Need Some Advice/Help re: Cokin Filter System

**bobwysiwyg** · 14-Jul-2010, 15:20

I'm fairly new (still

) to LF in 4x5. I started with a single lens, a Symmar-S 5.6 150mm. At some point I purchased a Cokin filter holder P series with a 58mm adapter and a yellow/orange filter.

Since then, I have acquired a;

Symmar-S 5.6/210
Caltar-S II 5.6/135
Super-Angulon 8/90

I would like to expand the filter system, but I'm not sure that I can do it with the P Series as my 210 lens appears to have a 77mm filter thread and this seems to exceed the P Series limit as any 'insert' would be paper thin. Should I be moving to the Z-Pro series?

Also, I'm not great at reading small metal rulers and none of my lenses seem to have a filter size marked on them. Can anyone with these lenses verify the filter sizes for me?

According to my measuring, the above lenses have the following filter sizes;

210 - 77mm
135 - 49mm
90 - 67mm

Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

**Eric Rose** · 14-Jul-2010, 15:35

I have the P series and just hold the filter infront of any large lenses I don't have adapters for. Works for me.

**Maris Rusis** · 14-Jul-2010, 16:04

The Cokin P system goes all the way up to 82mm. The 77mm lens adapter is the one I use the most on my view camera lenses as well as the Mamiya RB67 lenses which have a standard 77mm filter thread.

**Lachlan 717** · 14-Jul-2010, 16:25

Same as Maris with 77mm.

However, I tend not to use the filter holder; instead, I Blu-Tac the filters in place. Saves on both cost and space for the holders/rings.

One note on this: make sure you have a thin layer of Blu-Tac between the filter and the lens thread to avoid scratching.

**bobwysiwyg** · 14-Jul-2010, 17:09

Thanks for all the alternatives. I guess it's not as though the filter needs to be in place all the time anyway, just at the moment you're tripping the shutter. If it's single filter, I suppose fingers would do.

**Lachlan 717** · 14-Jul-2010, 17:57

Originally Posted by bobwysiwyg

Thanks for all the alternatives. I guess it's not as though the filter needs to be in place all the time anyway, just at the moment you're tripping the shutter. If it's single filter, I suppose fingers would do.

Just watch camera shake if you're using long exposure and you touch the camera with the filter.

If you intend not to touch the camera with the filter, watch out for reflections/flaring.

These two things are what started me on the whole Blu-Tac thing...

**bobwysiwyg** · 14-Jul-2010, 18:14

Thanks again, I thought about long exposures right after hitting submit. For example ND filters. I confess liking moving water shots.

**Richard Wheat** · 14-Jul-2010, 18:47

Once I added a center filter to my 90mm (86mm thread) I changed to the Z-Pro range.

**Lachlan 717** · 14-Jul-2010, 20:10

Originally Posted by Richard Wheat

Once I added a center filter to my 90mm (86mm thread) I changed to the Z-Pro range.

Richard,

Is your 90mm f8 or f5.6? What brand CF?

I had to go to X-Pro with the f5.6 Schneider CF… Luckily the 72mm with CF is even bigger. I don'f feel that I've wasted $$