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Thread: Lee Filters Lee100 System

  1. #1

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    Lee Filters Lee100 System

    I've decided to try out the Lee100 System, which Lee released in March 2019, with my Arca-Swiss F-line camera. Previously, I've used it mainly with a Blackmagic Cinema Camera. For both bulk and cost reasons, for video I prefer Lee100 to using a matte box. I also wanted to use Panavision/Lee IRND ProGlass neutral density filters, which are only available in a size that I can afford via the Lee Filters System. Finally, I wanted to be able to use graduated neutral density filters, which are a Lee strong suit.

    I plan to try Lee100 with my Arca-Swiss this weekend, and I'll post observations and photos in this thread. My Lee100 System consists of the following components:

    1. Lee Adapter Rings
      Each of my lens filter sizes (e.g. 49mm, 67mm) requires an "Adapter Ring". Analogous to a step-up ring, these connect lenses to the Lee100 Filter Holder. There are "Wide Angle Adapter Rings" and "Standard Adapter Rings". The Wide Angle Rings are required for lenses shorter than 24mm (35mm equivalent), but will work for any focal length. However, the Wide Angle Rings are more expensive than the Standard Rings, which work for lenses 24mm and up. Also, some thread sizes are only available as Standard Rings. The Lee100 Holder uses the same Adapter Rings as the holder it replaced.
    2. Lee100 Filter Holder
    3. Lee 100mm˛ filters
    4. Lee100 Lens Hood

    Lee also sells a round polariser for this system, but I use a 100mm˛ linear polariser.

    Los Angeles-based Panavision owns Lee, and I assume that it has a say in Lee pricing in North America. I suggest that anyone interested in Lee compare prices elsewhere and make purchases accordingly.

    Lee has several YouTube videos about the Lee100 System. However, I think that this 2015 Joe Cornish video, which predates the Lee100 Holder and Lee100 Hood, is the best overview of how the Lee Filters system works. I think that the 2019 Lee100 Holder improves on the old one. Also, there is only one Lee100 Hood option, and it works differently from its predecessors.


    LEE Filters - 100mm System Overview with Joe Cornish (2015)

    Last edited by r.e.; 10-Nov-2021 at 17:17.

  2. #2

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    This Lee/David Noton video is one of the Lee videos that shows how the new Lee100 System works. Note that the Hood, unlike the old hoods, does not have a filter holder built in. Rather, it attaches to the Lee100 Holder. The Hood can also be rotated independently of a filter in the Holder, useful if one is using graduated neutral density filters and essential with a square linear polariser. The PDF attachment below is a one-page tear sheet about the Hood.


    LEE Filters - LEE100 Hood - with David Noton




    Lee100 Hood Tear Sheet

    Lee_filters_lens_hood_LEE100_Hood_Specs_a4235.pdf

  3. #3

    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    I have the older Lee system and have difficulty fitting some of my thicker filters. I have a large number of glass Tiffen filters which came with a Cine camera that I would like to use with the Lee system, but they are too thick to fit. Do you know if the new Lee 100 system accommodate these?

  4. #4

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    Quote Originally Posted by Jason Greenberg Motamedi View Post
    I have the older Lee system and have difficulty fitting some of my thicker filters. I have a large number of glass Tiffen filters which came with a Cine camera that I would like to use with the Lee system, but they are too thick to fit. Do you know if the new Lee 100 system accommodate these?
    I work on the assumption that a filter designed for use with a matte box will be thicker than one for a Lee Holder and probably won't fit, but I have not tested this assumption with a Lee100 Holder.

    For me, one of the main attractions of the Lee System was that I could use Lee/Panavision ProGlass IRND filters. These filters, introduced in 2017, are made by Lee and marketed by both Lee and Panavision. As you can see in the links below, the Lee versions are 2mm thick and the Panavision versions, made for use with a matte box, are larger and are 4mm thick.

    Lee ProGlass IRND for Lee100 4"x4" and LeeSW150 6"x6" Holders

    Lee/Panavision ProGlass IRND for 4"x5.65" & 6.6"x6.6" Matte Boxes

    The Lee100 Holder 4"x4" versions aren't cheap, but they are far less expensive than the Panavision Ciné versions, which I imagine are mostly owned by rental houses. In use, the Lee100 versions are also a lot more compact. I know that a fairly well-known cinematographer chose to shoot parts of a feature film last summer using a Lee100 Holder, rather than a matte box, with these IRND filters. The Holder simplified his camera rig and reduced weight and bulk.

    It isn't directly relevant, but for me one of the attractions of these filters, in addition to their quality and neutrality, is that they address an infrared issue (hence IRND) that exists with many ciné camera digital sensors.

    This is a brief News Shooter video about the IRND ProGlass filters from a cinematography perspective:

    Lee filters show ProGlass Cine range of neutral-density filters at BSC Expo (2017)

    Last edited by r.e.; 10-Nov-2021 at 14:37.

  5. #5

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    In this Lee Filters video, Mark Bauer demonstrates using the ProGlass IRND filters for still photography:

    LEE Filters ProGlass IRND with Mark Bauer (2017)


  6. #6

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    As part of this weekend's exercise, I intend to assess the performance of the Lee100 System with normal to long lenses, but I'm particularly interested in finding out how it does with these two wide angle lenses:

    75mm Rodenstock Grandagon-N f/4.5
    90mm Rodenstock Grandagon MC f/6.8

    I'm not anticipating a problem with normal and longer lenses. The issue with the wide angle lenses is vignetting, especially when the Lee100 Hood is added. How much Hood extension can I use?

    Both of these wide angle lenses take 67mm filters. The basic configuration is:

    Lens > Lee 67mm Wide Angle Adapter Ring > Lee100 Holder > Lee100 Hood

    These lenses also both take Rodenstock's E67/86 ND 0.45 Center Filter. This centre filter has a 67mm rear thread and an 86mm front thread. The centre filter configuration is:

    Lens > Centre Filter > 86mm Standard Adapter Ring > Lee100 Holder > Lee100 Hood (an 86mm Wide Angle Adapter Ring doesn't exist)
    Last edited by r.e.; 10-Nov-2021 at 20:20.

  7. #7

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    I used the original Lee for a long time.
    Always with the largest adapter ring (95mm) and a set of regular step-up rings from 49mm up to 95mm (cost, space and weight saving solution)
    It was pretty unusable on WA lenses with a Polarizer stacked in between the lens and holder. Both the largest adapter ring and the holder were too thick and caused horrible vignetting.
    No hood.
    Recently I switched onto NiSi V6 holder with 95mm adapter ring and love it . Kept all my Lee 100mm filters , they have a more snug fit into NiSi holder but still work great. The built quality of NiSi ring and holder are very good (much better than original Lee) and no more vignetting even with polarizer in between the lens and holder.

  8. #8

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    This is the system that I've been using. I didn't realize that it's introduction was a recent as 2017.

    I can't remember them all, but I did a couple of customizations on mine. Being able to the brass screws makes that possible. It was interesting to see the demonstration using both a graduated nd together with the round polarizer.

    I have adapters for all my lenses. But, I typically use this system with my 8x10 with 250mm f6.7, 300mm Fuji (inside lettering), 450mm Q, and 610mm Repro Claron lenses.

  9. #9

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    The Lee100 system is quite old. They have upgraded the holder, but the other components are the same. The Hood it's new too. I use it with all my lenses. I use the wide angle hood even without filters

  10. #10

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    Re: Lee Filters Lee100 System

    Quote Originally Posted by SergeyT View Post
    I used the original Lee for a long time.
    Always with the largest adapter ring (95mm) and a set of regular step-up rings from 49mm up to 95mm (cost, space and weight saving solution)
    It was pretty unusable on WA lenses with a Polarizer stacked in between the lens and holder. Both the largest adapter ring and the holder were too thick and caused horrible vignetting.
    No hood...
    Thanks, interesting post because of the way that you apparently set up your filters:

    Lens > Screw-in Filter (e.g. Polariser, UV Filter) > Step-up Ring to 95mm Thread > Lee 95mm Standard Adapter Ring (there isn't a 95mm Wide Angle Ring) > Previous "Lee Foundation Holder" > Lee 100mm˛ Filter(s)

    I've discussed this approach with U.K. dealer Robert White. White is located about 50 miles from Lee and is very familiar with the Lee System. It says that some people who keep a UV filter on their lenses leave it in place between the lens and the Lee Adapter Ring and Holder. White says that this makes vignetting more likely. If one is going to do this, White suggests removing all but one of the filter slots on the Holder. It also pointed out that if the screw-in filter is a polariser, as you were apparently doing, the rotation of the polariser should be set before adding the Holder.

    We did not talk about doing this with both a screw-in filter and a step-up ring between the lens and the Adapter Ring and Holder.

    When I do my tests this weekend, I might try using a screw-in filter, but I'll use a B+W XS-Pro filter. The rims on that line of B+W filters are particularly thin in order to reduce the likelihood of vignetting, in particular with wide angle lenses.
    Last edited by r.e.; 11-Nov-2021 at 08:22.

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