Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

[atnixon]

Hi Folks,

Going to be ordering my EOS 6D + 24-105 lens on Friday, but I also want to order a new filter system for my landscape work. I'm thinking of ordering the following filter system..

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00E9N90M...I1RNVXZ9CWY10V ( Lee Filters 100mm Foundation Kit )

+ the 77mm adapter ring and some new filters. Not got any experience with Lee filter kits so can anyone please give advice on whether this is the right product to buy? One of the main things I do want is a big stopper, which will fit the above foundation kit I believe?


Any feedback or suggestions is greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Andrew

[jimsphotography]

Re: Lee Filters - 100mm Foundation Kit

Hi Andrew,
A good choice. Remember to ask for the wide angle version (WA) of the adapter ring - it has a lower profile and won't cause vignetting at 24mm. If the filter holder has three slots you may wish to consider reducing it to just two - once again that is less likely to cause vignetting at 24mm.
If you eventually ever decide to go for circular polarising filter please ask for help again as the Lee version ( plus loads of others) are rubbish at wide angles and you would be better to go for a Heliopan which works very well with the Lee CPL holder and Lee filters.
He this helps
Enjoy !
James

[atnixon]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

Hi James,

Thanks for your response, I appreciate it. Yes, I noticed that they do the WA version of this, which is what I would be going for. The filter holder comes in kit form so I presume its up to me if I add on the extra slots for additional filters?

Do you have a link to the Heliopan CPL your on about James?

Many thanks

Andrew

[mikep]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

Hi Andrew

I don't yet use filters, but looked at getting them recently and came to the same conclusion you did - Lee filters. The set you've picked out is a good start point, but if you think you may need 2 filters independently rotated, you could also look at the Lee Professional Kit - it allows you to join to holders together. I think you can 'upgrade' the kit you list by just buying the joining ring and an additional holder later.

It sounds like you've done your research, so good luck, and have fun with ALL your purchases!

Mike

[atnixon]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

Hi Andrew

I don't yet use filters, but looked at getting them recently and came to the same conclusion you did - Lee filters. The set you've picked out is a good start point, but if you think you may need 2 filters independently rotated, you could also look at the Lee Professional Kit

It sounds like you've done your research, so good luck, and have fun with ALL your purchases!

Mike

Hi Mike, thanks for your feedback...

I've been using them for a while on my 1100D, but the filter kit I brought back then wont be big enough as the filter holder opening is a fraction smaller than 77mm, very tiny difference, but I feel it would be enough to ruin my photographs so I wont take that chance and prefer to start off on the right foot this time. I'll have a look at the pro kit version in a min and see if I'll gain anything from using that, up and above the foundation kit.

Yeah, been looking into a lot since I set my mind on upgrading to a 6D, a whole raft of new kit needed like filters, new tripod ( old one is driving me nuts ), Intervalometer etc etc..

[mikep]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

Yeah, been looking into a lot since I set my mind on upgrading to a 6D, a whole raft of new kit needed like filters, new tripod, Intervalometer etc etc..

I know what you mean!
I work for myself, and had a pretty good year last year, so I gave myself a bonus (BTW, I'm not a banker!).

I've been looking at possibly 5d mkIII, 17-40 L, set of Lee filters (grads and stopper), new tripod (my old cheap one fell apart in the Lake District a month back!)....
...however - my wife's been looking at new kitchens!

I wonder who will win? (We ALL know the answer, but I'm dragging it out as long as I can!).

Mike

[atnixon]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

..hmmmm...Wife looking at kitchens sounds very ominous....ha ha ha...good luck with draggin it out mate !!

[jimsphotography]

Re: Lee Filters - 100mm Foundation Kit

The Heliopan slim CPL is sold by a dealer on eBay - just google it to get a link.
The Lee system works very well up to 24mm wide (on FF body) - even works very well at 21mm ( I use a 21mm Zeiss Distagon lens) - any wider and you will start to loose the edges due to the holder becoming visible.
Nearly all the daylight landscape shots on my 500px site are shot using the Lee system - see link below.
Ok?
James

[atnixon]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

Thanks James. Would a different type of filter adapter / holder be required to attach the CPL to the lee filter kit? Or would it just screw on to the adapter ring? Sorry to sound thick here...

[SamFisher]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

I've got a set of LEE Soft ND Grads but rarely use them.
I prefer to blend 2 exposures - 1 exposed for the sky and 1 for the foreground

Mike

[DrJon]

Re: Lee Filters - Foundation 100mm Foundation Kit

The Lee stuff is good, but the price adds up quickly so worth making sure it's a road you want to go down...
For example I have:
Starter kit @ £149 (Mar 2012)
(includes an assembled filter holder, a 0.6 ND Grad Hard, a cleaning cloth, and a Coral 3 grad with an extended coloured portion that can be used as both a graduate and an all over warm up)
Soft grad kit @ £111 (Mar 2012)
(0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 soft grads - was a very good price)
58mm, 72mm and 77mm Wide-angle adapter rings @ £35 each (standard ones are cheaper)
Big Stopper IIRC about £147

[jimsphotography]

Re: Lee Filters - 100mm Foundation Kit

Hi Andrew,
You can get an adapter kit to fit the CPL on - its a special 105mm circular screw ring - most important of all - it fits on the outside with the filter slots on the inside - this arrangement stops colour fringing appearing due to stress in the filters ( remember how you can see stress marks in car windscreens if you wear polarising glasses) - this would occur if the CPL is closest to the lens and the filters on the outside - the Lee arrangement reverses this and so prevents that problem occurring.
I know it's more expense but I personally find it more convenient to have one Lee adapter filter ring with a CPL permanently attached and a separate Lee adapter ring for filters without a CPL. This is more weight, and more expense but if you are a filter addict it makes sense. If you go for ND grads as a starter I would suggest you start off with a hard edged 2 stop one and the a high density ND solid or even the little stopper, finally the big stopper is immense fun to play with.
Ok?
James

[atnixon]

Re: Lee Filters - 100mm Foundation Kit

The Lee stuff is good, but the price adds up quickly so worth making sure it's a road you want to go down...
For example I have:
Starter kit @ £149 (Mar 2012)
(includes an assembled filter holder, a 0.6 ND Grad Hard, a cleaning cloth, and a Coral 3 grad with an extended coloured portion that can be used as both a graduate and an all over warm up)
Soft grad kit @ £111 (Mar 2012)
(0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 soft grads - was a very good price)
58mm, 72mm and 77mm Wide-angle adapter rings @ £35 each (standard ones are cheaper)
Big Stopper IIRC about £147

Well, what I don't want to do is buy cheap kit and regret it, to be honest. If it means spending that bit extra and getting a filter system that will provide me a good service, then i'm willing to spend the cash on it..

Hi Andrew,
You can get an adapter kit to fit the CPL on - its a special 105mm circular screw ring - most important of all - it fits on the outside with the filter slots on the inside - this arrangement stops colour fringing appearing due to stress in the filters ( remember how you can see stress marks in car windscreens if you wear polarising glasses) - this would occur if the CPL is closest to the lens and the filters on the outside - the Lee arrangement reverses this and so prevents that problem occurring.
I know it's more expense but I personally find it more convenient to have one Lee adapter filter ring with a CPL permanently attached and a separate Lee adapter ring for filters without a CPL. This is more weight, and more expense but if you are a filter addict it makes sense. If you go for ND grads as a starter I would suggest you start off with a hard edged 2 stop one and the a high density ND solid or even the little stopper, finally the big stopper is immense fun to play with.
Ok?
James

Many thanks for getting back to me. Ok, I understand. More things to concider !!!