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Chris Strobel
17-Mar-2012, 00:41
I'm in need of a grad ND solution (and a couple b&w filters) for my 8x10 camera, and am looking at the Lee shades with the built in filter slots.My biggest lens is a Nikkor-W 360mm f/5.6 (95mm filter thread size) and my widest lens is a G-Claron 240 f/9. Would the standard Lee slotted shade work, or do I need the wide one, or will neither work, or should I just get the Lee Foundation Kit holder and use my dark slide for a shade.Thanks in advance for your help!

Chris

Heroique
17-Mar-2012, 13:03
I’d opt for the WA hood to maximize room for movements for any lens, wide or not. The WA version is more expensive, but the wider your lens is – or the more complex your movements – the more you’ll appreciate the WA hood. :)

Lee hoods should have two rails on the back, so you can slide the hood onto the filter holder’s outermost slot. (The alternative way of attaching the hood is, of course, snapping it directly onto the adaptor ring, when you’re not using the filter holder.)

Chris Strobel
17-Mar-2012, 13:09
I’d opt for the WA hood to maximize room for movements for any lens, wide or not. The WA version is more expensive, but the wider your lens is – or the more complex your movements – the more you’ll appreciate the WA hood. :)

Lee hoods should have two rails on the back, so you can slide the hood onto the filter holder’s outermost slot. (The alternative way of attaching the hood is, of course, snapping it directly onto the adaptor ring, when you’re not using the filter holder.)

Thanks for the response! So I should buy regular Lee Foundation Kit holder and a seperate wide angle hood instead of the wide angle hood with the slots built in?

Chris

Heroique
17-Mar-2012, 13:44
That’s the option I chose – but getting the filter holder + WA hood (w/ slots) would provide a chance to use even more filters, should the occasion arise.

But personally, I’ve never had a shot that required more than my filter holder + WA hood (w/o slots).

However, the majority of my shots needing filtration require only one or two filters, and the WA hood (w/ slots) would have been a little more convenient than using the filter holder + my un-slotted WA hood.

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A quick note about rotating ND grads w/ the Lee system...

Having only the slotted hood means that the only way to rotate the grad is to rotate the hood. This can sometimes produce problems when you need the two movements to be independent of each other – that is, the hood can get in the way, even if its compendium design allows you to correct the problem to some degree.

When you have a filter holder + hood (attached to the holder’s outer-most slot), this potential problem remains – that is, if you rotate the filter holder, you necessarily rotate the hood. Of course, the good news about this set-up is the option of removing the hood if it gets in the way, and you’re unable to “shape” it to your satisfaction.

I think Lee actually makes an adaptor that allows you to rotate the filter holder independently of the hood. This would be nice when you have a grad in the holder that you’d like to rotate while keeping the hood stationary. (However, this means your set-up is getting quite complex – I’d say overly complex – and potentially distracting.)

vinny
17-Mar-2012, 14:24
I have the regular hood with 2 slots and use it on every lens I own from 65mm on 4x5 to 600 on 8x10, no vignetting on 8x10 with 210mm on up.

Chris Strobel
17-Mar-2012, 15:58
Thanks Heroique, very well explained, gives me some food for thought. Vinny on the 8x10, do your think your regular hood would be ok on a bigger plasmat like my 360mm f/5.6, its a 95mm filter thread size.

John Rodriguez
18-Mar-2012, 15:14
Another option - http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/150798-REG/Flare_Buster_FB98XL_Flare_Buster_Kit_Extra.html

Adrian Pybus
18-Mar-2012, 18:26
A warning: I got the filter holder with WA hood attached and found out it didn't fit my Technika as the hood hit the front of the camera on wide lenses.

Adrian