Good All around Filter system...

[John O'Connell]

You could probably get away with Cokin P for a Crown Graphic and a DSLR, as long as you don’t use any odd lenses.

The big disadvantage of the Cokin P system is that it isn’t big enough for a lot of lenses. But if you stick with lenses which can mount the adaptors, it isn’t that bad. Good ND grads are available for it, and the Cokin filters are very cheap if they’re suitable for your purposes. Furthermore, if I remember correctly, hacking off the outer slots eliminates vignetting up to 90 degrees of coverage.

Big filter sizes are, of course, your worst enemy with Cokin P, because it won’t physically mount on a good number of lenses. But unless you plan on buying lenses that require massive filters—some modern wide angles, long plasmats, and big teles—it won’t be a big issue.

Personally, I’m currently with Ole, and use the Lee gel snap. Cheap, effective, adaptable. But pretty much the same filter size limitations as the Cokin P. Now that I use a lens with a 95mm filter regularly, I’m scared of vignetting, so I’m going to have to switch, and am not looking forward to the change between using a $20 holder and a $200 holder.

[gevalia]

I use the Cokin P system. Actually, just the holder. My polarizer and all ND grads are all Singh Ray and fit the holder. I bought the holder for mt Nikon DSLR but it works on my Mamiya 645 MF as well as my Chamonix and Speed Graphics. Same holder, same filters, all 3 camera formats. I use step-up rings on my LF lenses to bring them up to a Cokin ring size and that works well. There is a max WA with the P-System so you will need to look at that.

I agree with another poster that the Cokin filters are garbage. Opt for Singh Ray or Lee or HiTech's that fit the P-System and you'll be golden. The Hitech B&W (red, yellow-green, orange) filters are great.

[Joanna Carter]

The big disadvantage of the Cokin P system is that it isn’t big enough for a lot of lenses.

Are you sure you're not thinking of the Cokin A series? Cokin P takes 100mm filters just like Lee and Formatt/HiTech.

Having said that, Although I have Lee holders and Formatt/HiTech filters, I have just purchased a Cokin X-Pro holder and am going to have to get a polariser and a few other filters from Formatt in 130mm to fit it. It seems like a lot of money but not half as much as throwing a Lee push-on holder and a polariser into a waterfall every now and then But then what can I expect if I will buy hunks of glass like the Schneider 72mm Super Angulon XL

Now that I use a lens with a 95mm filter regularly, I’m scared of vignetting, so I’m going to have to switch, and am not looking forward to the change between using a $20 holder and a $200 holder.

Huh?? A Cokin X-Pro holder is only $65.95 and an adapter is $82.49 from B&H. So, not quite $200 but, what price perfection?

[Aender Brepsom]

Sorry, Joanna, but the Cokin P takes filters that are 84mm wide. The Cokin Z takes 100mm filters while the Cokin X takes 130mm filters. Cokin A is only 67mm.

[Joanna Carter]

Sorry, Joanna, but the Cokin P takes filters that are 84mm wide. The Cokin Z takes 100mm filters while the Cokin X takes 130mm filters. Cokin A is only 67mm.

My apologies, you are right, too many suffixes to remember

[zack kl]

Hi,
I'm new to 4x5 and am in the midst of buying and researching. So after a couple of hours on various filter web sites...
I decided - I
think-on going 4x4 glass (black and white) Tiffens filters are $135-145, Lees are $90, Hi Techs are $46 but only 1.5mm thick- all the others are 2mm-, but adapters are sold ( or just some tape), Cokin Z pro's are $44.
Polarizers: from Tiffen, Formatt,and Lee are around $150-$160. Cavision is $55 but 4mm thick.
The Lee Filter Foundation Kit is $75 and it advertised as being adaptable to 4mm thickness which from my understanding would allow it then to hold 1 filter at 4mm, 1 maybe 2 filters at 2mm or less and one gel. The Cokin Z pro holder is $60 but I,m unclear on how many filters it can hold at once.
For each of the filter holders you have to get an adapter ring -$30 to $60 each-for each size lens which the holder then attaches to .

Those gels are starting to sound good moneywise. But how do you use a polarizer with them??
Also has anyone experience with the Cavision polarizer?
thanks, Zack

[John O'Connell]

Huh?? A Cokin X-Pro holder is only $65.95 and an adapter is $82.49 from B&H. So, not quite $200 but, what price perfection?

I almost pulled the trigger on an X-Pro system about a year ago. X-Pro is probably an excellent choice for many purposes. It is pretty cheap compared to Lee. However, it has no hood and it is limited to Cokin filters.

The hood is kind of a problem for me. You can get Lee hoods that fit other Cokin holders, but not the X-Pro (as far as I can tell). As someone who does macro work, I like a shaded lens.

The filters are also a hassle for me. Cokin makes exactly 5 B&W filters for the X-Pro system. Not including a blue filter (does the 80D work as OK as one? who knows?), and with no indication that you can get tri-color filters if you want them. Plus, I like gels. I was never comfortable with the idea of 2mm “optical resin” filters—gels are traditional, gels have been rigorously tested in darkroom environments and found not to present optical problems, and I can get oddball gels if I feel the need. (I know gels have issues, too, but I choose to ignore that.)

[Joanna Carter]

I almost pulled the trigger on an X-Pro system about a year ago. X-Pro is probably an excellent choice for many purposes. It is pretty cheap compared to Lee. However, it has no hood and it is limited to Cokin filters.

Not necessarily, Formatt/Hitech will make filters to fit, on request.

[trink408]

Thanks for all the posts!!

I'm almost more confused than before, I will have to take a minute to soak all this information in...

So many seem to think Lee is a better choice than Cokin?

Either way plan to buy different higher quality filters, not Cokin or Lee?

I will have to compare some prices onlin and see where I get.

Thanks again,
Kevin

[Joanna Carter]

So many seem to think Lee is a better choice than Cokin?

Certainly, the Lee filter holder system is far and above the best but, only as long as you don't need to use them on really big lenses

Either way plan to buy different higher quality filters, not Cokin or Lee?

I seems to be a common opinion that Cokin NDs are not as neutral as they could be. OTOH, Lee grads are wonderfully neutral, they just cost a lot

Which is why I choose Hitech filters because they represent, at least here in the UK, the best "bang for buck", I don't know as much about other makes.