Hitech and Lee filter holder adapter rings are not compatible!

[OKAROB]

I don't know why I thought that the Hitech and Lee adapter rings would be interchangeable. I read all of the reviews and watched the online videos and no one mentions that the adapter rings used to mount the filter holders to the lens are not compatible. While the rings do look kind-of similar they are not interchangeable. The Lee adapter rings and many of the knock-offs are made to fit into the holders 93mm mounting hole. The Hitech brand (specifically the HTAMH 100mmX100mm holder) adapter rings are made to fit a 90mm hole. So since I now have both a Lee and Hitech filter holders I need to purchase a second set of adapter rings.

One more word of caution, if you are mixing brands of 100mm or 4 inch filters you have to make sure that you have the necessary adapters (spacers) to handle the various thickness of filter material. The Tiffen 4" ND Grads filters I have are 4mm in thickness and the Lee's are 2mm in thickness. So make sure that you have the necessary adapters/spacers and screws to handle the various thickness of filter material.

FYI, I tend to favor the Hitech holder as I am less prone to knocking the holder off the lens as you can really tighten the screw down on the Hitech holder where as the Lee there is no such way to make it any tighter. You should still periodically check the screw is tight on the Hitech holder if you have the tendency to leave it on the lens while carrying the camera around.

Best regards,
Robert

[Ari]

You should also have a look on eBay for Haida filters.
They make holder kits of very good quality, two of which are compatible with the LEE filter system (100mm & 150mm).