BW filters for the cokin P system? Cokin filters ok? Alterantives available?

[l2oBiN]

I am looking into purchasing some BW filters for the cokin P system. I was thinking of these

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/307161-REG/Cokin_CH220_H220_Black_and_White.html

Can anyone confirm if they are good? Should I be looking for alternatives? Are there alternatives? If so which should I be looking into?

[jeroldharter]

Those should be fine. They are plastic though, not glass, so they scratch easier.

Also, make sure you verify the largest diameter adapter ring available for that system. The largest I saw on the web page was 58mm which is too small for large format. Cokin has different sized systems. I would get whatever the largest is. I prefer regular filters to the Lee (expensive) or Cokin (inexpensive) rectangular filters. However, it is a nuisance when I get a lens that is larger than my filters because I don't want to buy expensive, duplicate filters for individual lenses.

[Paul Bujak]

Cokin P adapters are available up to at least 82mm.

[jeroldharter]

I also looked up the "Z" series but the information relative to the P series is not so good. They cost quite a bit more than the P series. Anybody use the Cokin Z system? Anybody recommend the Z series over the P series?

[Lachlan 717]

X-Pro for me as I use Schneider's (massive) centre filters on my wide angles.

With hindsight, the original P-Series filters I bought were the wrong size. Too small.

Keep in mind that your future lens purchases may require bigger filters. Maybe not the X-Pro series, but definitely consider the Z-series (or Lee system).

[mrladewig]

I use the Cokin P series filters as well as some Hitech 85mm filters. Hitech are a good alternative to Cokin comparably priced. Lee and Singh-Ray are more expensive options and all are resin filters. Cokin P series supports up to an 82mm diameter lens. If you need to go larger, the 100mm Cokin Z-Pro and Lee systems are the next step followed by the enormous 135 width Cokin X-Pro.

[Policar]

Just a heads up: while the p series works up to 82mm, it will vignette with certain lenses. Even my 24mm Nikkor vignettes with it and it has 52mm threads. Just be careful with your wide angle lenses.

Also: the hi-tech filters are not infrared neutral, the lee ones may be, and the singh-ray ones are for 3-stop and higher densities only or by special order. Usually not an issue but with some films it might be.

Virtually all these filters are uncoated plastic. So long as you keep them clean and relatively scratch free, the worst they'll likely do is reduce your contrast just a tiny bit.

[Lachlan 717]

You also need to watch using grads in the P Series. They offer very slight rise/fall placement with WA lenses…

The Lee system (and several others) overcomes this by offering 4"x6" grads, giving much greater rise/fall placement.

[jeroldharter]

Good advice. Thanks.

[mrladewig]

There are two wide angle options for the P series on wide angle lenses. One is to buy the single slot wide holder, but the better option is to buy an extra P series holder and trim it down to one or two slots. I've been able to shoot with the Canon 17-40L on 35mm and the 10-22 on APS-C without vignetting using the single slot wide holders. Both lenses have 77mm thread diameters.

[Ivan J. Eberle]

Tiffen makes an XL grad that is glass, and fits the P system, too. ~$150 (Alas, mine broke.)

Biggest problems with the P system are that the adapter rings are soft aluminum and the larger sizes are prone to bending (which makes them hard to install and can lead to cross threading), and that the frame holders only work with wide angles without vignetting if cut down to hold just one filter. The relatively expensive glass Cokin polarizer is a bit difficult to turn, as well (also tends to vignette with my smaller format 77mm threaded wide-angles).

Relatively inexpensive though if you don't buy a bunch of Singh Ray or Lee resin filters. The special effects ones are a waste of money if you're scanning and tweaking digitally. The point of a filter nowadays for me is to keep the contrast (Subject Brightness Range) within bounds of the DR of the film-- and that's it.

Now that I'm using C41 neg film for high-contrast stuff, I've blown off everything but the polarizers. Dedicated polarizers like B+W are much nicer than the Cokin one, and more neutral.

Oops... I misread. Thought the original poster was looking at using B+W filters, not filters for black & white films. Some of the above yet applies.

[l2oBiN]

I feel that the best option might indeed be the Lee system. But how much bigger are lee filters? Also how much more heavier are they? Do they break easier?

[mrladewig]

The cokin P series are 85mm width and are from 85mm tall for solid filters to about 100-115mm tall for the GNDs.

The lee and Cokin X series are 100mm wide. I believe the Lee GNDs are 150mm tall, but I'm not sure of the height of the X series GNDs. The solid filters are 100mmX100mm.

I can't speak for breakage on either. I've never broken one, but they all do scratch pretty easily. The weight of the P series are inconsequential. I carry 6 in a kit and I'd be surprised if they weighed 1/2 pound with the holder.