filters for large lenses?

[Jon Paul]

I am starting in 8x10 and have a large lense or two, the largest being my Rodenstock apo sironar-S 360mm. The filter size is 112mm. I like to use split ND grads to even out color exposures. I would alos like to use filters for black & white landscapes.
A) Is there a filter system that will fit the larger lenses for the split grads (rectangular)?
B) Which filters for black & white? Red definitely. Others? SHould they fit the rectangular system (if there is one)?
C) polarizer choices in this size? Adapter for smaller lenses?

Thanks!
Jon

[vinny]

Lee is the best I've seen/used. Much smoother use and better constructed than the cokin p system I have. I'm not sure if they make a ring large enough for your needs though. Cokin makes an z-pro filter holder/filters that are large enough for sure.

[Clive Gray]

In production there is the Cokin X pro system
(http://www.cokin.co.uk/pages/cokinX.htm) which claims to have adapter rings available up to 112mm

Not many fans of Cokin though.

Lee are doing some superwide holder (http://www.leefilters.com/camera/products/finder/ref:C4BA0B2B8A73D1/) that may develop into a useable system.


Secondhand choices are better especially if you own a Sinar, they used to make (or rather had made for them) a range of 125mm or 5" filters and accessories the filters were made by Formatt who also separately marketed a system the filters are interchangeable in the holders but the adapter rings are not between the series.

A whole range of filters was available including a polarizer, personally I find the Sinar filter holder more versatile as you can stack them together attatch them directly to a Sinar standard or onto a belows support clip and use them on one of the Sinar rods.

If you have a look at pages 52-58 of the Sinar System catalog from 2001 (http://www.image2output.com/user_resources/TextFiles/pdfs/Sinar_System_Catalogue.pdf) you get an idea of what was available.

They come up from time to time secondhand not necessarily all that cheap but sometimes you can get lucky, Hitech seems to have had a wider range of the filters than Sinar for instance I have combination grads from them 81Ef in with graduated ND.

I was lucky enough last year to get a 125 filter box with 29 filters (mostly grads) and several holders for £90.

Although Formatt no longer market this size filter as I understand things they can still custom manafacture them if people have the need and presumably suitably deep pockets ... I would imagine the list price of these filters used to be scary.

[Pete Roody]

I use the Cokin X-Pro system and it works fine. The filters are reasonably priced also. They make ND grads, polarizers and b&w filters (yellow, orange and red). B&H carries them. The filters are 130mm x 170mm.

[Eric Leppanen]

If you are really, truly committed to such large lenses then Cokin X-Pro is the only way to go. It is a complete system (filter holder, hood, adapter rings, round polarizer, many rectangular filters), and if you are patient you can pick up many components at considerable savings on the used market (Samy's used to periodically auction off new X-pro filters at considerable price reductions on Ebay).

Cokin makes red, orange and yellow/green filters for the X-Pro system, and Lee makes ND grads (http://www.robertwhite.co.uk/product.asp?P_ID=2244&PT_ID=715). Don't use Cokin ND grad filters, they are inferior in quality to Lee! Also, I believe Joanna Carter has been able to custom order a variety of Formatt filters (also very good quality) for her X-Pro system; you might want to contact her for more information on this.

[Lachlan 717]

Singh-Ray will customise sizes (including X-Pro) ND Grads up to +4 stops.

[Bob Salomon]

Heliopan makes 112mm filters and hoods.

[Tim Povlick]

This thread talks of a holder for 6.6" filters.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=42318

Beautiful unit but very expensive.

_ .. --
Tim

[vinny]

This thread talks of a holder for 6.6" filters.

http://www.largeformatphotography.info/forum/showthread.php?t=42318

Beautiful unit but very expensive.

_ .. --
Tim

those weigh far too much to use on a view camera anyways. I've used smaller clip on matte boxes too but they're $$ as well. There are much, much cheaper, and smaller matte boxes but none for 6x6 filters.

[Tim Povlick]

Hi Vinny!

I agree they are heavy and expensive (mainly expensive) but so cool looking. It's a nice setup and for something like the Schneider 210-XL one needs very big filters. I checked one of the matte boxes and it weighs 5#. My Canham 8x10 would laugh at that and say is that all you got? For heavy stuff lenses in wind I use a monopod between the tripod and front standard. Pretty solid, lot's of support. Be that as it may, this outfit is not so practical for the landscape photographer unless he/she wants to make a Hollywood production of it.

Take Care and Best Regards,

Tim