Nice to know there are some lower priced alternatives to Singh-Ray.
Hi, Mike,
Regarding the price--as they say, be careful what you wish for. I have used Lee, Singh-Ray, Cokin and Tiffen grads. When I used Cokin and Tiffen grads, I noticed a color cast to the filters which was unacceptable on film and still would be a pain to correct on digital. I can say that the Singh-Rays are completely color-neutral--they make a big point of this and it is true as far as I can tell. Also, they offer a huge variety of strengths and graduations. I do view them as the very best in grad filters but there is a price for this, as you can see.
Having also used the Lee filter I have been satisfied with it so far (a 3 stop hard transition) and I think it would be a good alternative.
I do not look for bargain filters, because I am using Canon "L" glass and Zeiss medium format lenses. However, if I was shooting any high-line lenses from Nikon, Pentax, Olympus etc etc, I would not scrimp on filters. They are a small investment compared to your glass, but every bit as important. The Singh-Rays have superb optical performance and the Lees seem fine as well. I have not used Hi-Techs so cannot comment on them.
If you are looking for glass filters (more durable and scratch resistant), I believe Schneider makes some. Since they also make B+W (my usual screw-in brand) I would assume they are truly excellent as well.
Guy