Lee Filters: what's taking so long?

[lenser]

Terrific video and like mdm, I'm completely impressed with both the people and the process. Too bad I've had a full compliment of Cokins for years (very pleased) or I'd want to go with the Lee's just to support these folks.

[John Kasaian]

Hand made filters? Dee-lightful!
It goes with my hand made 'dorff, my hand made Ries,and my hand made Goerz--a true digital kit! Only my kit encorporates ten digits, not just 1's and 0's. That makes it better,right?

[Frank Bunnik]

I ordered a 1 stop hard grad from Robert White in November, that was in stock. However, I also ordered a 2 stop hard grad and that arrived in late january. The big stopper (10 stops ND filter) I ordered in November arrived last february. Lee in the UK also has a backorder but there are regular updates regarding this on the Robert White site.

All the best, Frank
www.frankbunnik.zenfolio.com

[John Koehrer]

In the video it was mentioned the larger sheets gives them four filters. When the lady is dying them it's a full sheet later cut into quarters.

I imagine the cost of automatic equipment would take them several years production to amortize.
Initial concept, design, prototyping, actual manufacture and proofing/testing/installing and debugging isn't done overnight and I suspect that by the time they're done building the machine, they've cut their workforce in half

[Diane Maher]

My suggestions would be:

- Try contacting Lee Filters USA directly at (800) 576-5055 to find out what is going on (they are located in Los Angeles). John Adler used to be the customer support/filter guru there; I haven't spoken to him in a number of years, but if he is still there he is a good guy and very knowledgeable.
- Check with Robert White in the UK to see if they have filters in stock. Prices are similar to the US and if you ship via the post or Parcel Force you won't have to pay international courier brokerage fees.
- Pay more and buy a filter holder on Ebay and new filters from Singh Ray. Singh Ray builds filters to order. Their web site says to allow ten business days before shipment, but I got my 4x6" neutral density grads considerably faster than that.

As for manufacturing methods, still photography filters are still a niche business. Certain filter types (ND grads, etc.) are still alive and well, but others (color correction filters, etc.) have gone away due to digital capture. If increased demand is permanent then the filter manufacturers will at some point expand or improve their processes to increase output.

John Adler is still there. I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago and ordered a soft focus set and a resin Orange 21 filter from him over the phone. He has also helped me get some of the harder to get ND filters and ND grad filters.

[Jack Dahlgren]

Wow. No need for automation, but some plain old-fashioned jigs would do the trick. Holding the sheet up by hand to test the hardness on the 4 corners could be made a whole lot more accurate and speedy with just a simple turntable. All that marking could be done with a large stamp. A simple rack to hold the grad filters while being dipped...

So many opportunities to do it faster and better.

[Eric James]

Wow. No need for automation, but some plain old-fashioned jigs would do the trick. Holding the sheet up by hand to test the hardness on the 4 corners could be made a whole lot more accurate and speedy with just a simple turntable. All that marking could be done with a large stamp. A simple rack to hold the grad filters while being dipped...

So many opportunities to do it faster and better.

It's a good idea and it wouldn't take much to implement. I imagine a holding jig would also let them dip more than one sheet at a time.