Drop in filter systems? Cokin et al

Dani

[font=Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]other than the ability to use graduated NDs... what are the other benefits of a system like this compared to standard round screw on filters? How does the quality compare? Who makes the best system and best filters?

I'm not familiar enough with these to know the pro's and con's so if someone could fill me in it would be much appreciated!

TIA! [/font]

Andy

Dani wrote:

[font=Geneva, Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]other than the ability to use graduated NDs... what are the other benefits of a system like this compared to standard round screw on filters? How does the quality compare? Who makes the best system and best filters?

I'm not familiar enough with these to know the pro's and con's so if someone could fill me in it would be much appreciated!

TIA! [/font]

Allow Pathfinder (just underneath El Cap at Yosemite) to demonstrate an alternate use. They're quite handy! The big advantage is you are not locked into one thread size.

Dani

I guess one disadvantage is you can't use your lens hood

unless you hold the filter up to the hood like he's doing?

Andy

Dani wrote:

I guess one disadvantage is you can't use your lens hood

unless you hold the filter up to the hood like he's doing?

USAIR

They are kinka klunky to use but a nice system.
Flexable and price not too bad
Be careful with Cokin NDs they have color to them.
I use Hitech and Singh-Ray with the Cokin system (no color).

Fred

Dani

USAIR wrote:

They are kinka klunky to use but a nice system.
Flexable and price not too bad
Be careful with Cokin NDs they have color to them.
I use Hitech and Singh-Ray with the Cokin system (no color).

Fred

do you (and this pertains to everyone, not just Fred) use the Cokin system only or do you use traditional screw on filters as well??? IE the drop in system for graduated NDs only and screw on filters for everything else.

W.W. Webster

USAIR wrote:

Be careful with Cokin NDs they have color to them.

Fred

Doesn't the 'N' stand for 'neutral'? Do I understand you to be saying that Cokin's ND filters aren't neutral? Is that a widespread and accepted opinion?

devbobo

Dani,

I recently purchased a Lee holder system and some Singh-Ray ND Grads. The Lee holder turned up yesterday but not sure when the Singh-Ray filters will.

I can't see why you couldn't use both external and screw-on filters together as long as you were careful to watch for vignetting. The other problem is it may get fiddly if you need to keep swapping the screw-on filters.

Hope this helps,

David

USAIR

W.W. Webster wrote:

Fred

Doesn't the 'N' stand for 'neutral'? Do I understand you to be saying that Cokin's ND filters aren't neutral? Is that a widespread and accepted opinion?

Yes I do understand that's the reason I mentioned it.
But please correct me if I am wrong...I don't want to give out wrong info

I looked a while back and every Cokin "ND" had some sort of color
That color might be kinda cool but not neutral
I just gave a quick look in their catalog they have one gray color but thats still a color.

Fred

USAIR

Dani wrote:

do you (and this pertains to everyone, not just Fred) use the Cokin system only or do you use traditional screw on filters as well??? IE the drop in system for graduated NDs only and screw on filters for everything else.

I have used both at the same time but it doesn't work very well
I still use my screw on polarizer more then the one from Cokin
Although I haven't given the Cokin polarizer a chance really...I so used to the screw type.

Fred

Dani

USAIR wrote:

I have used both at the same time but it doesn't work very well
I still use my screw on polarizer more then the one from Cokin
Although I haven't given the Cokin polarizer a chance really...I so used to the screw type.

Fred

heh....

What I meant was not if you use them at the same time.... but say if you arn't needing to use the cokin specifically for say... graduated NDs... do you just take the entire system off and use screw on filters instead...

Has the inability to use a lens hood had any affect on your use either?

PS: thanks for answering all my questions

Art Scott

I have used both screw on and drop in and even tho my experience was with speciality filters (key holes, vignettes..etc), I prefer drop-in's, this stems from the fact that filters are expensive and since I still shoot some medium format, I did not want to have to purchase 2 or 3 of the same filter to work with each camera....also there are systems (or used to be) that had a hood of sorts (usually a large filter holder to hold opaque / translucent cards)that I used for my lens hood...as this was usually approx 5 inches square it never caused a vignette that i did not want......I still have a ton (over exaggeration intentional:D ) of still usuable spiratone drop in filters, purchased back in early 1980 or late 1979 and they are still good......but spiratone is gone unfortunately.

USAIR

Dani wrote:

heh....

What I meant was not if you use them at the same time.... but say if you arn't needing to use the cokin specifically for say... graduated NDs... do you just take the entire system off and use screw on filters instead...

Has the inability to use a lens hood had any affect on your use either?

PS: thanks for answering all my questions

Yes to the first question.

Second question for me no not really...
sometimes with the Cokin system on you might get some glare
and wished your hood was on but I use my hand to shade the lens.
I also have lots of photos of my hand in the shot too

Also in Andy's photo of Pathfinder...I do that a lot saves you from getting out the holder.

Fred

Dani

Thanks much Fred!

The cokin system is cheap enough... I might look into a used set with a couple of graduated NDs just to try it out

My last question is about use with wide angles... right now my widest lens is the 18-55 kit... but I'd like to pick up a 10-22 one day... I'm wondering how bad the vignetting would be if any??

USAIR wrote:

Yes to the first question.

Second question for me no not really...
sometimes with the Cokin system on you might get some glare
and wished your hood was on but I use my hand to shade the lens.
I also have lots of photos of my hand in the shot too

Also in Andy's photo of Pathfinder...I do that a lot saves you from getting out the holder.

Fred

Art Scott

Dani wrote:

Thanks much Fred!

The cokin system is cheap enough... I might look into a used set with a couple of graduated NDs just to try it out

My last question is about use with wide angles... right now my widest lens is the 18-55 kit... but I'd like to pick up a 10-22 one day... I'm wondering how bad the vignetting would be if any??

If you purchase a drop in system of filters you can purchase a set large enough to cover the widest lens you will ever use (as far as you know) and that one system will then cover all your long lens also.....
That is why I purchased my filers to fit my medium format cameras and then they doubled for my 35mm also which in turn will now triple for my digital......

USAIR

Dani wrote:

Thanks much Fred!

The cokin system is cheap enough... I might look into a used set with a couple of graduated NDs just to try it out

My last question is about use with wide angles... right now my widest lens is the 18-55 kit... but I'd like to pick up a 10-22 one day... I'm wondering how bad the vignetting would be if any??

In a word yes on the 10-22
From 10mm to about 14 or 15mm you will have vignetting...how bad well I can see it.
From 15mm to 22mm none.
By the way this is a fun lens to play with and don't forget the LensBaby also a blast.

Fred

Dani

Wich filter holder are you using? 'P' system, 'P' wide angle or modified 'P' (with front slots cut off) or x-pro?

USAIR wrote:

In a word yes on the 10-22
From 10mm to about 14 or 15mm you will have vignetting...how bad well I can see it.
From 15mm to 22mm none.
By the way this is a fun lens to play with and don't forget the LensBaby also a blast.

Fred

Stan

At 10mm the P is not wide enough

Sorry crap pic but it shows the mounts

Stan

USAIR

Dani wrote:

Wich filter holder are you using? 'P' system, 'P' wide angle or modified 'P' (with front slots cut off) or x-pro?

I am using the P system

Fred

DanielB

Dani wrote:

I guess one disadvantage is you can't use your lens hood

if you get the drop in holder it can kind of act like a hood though can't it?

Justiceiro

I like the drop in P system; P instead of A becuse I think its easier to avoid vignetting (although right now it isn't an issue as I don't have any superwides, but wgen I get them I don't want to pay to upgrade).

With graduated NDs I find the ability to shift the horizon very useful. You can't do that on screw-in filters, so unless the overexposed bit is in the middle of the shot, you're a bit screwed, aren't you (never used a screw-in graduated ND, but it stands to reason).

I don't bother with the color filters, cheaper to do that in PS or RAW conversion and sepnd money on more ND filters, or more lenses.

ian408

"P" style filter holder and a variety of ND filters.

But like Pathfinder, I tend to just hold the thing up to the lens sometimes.
I learned that trick from CatOne

Ian