Which graduated ND filter system?

Would like to hear suggestions for graduated ND filters. Will be used on the Canon 10-22mm (77mm diameter), a tamron 28-75 (67mm diameter), a sigma 18-200mm (62mm diameter) and possibly a Canon 24-105mm (77mm diameter). I've seen references to Cokin, Lee and Hitech.

It would be helpful to hear pros & cons for each system.

Thanks

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CynthiaM
http://cynthiam.smugmug.com/

Hi, I've been using Lee filters (graduated ND) in Cokin Holders. For the ultrawide angle lense be sure to get the thin holder to avoid vignetting.

The cokin P holder system is what I use.

I do not own but believe the hitech filters are also good. The Cokin filters are of a low quality.

The Tiffen glass filters are also excellent. They make them (Lee, Hitech and Tiffen) to fit in the Cokin P system.

I have been using them less now than before. If you check on http://www.luminous-landscape.com they show techniques to achieve these effects in photoshop.

But I do think that the ND filters and Polarizer produce better resullts than the software does.

Dan

I saw on tv where a pro just held the filter up to the lens vs. using the attachment gizmos. This is for the square type ones vs. the ones that screw on your lens.

Danny D said:

Hi, I've been using Lee filters (graduated ND) in Cokin Holders. For
the ultrawide angle lense be sure to get the thin holder to avoid
vignetting.

The cokin P holder system is what I use.

I do not own but believe the hitech filters are also good. The Cokin
filters are of a low quality.

Click to expand...

Why do you say that the Cokin is low quality. Not criticizing; just questioning. What are the Lee filters made from?

Danny D said:

The Tiffen glass filters are also excellent. They make them (Lee,
Hitech and Tiffen) to fit in the Cokin P system.

Click to expand...

What makes the Tiffen "excellent," that they are glass? If there is a product that is less subject to breakage than glass but without a loss of quality, that would be desirable.

Danny D said:

I have been using them less now than before. If you check on
http://www.luminous-landscape.com they show techniques to achieve
these effects in photoshop.

Click to expand...

Can you be more pointed with directing me to the area on Luminous-Landscape where they tell you how to do this by software? I'd otherwise have to dig through the site to find it. But in all honesty, I think I would prefer to get it "right" out of the camera.

Danny D said:

But I do think that the ND filters and Polarizer produce better
resullts than the software does.

Dan

Click to expand...

And thanks for your response.

--
CynthiaM
http://cynthiam.smugmug.com/

That sounds like Art Wolfe on the Trevels to the Edge series. Excepth that he is doing that on a tripod and I might want to be able to use a grad ND hand held.
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CynthiaM
http://cynthiam.smugmug.com/

Correct. That show is beautifully filmed. And Mr. Wolfe brings a certain gentle quality to photography even though he's filming in extreme environments.

I have the cokin slider gizmo thingie but it's kind of a pain to use.

CynthiaM said:

That sounds like Art Wolfe on the Trevels to the Edge series.
Excepth that he is doing that on a tripod and I might want to be able
to use a grad ND hand held.

Click to expand...

What about doing two different RAW exposures on the same file and then using a vertical gradient to merge them together? Wouldn't that give you about the same thing?

Danny D said:

But I do think that the ND filters and Polarizer produce better
resullts than the software does.

Click to expand...

You can use Cokin P-system but will need a wideangle holder which can take only one filter at a time. Quite often you may need more than one GND (such as 1 stop + 2 stop, rather than buying another 3 stop filter) to increase the gradient. Moreover, if you wish to use a Cokin CP (or any round filter) it will vignet from 10-14mm FL. With P-system if you turn the wideangle holder more than 10 degrees you will get vignetting even with square filters. I would suggest that you look at Cokin Z-Pro system which is wider than P-system and won't vignet with round filter (such as CP).
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Gautam

Singh-Ray filters using a Cokin P filter holder is the combination I use. Singh-Ray is more expensive but worth it.

Will you still get the vignetting with the CPs if you are using a round CP that is meant for a wide angle lens?
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CynthiaM
http://cynthiam.smugmug.com/

P-system CP & all P-system round filters will vignet between 10 & 14mm FL irrespective of the holder. A normal holder will cause vignetting by itself, even without any filter attached, up to 14mm FL. A wideangle holder will not vignet on a 10-22mm lens, nor with a square filter unless the holder is rotated.
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Gautam

hI Try taking a picture through a piece of plexiglass. I don't know how better to describe it, the cokin filters that are plastic tend to make the images soft.

As for the Tiffen, they are used by all the big motion picture film crews. You have to hold one in your hand to appreciate it. (There prices are astronomicle too).

The Lee and Hitech are plastic also, but are better quality and don not soften or blur the images.

Digital technique for ND:
1. new layer.
2.desaturate new layer
3.invert new layer.
4.ste layer blend mode to overlay.
5.gaussian blur set between 10-40.
6.adjust opacity of layer (between 30-75 works well depends on subject)
7.flatten image.
8.continue with usual post processing.

There are other methods as well but I find this works well.
For color grads effect try layer with replace color or selective color.

I like the resin they use on the filters not to mention the addtional size 85 mm vs 55 or 65 mm Cokin. I've also noticed the Cokins are prone to color casts...

I used to use the Cokin P holder as well, but when I saw Wolf shoot it hand held without a holder I tried it and found a couple advantages, thus I don't use my holder any more.

I helped a friend of mine buy a complete Lee system. She had her mind made up that she didn't want Cokin (don't know why). The Lee system came with a bellows lens hood. Lens hoods can be extremely useful since they keep stray light off the large surface of the square filter and thereby reduce flare. A standard lens hood won't fit over the square graduated ND filters, so if you think you may someday need a lens hood, buy a system that offers one (such as Lee). One thing about the plastic filters is that they won't break easily. That's important due to their size and the increased risk that you drop one. Plastic will scratch, of course, but the force needed to scratch one would be enough to break a glass filter, so plastic should be OK (and it's lighter, too). My friend bought a 2-stop filter (the best choice if you only have one) and a 1-stop filter that can be used by itself or ganged with the 2-stop to give 3 stops of ND.
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http://www.fantasy-photo.com

A 2 stop ND is definitely the most used (in my work), I also picked up 4 stop ND for mid day use.