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Filter Sets for X-Lenses


Toon

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I've been mulling over which filter system to get. Currently, I'm looking at Cokin and Lee kits and would like to hear your recommendations.

 

I'll be using these filters for general cityscape, landscape and sunset photography. I only own a couple of Hoya screw-in filters (polorize & ND8) and I'm beginning to see a need for more. Thus, I think it's time for me to seriously consider a system.

 

I use the X-T1, so a filter system made especially for mirror-less cameras are an obvious plus (no point in lugging around huge glass filters made for DSLRs). I'm kinda leaning towards the Seven5 system, but getting your feedback is valuable nevertheless. Thanks in advance.

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I use 77mm Singh-Ray and Hoya filters on ALL my Fuji lenses with the help of step up rings in various sizes.  I only purchase ONE filter size - for my largest lens.  I also have 8 or 9 each, 77mm generic no-name lens caps that I can use when I slap the 77mm filters on the Fuji lenses.

This keeps it simple and manageable for me.

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I use 77mm Singh-Ray

 

Interesting. When I tried my Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo on Fuji cameras, there was a dreaded X artifact (an X shaped shadow across the frame). I'm not kidding. So my lovely Singh-Ray is up for sale now.

 

 

I've been mulling over which filter system to get. Currently, I'm looking at Cokin and Lee kits and would like to hear your recommendations.

 

 

The farther away you get the first filter from the front element of a wideangle lens, the more you run the risk of "seeing" a reflection of the white lettering around that front element. If you're after long exposure landscapes, I'd recommend to stick with the fitted regular filters. No compendiums and no step-up rings.

 

One exception from this rule seems to be a 14mm prime: its front element is so small in comparison to the overall diameter that you'll run into reflections only around 3rd or 4th notch of your compendium. Oh, and you can stack a whole bunch of regular (MC, hopefully!) filters on it before you run into any trouble.

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I was near to buy a set from LEE a few times ... but finally never did yet.

When it comes to landscape fotografy and when gradient ND filter is required, i guess a set with a good holder e.g. from LEE is a must. But that's the only use case (imho).

 

Personally i have a bunch of ND Filters from B+W and polarising filters from Zeiss.

Since the diameters of my fujinons were increasing +/- with every new lense, i also have filters in different sizes: 52, 58 and 62mm  - i even have some with 49mm from my very first X100.

Good filters are f.....g expensive, and HOYA would have been good enough too. However, a few in my collections are from HOYA ... which i regret ... because i love the predictable constant colors when combining B+W ND with Zeiss Pol. (When mixing up with a HOYA, it is, for sure, predictable too ... but i prefer to have the same colors when doing a series of pics with different lenses.)

 

But, well, obviously i'm a filter geek :-)

If i would start buying filters NOW, i also would buy one for every domain and a few step-up rings. 

 

 

P.S. Never ever buy vario ND filter ... they do not work on the whole range on which they should.

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Thank you everyone for your thoughts and feedback. I totally forgot about the step up rings and I also didn't know about "seeing" the reflections of white lettering. Learn something new everyday here. Cheers!

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I have settled on a Lee type setup. The main advantage of this system over screw-on filters is that they are quickly and easily clipped on and off. I am into long exposure landscapes that make it necessary to compose and focus before installing the BigStopper. Light intrusion between the filter and the front element has, much to my surprise, not been a problem.

 

The added advantage using this setup is that I can also use it with my full frame Nikon gear.

 

One adaptor ring for each size of filter thread is all it takes to accommodate all my lenses.

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I also use the Lee system, 100mm, I have used screw on filters but on more than one occasion have almost dropped it, and removing the Lee is so fast, but the main advantage is quality, I fail to see the need to save on cheap filters when you have spent £1700 on camera and lens.

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I have greatly considered the Lee system, but I need to do some more research.  I am just unsure if I should invest in the 75, or the 100.  I don't own a lens that is too wide for the 75 at the moment, but that's only because I don't have any wide angles at the moment.  They are on my list though and they will be part of my kit, but I do find a need for some ND's now, and especially when I move to Georgia I will need some for sure.

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  • 2 weeks later...

AS I had NO filter system - I bought the Lee Seven5 filter system. It's not the cheapest, but then it is a well thought out system that is designed for the Compact Camera Systems such as the Fuji X.

 

The beauty of this system is - it is also as compact as the Fuji X kit... And of course - the design means that the filter is sealed on to the lens without letting any light from around the edges...

 

Thats just me personally...

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For ND grads I would use Lee Filters 100mm Foundation Kit holder. There is no better holder. The Cokin one I had fell to bits easily.

 

As far as the filters themselves go, Cokin = colour tint and Lee Filters = perfection, at a price. But there is another option. Hitech.

 

I've used these filters for some years now and they are a lot cheaper than Lee Filters but they have zero tint, even when stacked. Well worth considering!

 

I buy them from Teamworks, a very good company with excellent customer service etc,

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@ Trenton.

I have not noticed any artifacts with my Singh-Ray filters, but I have not used the duo, nor use SR ND filters. My SR filters are the Warming, Blue/yellow, and a regular polarizer.   I'm very careless with ND filter for some reason so I tend to stick to Tiffen, or BW which, if damaged, aren't as expensive in the larger size.  

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I saw this video a while back and was wondering about the Formatt-HiTech system ever since.

 

All he really talks about is the holder and how it attaches to the lens, but he makes a really good point..

 

https://youtu.be/tIsRkj0evQA

 

Good to know that they don't have any shift in color.

 

Interesting point that he's making, I've never experienced anything like that happening myself. I originally bought the Lee Filter holder when I had my Canon 5d mkii and used it with the 17-40L and tamron 28-75 f/2.8. And I used to really throw that thing around.

 

The HiTech one also looks really strong but you may need to remove one of the layers on the filter holder as It has quite a deep profile, it looks like it will cause vignetting with UWA lenses.

 

I stacked .6 & .9 Hitech grads on top of each over with no colour shift at all. Overall, they seem to offer a very good system!

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I'm using the Lee Seven5 system. I just watched the video but I don't think that the Seven5 holder is made out of plastic. As far I can see it it's made of aluminum. It looks almost impossible to remove the holder from the adapter without using brute force so I'm not worried that the holder will accidentally come loose.

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I have the Lee Seven5 system for my x100s and now x-T1.  I like the ease attaching it to the camera. One caution concerning the filter holder: the plastic filter clips are held to the holder by 4 tiny screws which go into a thin metal base with little depth. I found one screw loose in my camera bag and the small clip for the polarizer there too. Also, all four screw slots were all damaged. I was still able to replace the missing screw into its hole, including the polarizer clip, and then put lock tite on all four screws. Lee offered to replace my screws but failed to actually send them. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

I've noticed that the Lee Seven5 Polarizer gives a little vignettin when used together with the 18-135mm zoom lens at 18mm. When zooming in just a little bit towards 23mm it's gone. The 18-135 lens has a 67mm filter diameter. Maybe in future I wanted buy a wider lens so I was wondering which lens will not be affected by vignettin, the 10-24 mm zoom with a filter diameter of 72mm or the 14mm with a filter diameter of 58mm. My guess is that the 10-24 will give a lot vignettin in at least the ultra wide focal lengths due to the wider diameter. And that the 14m maybe don't give any vignettin at all? I'm I correct?

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  • 3 weeks later...

For ND grads I would use Lee Filters 100mm Foundation Kit holder. There is no better holder. The Cokin one I had fell to bits easily.

 

As far as the filters themselves go, Cokin = colour tint and Lee Filters = perfection, at a price. But there is another option. Hitech.

 

I've used these filters for some years now and they are a lot cheaper than Lee Filters but they have zero tint, even when stacked. Well worth considering!

 

I buy them from Teamworks, a very good company with excellent customer service etc,

 

Sorry, but I have to disagree. I used several Hitech filters (ND3.0, ND Grad 0.9, 0.6 and 0.3) for a long time and (at least mine) produce pretty heavy tints, especially when stacked. While the grads produce a magenta tint, the ND3 goes in the blue-green-ish direction. The combination is just a pain to correct in Lightroom and ruined more than a few shots.

 

I replaced my 3.0 with the one from Haida (see here) and I am seriously impressed. It has a slight tint, but I'd just call it "warm". It actually looks really pleasant. I haven't tried the Lee filters, so I can't comment on them, but at the moment, Haida seems to offer the most "bang" for your buck.

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Sorry, but I have to disagree. I used several Hitech filters (ND3.0, ND Grad 0.9, 0.6 and 0.3) for a long time and (at least mine) produce pretty heavy tints, especially when stacked. While the grads produce a magenta tint, the ND3 goes in the blue-green-ish direction. The combination is just a pain to correct in Lightroom and ruined more than a few shots.

 

I replaced my 3.0 with the one from Haida (see here) and I am seriously impressed. It has a slight tint, but I'd just call it "warm". It actually looks really pleasant. I haven't tried the Lee filters, so I can't comment on them, but at the moment, Haida seems to offer the most "bang" for your buck.

I can only speak from experience and that is, not once have I had to remove a colour cast from a landscape shot taken when using Hitech filters. That's not to say you haven't had a problem... duff set maybe?!?! I'm onto my third set now.... tend to mistreat them a little when out in the mountains unfortunately.

 

You'll see a few landscape shots here that I've taken while using Hitech filters. Both controlling sky and foreground in snow

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duff set maybe?!?!

 

Maybe. Also bought them from teamworks as far as I remember. I don't have any especially bad examples online (well, I do, but they are B&W edits for that reason), but here's one where I "abused" the effect to make the sky more dramatic. Definitely one of my worse images, but it serves as an example. Stacked the ND Grad 0.9 and 0.6 in a 45° angle.

 

dsc_0258.jpg?w=800&h=&crop=1

 

If I have some time on the weekend I'll shoot a direct comparison of the Haida and Hitech ND3.0.

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