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Filters for medium format system.

steflaurent974

Active member
hello, I am actually shooting landscape with two systems :

-hasselblad V with 180mm , 80mm, 50mm lenses and SWC
-ALPA with schneider kreuznach 24mmXL and 47mm XL apo digitar.
both with a Phase One P25+ back.

I would like to buy ND filters wich will fit the two systems.
One of my concern is the possibility to fit a system in front of the Schneider Kreuznach center filter for the 24mmXL.

I have heard about LEE, Cokin.
So my questions : wich is the best value filters system ? What would be your choice between the different stoppers ND6 ND1O ? and the graded nd filters ? hard ? soft .3 .6.9 ?

I am shooting mainly seascapes, but also mountains...If I could afford all of them ...but unfortunately it's not an option.
So any advices would be welcome.

Stephane.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
What is the outer threaded diameter of your 24 Schneider CF

I can think of two options, both of which I use.

1. The Lee system, wide angle hood, various wide angle or standard rings to mount the hood. I use 1 filter slot on the hood, which can take a 4 x 4 or 4 x 6. On the front of the hood, I use a 105mm adapter ring which can take a 105mm filter, here I mount a ND or CL-PL. Lee just started shipping a 105mm thin CL-PL which is 1/2 the thickness of the B+W I was using. In the filter slot I use anywhere from a ND 3 to ND 1.8 single filter.

2. The vario Schneider ND, which goes from 0.3 to around a 11 stops. This is a great filter, very clean and uses excellent glass. Most vario ND's at full will create an X on your subject, and Schneider made this one a bit stronger, so you can back off to remove the X. This is threaded to 77mm and with step up rings will fit your 47 XL for sure, not sure about your Schneider 24 or the Hasselblad glass, but if they are 77mm or less, it will work. The outer diameter of the filter is like 86mm, to help prevent Vignetting. You could put a CL-PL in front of the filter, but it might be a bit hard to get off as you won't have a lot of height to grip the CL-PL.

I use the Vario ND for Live View focusing on my IQ260 and thus have it with my kit in the field. When I don't need CL-PL to cut glare on water, I lead with it also.

Paul
 

PSon

Active member
To follow up on Paul's comment. You can get the bayonet 60 (Hasselblad 38mm Biogon, 60mm, 80mm, 100mm, 120mm, 135mm, 150mm F4, 180mm, 250mm F5.6) to 77mm filter thread ring. You can also get the Bayonet 70 (Hasselblad 50mm CFi, 110mm F2, 150mm F2.8, 250mm F4) to 77mm thread ring to put the Schneider variable ND filter on. The one lens that will not have this option is the 40mm which you don't have sink don't need to address here.

BTW: I always enjoy your Seascape photos.
 

Dogs857

New member
I am going through testing on this at the moment.

The front filter thread of the 24xl centre filter is 72mm. I have used a step up ring to a 77mm WA Lee filter ring. I did a test shot yesterday with 2ND filters in place and it vignettes quite badly.

I want to test this further with just the ring, then with one filter. I have a feeling it is the ring that is causing the issues. I'm not too sure if the step up ring is contributing so I have a dedicated 72mm WA ring on the way.

Stay tuned for further updates.

As for filters I use a lot of hitech ND's and rate them quite highly. I have 1,2,3,4,5 stop as well as a 10 stop filter to give me as much flexibility as possible. They fit my Lee system and are a quality product.

My Grad ND's are lee in 1,2,3 stops soft and hard edge.
 

Dogs857

New member
OK did some more testing today.

A Lee 77mm WA filter ring with the 72mm-77mm step up ring vignettes badly on the SK24XL.
I am waiting on the 72mm WA to see how that one goes.
 

steflaurent974

Active member
Thanks Paul, the 24XL has a thread diameter of 52mm but it uses a huge center filter wich brings the diameter to 72mm .
Thanks Son I take note of the needed rings for the blad.
Jeff thank you for sharing your experiences with the Lee system and the 24XL wich seems to be quiet of a problem.
 

Shashin

Well-known member
Are you converting your images to B&W or keeping them color? If color, then IR contamination is something you want to consider--WB will not remove it, simply mask it, but not its effects on the final color. For B&W, the IR contamination can work in your favor.

If working in color, I would look at the newer Tiffin and Hoya series ND filters that control IR more.
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
hello, I am actually shooting landscape with two systems :

-hasselblad V with 180mm , 80mm, 50mm lenses and SWC
-ALPA with schneider kreuznach 24mmXL and 47mm XL apo digitar.
both with a Phase One P25+ back.

I would like to buy ND filters wich will fit the two systems.
One of my concern is the possibility to fit a system in front of the Schneider Kreuznach center filter for the 24mmXL.

I have heard about LEE, Cokin.
So my questions : wich is the best value filters system ? What would be your choice between the different stoppers ND6 ND1O ? and the graded nd filters ? hard ? soft .3 .6.9 ?

I am shooting mainly seascapes, but also mountains...If I could afford all of them ...but unfortunately it's not an option.
So any advices would be welcome.

Stephane.
As you are an ALPA and a HASSELBLAD V-SYSTEM shooter , same here ,
have you ever thought of using the HASSELBLAD proshade ?
The PROSHADE takes square filters of 100x100 mm and you can use the same filters in LEE filter holders or the new LENSINGHOUSE filter system .
No screw in filters required anymore .

LEE ND filters give you a blue cast , which is hard to get rid off with LCC shots .
Thats why I tried other filters and found HAIDA a good choice .
They also have 100x100 mm filters and also 100x150 mm .
 

steflaurent974

Active member
Jurgen , I have never heard about the Haida system. After a brief internet review, this system seems very attractive : it's cheaper than LEE and less prone to t blue cast.
I will give it a try.
thanks
 

Lars

Active member
This is slightly off-topic... I have one holder in a box somewhere (Cokin X 5x7" I think) that attaches with rubber straps around a wide angle lens to hold the rectangular filter flush with the front of the lens. I used it for a while on a 150XL (95 mm front thread, 105 mm with CF).

The Cokin X system was just too big and heavy to use in the field, so I got Lee holders and Hitech filters instead. Two of my Lee holders clamp to the outside of the lens.

LEE Filters 115mm System Push-On Filter Holder - Specialist Photographic Suppliers

LEE Filters 100mm System Push-On Filter Holder - Specialist Photographic Suppliers

These are for lenses/filters with 95 or 115 mm outside diameter which might not fit your 24XL, but perhaps there is something similar out there for a smaller lens - not sure what the physical specs are for the 24XL.

Now - back to your original question, what is the best value system? In terms of cost, I think the order is Cokin, Hitech, Lee. They are all optically excellent - I've used all three brands on 8x10. As I understand it, filter quality such as flatness comes more into play when used with long teles.
 

Paul2660

Well-known member
Jurgen , I have never heard about the Haida system. After a brief internet review, this system seems very attractive : it's cheaper than LEE and less prone to t blue cast.
I will give it a try.
thanks
You won't be disappointed, after reading the results of others on this forum, I ordered a 1.8 and 0.9 in the 4 x 4 solid from Haida. The filters are excellent, no cast and easily fit in the Lee slots. I actually had no trouble getting them to stay in place without an adapter. The ship in a good case and should last a long time with use in the field.

Paul
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
You won't be disappointed, after reading the results of others on this forum, I ordered a 1.8 and 0.9 in the 4 x 4 solid from Haida. The filters are excellent, no cast and easily fit in the Lee slots. I actually had no trouble getting them to stay in place without an adapter. The ship in a good case and should last a long time with use in the field.

Paul
:thumbs: I can only agree .
 

steflaurent974

Active member
thanks Lars and Paul.
I am waiting for the 100mm HAIDA system with a 10 stop ND and a 0.9 graduated filter for a try, with the 52 an 72mm adapter rings.
 

Chris Valites

New member
CI has just started carrying two new filter lineups, in the Vü and Heliopan lineups. Vu especially has an interesting option in its Sion lineup: VU > Our Filters > Vü Sion filters

I haven't tried them yet personally, but the moment I get my hands on them they're going into the field with me.

Definitely something to keep your eyes on.
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Who or what company is behind vü sion ? ? ?
I coud not find an impressum on their homepage .
 

rga

Member
Anyone have any experience with the new HiTech Firecrest filters? Especially interested in the 3.0ND.
Thanks,
Bob
 

jotloob

Subscriber Member
Vü Filters - a division of MAC Group
75 Virginia Rd
N. White Plains, NY 10603

Yes Darr , I have seen that . Thanks for the hint .
But , MAC Group seems to be a marketing group .
I would like to know , who makes the filters rather than who sells the filters .

Heliopan for example , they make their filters .
They have two smaller plants near Munich . I have been there .
 

Dogs857

New member
Just got my 72mmWA adaptor today (yes it takes that long for things to get here).

It still vignettes on the 24XL but only just, I think it will be usable.

 

Chris Valites

New member
Who or what company is behind vü sion ? ? ?
I coud not find an impressum on their homepage .
They're actually owned entirely by The MAC Group. Manufacturing facilities in China, and having just got off the phone with our rep, he tells me that the glass is something he has recommended to a few photographers he keeps close tabs on who were running into the same LEE filter cast issues.

Vu itself is just a step under Heliopan itself. When I said that I was kind of bummed because Heliopan doesn't have a 100x150 or 100x100 cut option, our rep says that if you want it, they'll make it custom. So that remains an option as well.
 
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