Grad filters

rayonline_nz · Jan 3, 2015

Hi, I have the 2 stop soft and 3 stop hard grad filters. What strengths is a full kit? Would you even get a 1 stop or 4 stop? I am thinking about adding the other 2 or 3 stop so I have a hard and a soft of each the 2 and 3 stops. And considering I have a Cokin P holder with a wide lens I can really only use one filter before it vignettes.

Cheers.

RalphLambrecht · Jan 3, 2015

rayonline_nz said:
Hi, I have the 2 stop soft and 3 stop hard grad filters. What strengths is a full kit? Would you even get a 1 stop or 4 stop? I am thinking about adding the other 2 or 3 stop so I have a hard and a soft of each the 2 and 3 stops. And considering I have a Cokin P holder with a wide lens I can really only use one filter before it vignettes.

Cheers.

I always considered their use a lack of good technique.thecombination of Zone System and darkroom manipulation is all I need..

Trail Images · Jan 3, 2015

I use the 2 or 3 stop hard and soft as I see required. I use a Lee holder. I also use Reverse ND filters where I see required. Any vignetting I correct with hybrid using a scan to PS, again, as I see required.
I do find more usage for the soft edge then the hard edge, although there are times the hard edge is good for horizon work.
99.9% of my shots are with transparency / positive film.

Alan Klein · Jan 3, 2015

Anyone ever use the screw-on lens type of grad filters. I know you can't slide them like Cokins, but I was curious about people's experience with them.

Mustafa Umut Sarac · Jan 3, 2015

Alan,

I think there would not be too much difference if you can find screw types as several as cokin slide ones. I think I started to love grad filters at bbc race car programs , the bluish grades goes very well with grey metallic cars and rain.

chrisaisenbrey · Jan 4, 2015

rayonline_nz said:
Hi, I have the 2 stop soft and 3 stop hard grad filters. What strengths is a full kit? Would you even get a 1 stop or 4 stop? I am thinking about adding the other 2 or 3 stop so I have a hard and a soft of each the 2 and 3 stops. And considering I have a Cokin P holder with a wide lens I can really only use one filter before it vignettes.

Cheers.

I have a .6 (2 stops) hard grad filter and Im quite pleased with the results. Since Im working with negatives (color and B/W) I can make the fine-tuning in the darkroom and by adapting the film development. At the end the grad filter merely reduces the dynamic range of the picture.
If you are working with reversal film you might profit from more different filters.

I guess the vignetting depends a lot on the lens and the filter. My lee system has special filter adapter for wide angle which moves the filters closer to the lens. I see no vignetting with several filters on a mamiya 6.3 50 mm (6x9) lens.

rayonline_nz · Jan 7, 2015

Thanks .. yeah the Lee is larger and more expensive, might be way though. The Cokin P is just 85mm. The Lee is 100mm. The Cokin P if I use the standard holder it vignettes until 24mm. The wide angle holder vignettes and goes away at 20mm focal length with my 18-35mm Nikon lens. Yes I shoot Velvia. Are the 1 stop and 4 stop needed?

Trail Images · Jan 7, 2015

Thanks .. yeah the Lee is larger and more expensive, might be way though. The Cokin P is just 85mm. The Lee is 100mm. The Cokin P if I use the standard holder it vignettes until 24mm. The wide angle holder vignettes and goes away at 20mm focal length with my 18-35mm Nikon lens. Yes I shoot Velvia. Are the 1 stop and 4 stop needed?

I shoot only Velvia 50 and have found no need for 1 or 4. The Lee holder I have also has the Wide Angle mounting ring. My entire filter sizes was based upon 77mm originally, and such is the holder ring for the LEE.
With RB setup no step up or down rings needed. However, I use adapter rings to then fit all my LF lenses. I just leave the adapter rings screwed onto the lenses so there is no fussing in the field with those.

LJH · Jan 7, 2015

The ND1 is useful to make a reverse grad. For a 2 stop Reverse grad, put the ND1 on upside down and the 3 stop in the right way up. Where they overlap, you have a 2 stop difference band.

cliveh · Jan 7, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
I always considered their use a lack of good technique.

+1

LJH · Jan 7, 2015

RalphLambrecht said:
I always considered their use a lack of good technique.thecombination (sic) of Zone System and darkroom manipulation is all I need..

Any chance that you can explain the Zone System's application to, say, using Velvia and scanning it? Or is using colour film also a lack of good technique?

wildbill · Jan 7, 2015

I have some cokin p sized grads for sale if you go for that size. I use reversed grads (not the ones sold as such but just a regular grad flipped upside down) for the occasional sunset shot where the horizon is completely unobstructed.

Grad filters

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