters might be a little thicker but when you consider that

scratching rather than overall robustness is the biggest problem

with these resin filters I'm not sure what benefit a little more

thickness brings. The Hi-Tech grads are a softer graduation

than the Lee version.

 

You can get a slim polariser from Hoya - Super Pro 1 - which

also has a front thread so you can use the filter holder on it. If

you buy the big polariser to fit the Lee/Hi-Tech filter holders not

only are they pretty expensive but you also have to fit a ring/holder

every time you want to polarise.

 

I can't tell you whether either system will work with the Sigma

lens I'm afraid.

[francis_cailles]

Hi Patrick,

 

LEE Filters:

I use Lee Graduated ND's specifically because of their huge size. My 15-30mm lens has a diameter of 82mm, so Lee is the only choice for me. I do not use a holder for it because it will vignette, so I just hold the filters in front of the lens using my hand. Lee filters are made of resin, big, and inexpensive ($68 US)

 

SIGMA 15-30mm:

The specs say that you're supposed to use gelatin filters in the rear end of the lens. But the lens comes with an 82mm, threaded plastic hood that slides over the the front of the lens. I attached the screw-in 82mm B+W brand SLIM circular polarizer to the plastic hood, and duct taped the plastic hood onto the body of the lens so it won't slide off. The B+W slim circular polarizer does not have threads in the front to keep the profile thin.

 

Even with the slim circular polarizer, vignetting still occurs at extreme wide angle focal lengths. You will have to either crop, or clone out the vignetting...I don't know any other way around that.

 

As mentioned earlier, I hand hold Lee Graduated ND's in front of the lens/circular polarizer...attaching a holder is out of the question because it will vignette.

 

Hope that helps.

[sravan]

Thanks for pointing me to Hitech and their filter holders David, But i think i would stick with Lee for two reasons.

1. The Lee system allows you to change the thickness and number of filter slots. They allow 1mm, 2mm and 4mm slots.

2. Most glass filters like the Singh rays and B+W/Century Optics make are either 2mm or 4mm thick. For these filters, the selling point is not just robustness but rather the optical quality. Also the availability of glass filters which cannot be replicated in Resin like the enhancing filters.

 

Though if there is anybody else making a aluminium ring similar tot he Lee system, I would rather do that since Lee holder feels so plasticky!

[timecatcher]

Thank you everyone for you useful comments. I find it all get confusing but I will sort things out. I went to vistek and was up to almost $2000 before tx and that is not including the three ND filters. Keep in mond that I had the Lee polarizer which is $530.00 cdn...I think I will give my bank manager a call I'm afraid

 

Thanks again you guys are all really great to have spent time answering my question and clarify a few issues I had.

 

Pat

[lawman]

Pat,

 

I use the Lee system and I also use the NEW cokin filters that have the same size as the Lee filters - at a much cheaper price.

 

If I was you I'd not go down the lines of the polarizer for the Lee system, I'd buy a circular polarizer that fits onto the lens and that has a screw thread. The Hoya Circular Polarizer has such a thread and is the one that I use. I then screw the Lee adapter into the polarizer and hey presto. I works out much cheaper.

 

If you want to have a chat about filters grab me next time you see me on MSN mate.

 

Rich

[jst-j]

I also use p-cokin system and looking for something better.The answer seems to be Singh-Ray...they fit p-cokin system and are longer...more room to play with!!!I think the only way to get them is to order from the state...

[christiankiely]

This may be over an done w/ 6-months later, but Singh-Ray filters are much longer and allow for placement anywhere in the frame. I love them!