Filter help needed

[Brent McCombs]

Hey guys,

I'm trying to make my first forray into using graduated neutral density filters, and want to get a Conkin Pro (or similar) system, but with no really useful camera store in my area, I need to order online, and frankly, I'm baffled by the options and poor descriptions of the gear at sites like B&H and Vistek.

Anyway, I'm going to be heading to China in July, and would like to get the gear to me in the next few weeks, try it out, get a bit familiar with it, and then be ready to use it when I head over.

My question is - what do I need to get started?

I'm going to be using this on my D3x and Phase One DF.

Lens are going to be

Nikon 70-200, 24-70 (likely one of the wides as well, but I doubt the filters will work well on the 16mm fisheye or the 14-24)

Phase One:  50-150, Mamyia 300, and possibly the 28mm Mamiya as well.


For the Nikon kit, I will have a consistent lens front diameter of 77mm. Is there a kit I can get with a holder that fits that, but can be stepped to the other gear as well? And as for filters themselves - I'm trying to balance sky/foreground, what are the most useful general purpose options there?

Thanks folks, any advice/help is very much appreciated. I'm primarily a portrait/fashion guy by trade, but love getting out and shooting landscape just for me.

Brent

[framah]

Not sure if this helps but I just ordered a 77mm  daylight IR filter for my Betterlight system.. a custom filter at $175.00 from Betterlight..  and then went to B&H and told them the lenses I have and he was able to sell me step up rings so I can use that one filter on all of my lenses.  I went from 49 to 62 and then 62 to 77.  All told it was around $25 +/-.

[Paul Sumi]

http://luminous-landscape.com/forum/index....mp;hl=graduated

[jasonrandolph]

I have the same Nikon lenses that you mentioned (24-70mm & 70-200mm), and I use the Cokin P system on them, although I don't use Cokin filters.  I use Singh-Ray filters, particularly the Vari-N-Duo and their reverse grad.  The reverse grad slides right into the Cokin P holder.  I also use step-up rings on it with no problem.  Just be prepared for a little bit of vignetting around the edges.

[astockwell]

Orignal poster, I wrote this a while back, posted over at Dgrin...

http://www.dgrin.com/showthread.php?t=132827

Hope this can answer your questions. BTW, I use 2filter.com, not B&H. 2filter specializes in filters, and can provide much more personalized service and assistance for what you need.

If you have any other questions after you read the thread above, just ask me via PM, or reply.

[Paulo Bizarro]

My preference is for the Singh-Ray Graduated Neutral Density filters (size 84mm x 120mm). They will fit in a Cokin P filter holder, and are good to use (with no vignetting) down to 24mm wide angle lenses (I use mine in a Canon EF 24 L MKII that has a 77mm filter mount).

For ultra wides you will probably need the Cokin X-Pro filter holder, and larger filters, to avoid vignetting.

One other good brand are Lee Filters (from the UK), they have a similar square resin filter system of good quality. Both Singh-ay and Lee are not cheap, but they do not have color casts in their filters, like Cokin filters do, so are they are really "neutral".

You can check both Singh-Ray and Lee Filter websites, very informative.