Lee Resin vs Cokin Z-PRO organic glass filters?

[kev curry]

Hi all,
can anyone advise on the smartest investment for my hard earned cash......... Lee Resin or Cokin Z-PRO organic glass filters? Just wonder if anyone has had any direct experience with the two systems........ is there any objective differences in image quality between them both?
many thanks in advance
kev

[Capocheny]

Hi Kev,

Traditionally, I've always used individual, screw-on filters as opposed to the types that you're referring to.

However, I'm about to give the Lindahl filter system a try and, of course, like the Lee and Cokin systems, it also has slots for accepting the 4"x4" filters. I'll most likely try out the resin filters as opposed to the glass ones.

So, don't pass on the Lindahl system in your quest. Take a look at their website:

http://www.photo-control.com/lindahl_products.asp

Cheers

[kev curry]

Thanks for the advice Capocheny will check that out...
kind regards
kev

[roteague]

I would go with the Lee System. I've had both the Cokin P system and the Lee system and I much prefer the Lee, it is of much higher quality.

However, the Cokin Z-PRO looks like a new system, one that I'm not familiar with. From what I see on Cokin's web site, their Z-PRO look like copies of the Lee holder.

[Brian K]

Hi all,
can anyone advise on the smartest investment for my hard earned cash......... Lee Resin or Cokin Z-PRO organic glass filters? Just wonder if anyone has had any direct experience with the two systems........ is there any objective differences in image quality between them both?
many thanks in advance
kev

Kev be aware that if you shoot often with longish focal length lenses and telephotos that resin or plastic filters will degrade sharpness considerably. I'm not sure of the optical science behind this, it may be a plano parallel issue, but it is the case. If you are mostly a wide angle or normal lens shooter it's not a problem. I use glass,B+W, filters exclusively and have adapters on my lenses so that one filter size, 67mm, fits everything.

[naturephoto1]

Hi Kev,

If you are going to be using smaller lenses (fliter size of 82mm or smaller), you may wish to consider the Cokin P holder and the Lee or Singh Ray filters in the Cokin P size. The Lee filters in the Cokin P size are the same quality as the larger Lee filters, but they are smaller, lighter, and less expensive than the larger Lee size (Lee will also special order any of their filters if they are not standardly available in the Cokin P size).

I have opted for the most part for the Cokin P holder (though I have the Lee system and a smaller selection of filters) for my lenses up to 77mm filter thread. My filters are mostly Singh-Ray which are more expensive than the Lee filters in the same size. However, Singh-Ray makes Lighter Brighter Circular Warm Polarizing filters (and other Polarizing Filters) (Polarizing filters are glass) that fit into the rotating rear slot for the the Cokin P holder. The Singh-Ray Warm Polarizer, Singh-Ray Lighter Brighter Enhancing Filter (glass), Singh-Ray A-13 Warming Filter, and all of the Lee and Singh-Ray ND and Color Graduated filters can be used with the Cokin P Holder on all of my lenses with 40.5mm, 43mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 60mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, and 77mm filter threads with the appropriate Cokin P adapters and step up rings (for the 40.5 to 49mm and 43mm to 49mm) for my Leica 35mm SLR, Mamiya 7II, and my 4 X 5 (Linhof Technikardan 45S and Toho Shimo FC 45X) camera systems.

Rich

[naturephoto1]

Kev be aware that if you shoot often with longish focal length lenses and telephotos that resin or plastic filters will degrade sharpness considerably. I'm not sure of the optical science behind this, it may be a plano parallel issue, but it is the case. If you are mostly a wide angle or normal lens shooter it's not a problem. I use glass,B+W, filters exclusively and have adapters on my lenses so that one filter size, 67mm, fits everything.

Hi Brian,

I am not sure if you are correct regarding the high Quality Resin Filters made by Lee, Singh-Ray, and Formatt (HiTech) for longer focal length and telephoto lenses. These filters are of very high quality and very flat. I will differ to others with more experience because I normally use these filters with wide angle and normal to short telephoto lenses. Previously, I had used Heliopan Glass rectangular Graduated ND filters with my lenses with no problem.

Rich

[roteague]

I use glass,B+W, filters exclusively and have adapters on my lenses so that one filter size, 67mm, fits everything.

Going with glass B+W filters is a great idea. However there are certain filters that you just can't get in glass - nor would you want to - like split neutral density filters.

[kev curry]

That just great guys thanks for the time you've all taken to help me out!
cheers
kev