Sliding in Lee Filters.....

[Tony Flora]

.... takes nerves of steel. My lee filter system is the foundation kit and the standard lens hood. Which means the lens hood is in the outermost slot and the filters in the two slots closest to the lens. The filter in the 1st slot has just a couple millimeters of clearance, is there a trick to it or just be careful?

[timparkin]

I've never thought about it and never scratched a filter.. I think they are stiff enough that you would have to push a lot to get them to bend onto the foundation kit surface.. They do break however (especially if attached to you camera when your tripod blows over in a rock strewn stream bed!)

Tim

[Eugene van der Merwe]

The filters do get scratched at the edges where they fit in the holder due to the tight fit, but that obviously presents no problem, since they're..um...in the holder. As far as the rearmost filter goes: just be careful seems to work fine for me, i just hope saying that doesn't jinx it.

[Tony Flora]

It's a fairly delicate operation in the comfort of my living room so I imagine in the field it will be even more so. I have noticed that I have a tendency to rush the setup when I am in the field. I'll try slowing it down.

[anchored]

The clearance is tight, however I've never incurred any problems with sliding in filters. And if the tension is too tight, all you have to do is loosen the little brass screws binding the parts together... the tension is fully adjustable using them.

Tim notes the filters can break if dropped on a rock strewn stream bed... I'll add the warning the filter system also will not float. While shooting on the banks of the Rogue River of Oregon last year, I accidently snagged the locking mechanism and the filter sytem dropped off and into the rapids... it sunk like a rock. If someone downstream from the Umquah area finds a Lee holder with attached 105mm round polarizer, warming filter, and 2-stop ND attached washed up on the river bank somewhere... it's mine!

[Tony Flora]

Glenn,
That was expensive!
Ouch!