I agree. You might as well look for a needle in a haystack. It's in there!Originally Posted by Drew Wiley
I agree. You might as well look for a needle in a haystack. It's in there!
Since I use 67 mm filters (with adapters as necessary) for large format, I keep the set in a filter wallet. Very handy.
In fact, my occasionally used Kodak Wide Field 135mm and 203 Ektar lenses both have adapters in place.
If I change out the lenses I happen to be carrying for the day I don't have to be concerned with filter sizes.
That must be one helluva a telephoto. My 300's for the Pentax 6X7 need only 82mm; and that's a setup that needs even more solid support than my 8x10. Longer than that, and P67 "cannon barrel" tele lenses are either engineered for rear filters or have built-in ones on a rotating disc.
The big filter liquidator across town here (filterfind.net), not far from the shoreline where I plan to do a little rainy day shooting as the storms arrives this afternoon, doesn't have a single glass 95mm b&w contrast filter left in stock, just color photog ones. But he does have an awful lot of square filters and adapters appropriate to b&w photography at very reasonable pricing.
My own strategy to not only to have multiple sets in respective sizes (plus step rings) is not only related to lighter, less bulky carrying convenience, but also allows me to have different equipment kits already set up to go, appropriate to format. Saves me time out the door, not to mention reducing risk of forgetting something. I did the same thing with remodeling gear when traveling back and forth across the state - different kits for different projects, each fully equipped. Simply didn't have time to sort out a bunch of stuff each time. And I've been kinda absent-minded my whole life, so there's that too ...
There is the early P67 55/3.5 which takes a very rare 100mm front filter (not sure it that one has a clip for rear filters.). The later 55’s are much more reasonable.
The later 55's took 77mm as I recall. I sold my 55/4 - it had a lot of illumination falloff, and now prefer the 75/4.5 as my only wide for the system - which is also nice because it shares the same 82mm filter thread as my 300EDIF; and I often carry them together.
Wow. That's quite a collection. I used the P67 system only briefly a couple or years in my late 20's, then loaned it all to my brother until his death. He had an eyesight problem due to a heart condition, and found the Pentax more compatible in that respect than his Rollei 6X6 SLR's. Then I used only LF gear exclusively until I was around 55. Now I'm multi-format; but other than my original 105/2.4 lens, all my P67 lenses are of more recent derivation. Sometimes just for wildlife fun, I use a Nikon adapter on my 300EDIF to give it a super-tele application. But I rarely print anything 35mm, so the Nikon adapter only gets sporadic use. I keep parallel P67 kits with the older 300 Takumar and beater lenses available for road travel if I intend to leave the system behind in the truck while out backpacking with LF gear instead. That way it won't seem like the world ending if someone breaks in and gets to it. Cheap to replace. But it's been so darn windy around here for months on end, that finding good days for LF shooting has been less frequent than normal - the whole climate seems screwed up.
Filter choice is much identical to camera, lens, tripod and all that "Gear".. there is only what is better suited or the better tool for a given need.
The 100mm aka 4" square about 2mm thick filter system has been around for decades via Hi-Tech, Sinar and many others. Today there are Lee, Haida, Nisi, Tiffen, Schneider and a very long list of 100mm square filter system suppliers. Been using 100mm square filters since the 80's with nil-issues. Back then they were most common in plastic, they hold up surprisingly good. All the Color Correction Color temperature conversion, Warming and such for film are in this system as they can be fitted to the majority of lenses used. 100mm square filters also fit the Sinar shutter's built in filter holder. This is the primary filter system.
The 100mm square filter holders are often integrated to used with a compendium lens shade, not different than "mat boxes" extremely common with the cinema and serious video folks. They have the identical filter and stay light challenges as still image folks.
Series IV Tiffen filters are the next set which is often used for 82mm to 67mm including Hasselblad B70, B60 and B50 (Hasselblad long gone, still have the adapters) as adapters are easy to procure and were made for decades. These are primarily B&W contrast filters, polarizer and ND.
58mm thread on set is used for small 35mm and digital lenses as needed and for portability. Easy enough to fit a series IV or 100mm square adapter to a 58mm and smaller lens, portability and ease of use suffers. These are near identical to the series IV set. primarily B&W contrast filters, polarizer and ND.
Step up & Step down rings for series IV and 58mm threaded allows mix and match as needed.
All above can be adapted to a Sinar filter holder allowing filters to be used across lens-camera systems. Again, Sinar shutter has a built in holder for 100mm square filters add to filter versatility and adaptability.
The "big" small format and digital lenses (Canon) have drop in filter holders that use industry standard 52mm threaded or smaller. Canon big "white" telephotos have built in front lens protectors and they are designed in to their optical system to optimize overall optical performance.
It all comes down to what specific filters are needed, how they are to be used, what lens they are to be fitted to and again, what the image goals are.
Bernice
There are lots of 95mm UV/Protective filters for under $25, but for typical large format filters, like O2, K2, 25A, you are lucky if you find one for $75. On the other hand, in 77mm they are easy to find well under $25.
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