Cokin or Kood

[henniebez]

I want to buy filters for landscape photography. Which would brand would you buy?

[Ralpheyesight]

I dont have an answer for you but was considering a similar situation of filters and taking a look on this forum when I came across your question
My question refers to types of graduated filters and Neutral density filter systems. I recognise Lee filter systems as being one of the best, but are they really, you certainly have to pay for them?

[Birma]

Hi,

I can not claim to be an expert, but I have recently been through some similar decisions and I can share my experiences.

I asked a similar question about Kood/Cokin here, and you will see DK thinks Kood are o.k.
http://www.photoclubalpha.com/forum/vie ... 934aae7003
I have certainly been happy with my Kood CPL, but I'm not really qualified to do any heavy IQ tests.

The Kood and Cokin slot systems seem to be pretty much interchangeable. For the basic system (filter adpaters and the slot system) I have gone for the cheapest I can find on ebay, normally 3rd party copies, but often a 10th the price of Cokin from a UK shop. For the filters themselves I have a selection of ND grads from Cokin, but I have eBayed from 'reputable' HK/China shops. You can get cheaper 3rd party filters that are also compatible but I have steered away (£2 filter on a £300 lens?). Cokin seem to thave a "more understandable" range of softs and hard grads.

Then you have the Lee and Hitec systems (www.format.co.uk sell the Hitec system). Much more expensive. Even within these ranges you have glass filters and resin filters (like cokin/kood), with the glass being more expensive. I think if I was putting the filters in front of CZ £1000+ lens, and intending to produce large prints, I would consider upgrading. You are talking about big bucks for a system though.

All of the systems seem to have standard sizes for slot-ins filters. Cokin-P is 85mm wide, and Cokin-Z is 100mm wide. Hitec and (I think) Lee also have these sizes so you can perhaps mix and match the filters themselves even more? I have the 85mm, Cokin-P. The limit of this seems to be 77mm wide lenses (e.g. Sony 11-18), and some people report vignetting here. I haven't got a 11-18 yet so can't say personally.

(Hitec do a resin slot-in ND3.0 filter which is about 10 stops which should be great for reducing shutter times - only just got one so no examples yet.)

Hope this helps

[HFnotts]

The Lee system is undoubtedly of the very highest quality, especially for landscape work.
They are not cheap but when you have a decent lens you need high quality filters as well. I see no point in putting lower quality filters on high quality lenses.

[Dusty]

I can't say as to which are better because I invested in Cokin back when it was the only game in town. I was always happy with the results - mostly ND's and a few special effects filters for weddings - on film. For some reason I just haven't dug out all my old film camera accessories and put them to use on the Sony.

Dusty

[PongoAlpha]

Just to put in my two pennyworth be carefull when buying ND Grads, IMO you do really need the longer length of filter you get with the better quality ranges.

[anthony_h]

I've mainly used Cokin filters but tend not to use their ND grads now as they gave a magenta cast to the sky and as only half the frame was affected then a simple colour balance correction did not remove it. I still use their solid ND filters.

On a similar theme I'd looked at the B&W 10 stop ND filter which seems to be all the rage at the moment for daylight long exposure shots, but which are £70 or so. Then yesterday I came accross a thread describing using a £2 piece of welding glass to get the same result. It is on order so I'll let you know how it works out (it does give a green cast wchih again needs to be fixed with a custom white balance).

Ant.

[Birma]

Welcome to the forum Ant. A good tip for the 10 stop filter. I look forward to your findings, and hopefully some sample pictures I must try out my Hitec 10 stop, perhaps the long weekend will give me the opportunity.

[Dusty]

Somewhere I have a large stash of of screw-on ND filters. We had a solar eclipse here about 1984 that I wanted to photograph, so I bought quite a few and stacked them. I hope they're large enough to use with my current lenses!

Dusty

[Birma]

Somewhere I have a large stash of of screw-on ND filters. We had a solar eclipse here about 1984 that I wanted to photograph, so I bought quite a few and stacked them. I hope they're large enough to use with my current lenses!

Dusty

Live view with an articulated LCD would be great for that sort of thing - it would prevent you having to look at the sun (which is of course dangerous ). Ever since reading "Day of the Triffids" as a boy I have been quite nervous of looking at any day or night sky phenomena .