Lee 81 series

[Casey]

Does anyone out there have any experience with the Lee Resin 81 series filters? I'd like to know your thoughts, both pro and con. Also, any experience using them in conjunction with a polarizer or GND?

Also, what Lee resin filters are you all using as 'equivalents' for what are otherwise known as UV and skylight filters?

I know that to properly answer my own questions I will need to know a lot more about light temperature and mired value, so I'll do my research AND await your answers! Thanks!

Thanks much,
Casey

[Brian Ellis]

I used Lee filters for several years but I have no idea whether they were Series 81 or not. The 4" x 4" Lee polarizer I owned wasn't easy to use. The Lee hood that holds the filters bumped into the bed of my Linhof Technika when you tried to rotate it. That was no problem with most filters because you don't have to rotate most filters. But it made the polarizer difficult to use with larger lenses that didn't extend beyond the front of the camera bed, such as my 210 Apo Symmar and my 90mm Super Angulon. With smaller lenses, such as my 150mm G Claron, or with long lenses that extended beyond the front of the bed such as my Nikon 300m it was fine.

[ADG]

Hi Casey

I use Lee 81B as well as Cokin 81A , 81B & 81C all with a Hoya Polariser and Lee 0.3, 0.6 & 0.9 hard grads on 90, 150 & 210mm lenses on 4x5.
I don't notice any color shift problems with the above, and am happy with the Cokin 81 series although I have used and rejected Cokin ND grads years ago.
My Lee filters are cut to fit the Cokin P series holder as I also have a camera bed in the way.
As I have two 81b's I am considering cutting one in half (or 2/3) so I can correct the colour of the land and leave the sky unaffected as I don't like brown clouds (simply sliding the 81b lower does not work for me as the bed is in the way.
There, I have given away my secret project !

[Steve Lewis]

Casey

I have used the Lee 81 series filters (all of them) with Lee's GND's and polarisers for many years with no problems. I did find he 4x4 square polariser awkward to use though, and changed it for a 105 dia polariser, which screws into an adaptor ring. This had nothing to do with the filters per se; just my clumsiness! HTH

Steve

www.landscapesofwales.co.uk

[Eric Leppanen]

I use Lee 81B, 81D and 81EF warming filters; Lee 0.6 and 0.8 ND grads; and Lee 4x4" linear polarizer. These filters have all worked fine together without any problems. There is no perfect solution for combining a polarizer, ND grad and hood with the Lee system. The square polarizer I use is compatible with the Lee hood, but does not work with the ND grads since the entire filter holder must be rotated to properly orient the polarizer. The 105mm circular polarizer attachment Steve uses enables the polarizer to work with ND grads, but it is incompatible with the Lee hood and vignettes wide-angle lenses. You'll have to pick the configuration that least impacts your particular working style.

[Daniel Geiger]

Have similar experiences with the Lee 81 series, screw in Pol, and ND grads. I got both ND grads series, the hard and the soft edge. So far I only used the hard edge, so you may save a few bucks by just getting that one. The hood issue with polarizer is a bit annoying, so I occasionally shade the lens with the ND grey card. Not perfect, but better than nothing.

[Steve Lewis]

Eric

Re the 4x4 polariser, I used the Lee holder that allowed this to be rotated independently of any other filters, so using it with GND's was not a problem. It did, however, cause vignetting with my 65mm lens, which is one of the reasons I changed it for the 105 dia one. I don't get any vignetting with lenses as wide as 65mm using the 105 dia polariser.

Steve

www.landscapesofwales.co.uk

[Casey]

Thanks for your guys' responses. I'm going to be purchasing the Lee system from Robert White, and have one more question, but let me give you some background info first: I shoot velvia in the Desert Southwest US, primarily in SoCal and Arizona (though occassionally backpacking into the mountains). I'm going to opt for the 105mm polarizer with adaptor ring for the lee system, but am unsure as to whether or not I would prefer to purchase a B+W warm tone kr1.5 polarizer, or a standard linear polarizer from lee or B+W. I read an article by Joe Englander in which he compared many polarizers, determining that the B+W warm polarizer was the most neutral. However, I'm not sure whether he was referring to a KR1.5, 81A, or 81B warm polarizer. I'm assuming the KR1.5.

I'd like to know what recommendations you all have. Thanks!

[Steve Lewis]

Casey

I prefer to add any warmth myself, not have it added by default everytime I use the polariser. There are times when I use the polariser to cool an image down. IMHO, the standard polariser gives you more options.

Steve

www.landscapesofwales.co.uk

[Eric Leppanen]

I agree with Steve: get a standard polarizer and add a warming filter as required. You can easily achieve overly warm results with a warming polarizer during the "golden hour" (one hour after sunrise or before sunset) if you're not careful.

For shooting in the southwestern U.S., Jack Dykinga recommends a basic filter kit of standard polarizer, warming polarizer, 81B, and Tiffen 812 (a slight warming filter with a magenta cast and UV absorption, good for shooting in the shade at the bottom of desert canyons). I think you can skip the warming polarizer (I rarely use mine anymore) and still have a really nice setup for the Southwest. For some more perspectives check out these threads:

www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0095w1

www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=006GzF

www.2filter.com/prices/products/Warming1.html