cokin p-series filters

[ving]

anyone got opinions on these? they seem so damn cheap.... are they any good/useful?

[mercho]

I have 3 Coking ND Grads (ND2, ND4, ND8) and a straight ND 8...

I find all of the grads on their own are perfect, even stacking 2 usually is still ok, however i find that if I stack 3 and some times 2 I get the magenta cast..

I have also found that under most conditions the ND8 has a magenta cast even when its not stacked..

Besides the cast (which isn't too hard to get rid of) they are good, but they cast does become annoying!!

[bigdazzler]

I have a set as well .. and rarely (given my preferred genres) use them. I use the NDs and the GNDs sometimes and get ok results. They get very dirty, and scratch real easy though.

[ving]

i have only ever used screw-in typ filters, there slide in ones easy to use?

showing my eternal newbie-ness here...

[bigdazzler]

I dont even use the adapter rings, or the holder ... I hold the filter in front of the lens.

I find with the grad filters, if the front element on your lens, to which the adapter ring and holder are attached, moves when AFing, it buggers up your horizon. Easier to just hold it I reckon

[ving]

does that ssume that the front element moves when focusing?

[bigdazzler]

yep ... Its ok if the element doesnt move. The system works pretty well overall. The holders fit snugly onto the rings, and the filters fit good inside the holder. Theres about 4 or 5 slots so you can stack filters if you choose. Theres an UW holder available as well to use for anything wider than about 14mm I think it is from memory. The standard holder pops up in the frame with UWAs, and vignetting occurs.

[mikew09]

I dont even use the adapter rings, or the holder ... I hold the filter in front of the lens.

I find with the grad filters, if the front element on your lens, to which the adapter ring and holder are attached, moves when AFing, it buggers up your horizon. Easier to just hold it I reckon

Mate, your not the first one I have read just holds them - so how steady do you have to hold them as early morning sunrise may need a little longer shutter time?

Do I really need to buy a holder then - I don't ahve an ultra wide as yet.

[bigdazzler]

mike I find even with longish shutter times, as long as you dont bump the actual lens it works fine. I usually just rest them up against the rim of the lens gently before I fire and hold the filter at the corners with my thumb and index finger.

Admittedly though Im not much of a landscaper, the hardcore scapers out there may scoff at my dodgy methods

[ving]

do you think they do a better job than the screw in type filters?

[arthurking83]

...

Admittedly though Im not much of a landscaper, the hardcore scapers out there may scoff at my dodgy methods

like me?

no way! you sound like me. If I scoff at your methods, imagine how hard it'd be to scoff at my own methods!?
(I have some seriously deranged bad habits, and holding grads in front of a lens at 1/3s is definitely one of them..

So.. nope! I'm not scoffing

[bigdazzler]

do you think they do a better job than the screw in type filters?

Ive never used screw in type NDs or GNDs Ving .. the only screw in filters I have are polarisers.

I suppose the obvious advantage to the square type slip in filters is eliminating the need to buy $$$ filters for every diameter of every lens. Imagine buying ND2,4,8 and GND 2,4,8 etc for 67, 72, 77, 82 etc etc. lenses ... would get pretty $$$$ pretty quickly.

If youre gonna stick with screw type, Id grab a 2 stop ND4 and a 3-stop GND8 for the diameter of your widest lens ..

The square filters can be on any size lens, any time.

AK ... good to hear Im not the only dodgy brother out there .. Lucky for me I dont require filters much, so thats my justification for the corner cutting

[arthurking83]

....

AK ... good to hear Im not the only dodgy brother out there .. Lucky for me I dont require filters much, so thats my justification for the corner cutting

LOL! you can safely bet your last dollar that I'm one to cut corners too.. literally!
fingers in the corner of images, filters off the corners of images.. etc.

I never thought that this would ever happen to me, but one time on an exposed hill, on a breeeeeezy day, the grad flew out of my hand(fingers) and off into the sunset.. about 20 -30 meters down a steep hill side.. well, it was steep for my dodgy knee anyhow! and to compound the problem it was in tall dry grass. The tall dry grass actually saved me from a quick trip down and made it easier to find the grad resting about half way into the grasses.

handholding has it's dangers too!

[bigdazzler]

funny you say that ... I dropped one too once. Over the fence and down the hill at the Byron Bay lighthouse. Goneski forever that one.

[mikew09]

Team, that is very interesting. So maybe I try some GND filter first and then see how I go just holding them, the filters themselves arent that expensive.

[stixstudios]

Thanks for this info, I've been looking into GND's for a while but have been put off by the fact that the front element of my 28mm lens rotates when focusing. PITA.

So I guess there's no harm in just biting the bullet and purchasing one, then use the 'hand held' method... barring any accidents as discribed above

Which nd strength is the most common for sunset/seascapes etc.?

Steve.

[mikew09]

Thanks for this info, I've been looking into GND's for a while but have been put off by the fact that the front element of my 28mm lens rotates when focusing. PITA.

So I guess there's no harm in just biting the bullet and purchasing one, then use the 'hand held' method... barring any accidents as discribed above

Which nd strength is the most common for sunset/seascapes etc.?

Steve.

I am with Steve, intereted also.

[bigdazzler]

Which nd strength is the most common for sunset/seascapes etc.?

Steve.

mate if I had to carry one filter only, it would be a 3 stop, soft edge, GND8.

[stixstudios]

Ok, I've just been doing some research on the Cokin P-Series which is what I'm looking at and within my budget.

Apparently you can adjust the holder for lenses with a rotating element:

Autofocus :
Remove the nipple at the base of the filter-holder for free rotation with autofocus lenses. You merely need to hold the filter-holder horizontal with just two fingers.

There is more info here:
http://www.cokin.com/ico15-D.html

I've got some prices: around $27 for the holder and $52 for a GradND.

Now after reading that info I'm going to get the holder anyway. soonish.

[EDIT]

Just saw your post Dazzler - Many Thanks. On the site that I'm looking at they have the Graduated Grey G2 (Soft ND8) is that the one? It's a bit confusing.

Steve

[RebelT2]

I too am looking at buying the Cokin Series P (NEW) Landscape Kit 1 Set with Holder but am ausure what size they come in, my lens takes 58mm screw in filters does any one know if they will fit or need to buy adaptor rings?