Intro to Lee (or others) cut filtration?

[The Joker]

I don't think anyone makes polyester grads so how you know that they affect the end result quality is a moot point. Especially since you never used a polyester or resin one.

[sperdynamite]

Most chrome stocks don't look 'real' either. If you want a 'real' looking photograph you're better off with digital capture. In fact B&W is wholly rooted in the surreal in and of itself! If I wanted real I'd just use my eyes and look at the landscape hah. As to whether the polyester filters degrade image quality I seriously doubt it, especially if you use them with a hood. The only time I've noticed a cheap filter is from flaring, and I intend to use the Lee Hood so problem solved.

[The Joker]

The only issue I have with the polyester filters is that are very easy to damage if care is not taken with them. They are much softer material than the resin filters. But providing you aren't one of those ham fisted people and take care of them, then no problem.

[The Joker]

and I believe that polyester filters are used in the ilford under the lens filters for black and white printing and everyone without fail says they DO NOT degrade image quality. And Lee have been selling polyester filters since the year dot and I've never seen any negative comments about them.

[The Joker]

cokin make some 100mm ND grad filters in glass which are much cheaper. But you would need to check that thickness is right for your holder/hood system.

[Drew Wiley]

Sounds like you're the one joking, Joker. I have a sizable set of Lee polyester filters which I use for mock-ups, tests, etc, but NEVER for high quality over-the-lens
imaging. So odds are, I have far more experience with these than you do, which is pretty much something I've figured out all along for fully apparent reasons.

[Ari]

I use Haida filters, in both 100mm and 150mm sizes, for ND and ND grad.
They're made of Schott glass and the holders are pretty solid.
Prices are pretty good and the line is extensive.

[Tim Stahl]

But bear in mind that if all your lenses have different filter thread sizes then you need a filter for each of them. So if you like to have yellow,orange and red filters for each of three lenses then you need 9 filters in total. Whereas with lee system (or other system) you only need one adpater ring for each lens and one filter of each colour which works on all lenses.

This is not the most efficient route to using threaded filters. Buy the largest filters you may need, then use step up rings to mate the smaller lenses. For example, you have three lenses with 77, 67, and 58mm front thread size. You would buy the color filters you need in 77mm, as well as 67 to 77 and 58 to 77 step up rings.

As an aside, using this system, you would also only need to buy a 77mm adapter to the square filter system.