Wine Country Filter Holder Kit - Reviews/Info and Avaialbility

[drunkenspyder]

It’s up on their site now. 800.00.

Gets you the holder CL-PL 2 holders 1 for 150x150 and one for a ND and an adapter ring.

Seems a bit steep but there it is. Assume Lee or Nisi filters will fit.

http://www.winecountry.camera/shop/150mm-filter-holder-system

Paul C

Yes, I think that's been there for a little while, and I only know because I placed my order several days ago for the Master plus several additional adapters and holders. Ouch. It is a bit steep, but then, I expect the development costs were not inconsequential.

I asked Rod about the possibility of an adapter for the Canon TS-17mm, and he replied that it's in prototyping, and should be available for ordering within a few days. Up until now, the only thing I found that could work with the Canon 17 was the WonderPana lens-specific rig. Will be pleased to say good-bye to carrying that second complicated and bulky holder.

 

[beano_z]

It’s up on their site now. 800.00.

Gets you the holder CL-PL 2 holders 1 for 150x150 and one for a ND and an adapter ring.

Seems a bit steep but there it is. Assume Lee or Nisi filters will fit.

http://www.winecountry.camera/shop/150mm-filter-holder-system

Paul C

Well, they had a nice discount if you had ordered before Xmas.....that's why I ordered mine so early :grin:

 

[drunkenspyder]

W00t! Order shipped!

 

[drunkenspyder]

Arrived today. Took me a while to find a forklift to get it to my office, but it's another WCC winner. The pouch is slightly larger than my Lee 150 field pouch, which I really like, because it has a nice vintage military look, but the Kinesis pouch has the advantage of being able to hold the entire system, which the Lee of course cannot do because of the barrel-style adapters. Nice work Rod.

 

[vieri]

So the Wine Country Filter Holder Kits have been shipping for a little bit now and has been receiving excellent reviews from those using it in the field. I know that there are quite a few forum members that maybe using this kit that can chime in and share their experiences with it.

For those of you who are not familiar the WCC Filter Holder is a revolutionary new system to hold your ND and Grads.

Here is a link to a recent review of the system and also link to an intro video that Rod Clark (Founder of WCC) produced to take you through the features of the system.

Digital Transitions is proud to be partnered with WCC to offer their products and have created a custom "Medium Format Starter Kit" which includes support for most medium format lenses (additional adapters are available a'la carte)
Wine Country Camera 100mm Holder System
Wine Country Camera Polarizer (internally rotatable)
Wine Country Camera 72mm Adapter Ring
Wine Country Camera 86mm Adapter Ring
Wine Country Camera 100x100mm Filter Vault
Wine Country Camera 100x150mm Grad Filter Vault



Lance

Hello Lance,

the Wine County system looks great, but the review you linked fails to mention the Formatt-Hitech Firecrest holder, costing 155 GBP and offering a built-in circular polariser close the lens, step-up / step-down adapter rings (see here: https://www.formatt-hitech.com/hardware/firecrestholder).

It also mentions getting two extra square mm filter vaults and one rectangular one, for a total of 3 and 2, but personally I have 5 square ND filters and 4 rectangular Grad ND plus two reverse Grad ND, and having only 2 150x100mm vault and 3 100x100mm vaults means that I need to fiddle with filling the vaults in the field - in this case, I'd rather just slot filters in and out my holder, it's much less fiddly, less risk of dropping stuff and faster too And, if I wanted to buy vaults for any filter I bring with me in the field, that would make it an even more expensive proposition, around 1000 USD for the Wine County setup against around 200 USD for the Formatt-Hitech, and would need a sherpa to carry all these vaults

(Disclaimer: I am a Formatt-Hitech Featured Artist, but I am one because they make the best filters around with the Firecrest Ultra, no question about that, and a pretty great holder too, not the other way round incidentally, using code VIERIB10 at checkout you'll get 10% off all FH products on their website)

Best regards,

Vieri

 

[Paul2660]

Cost is for sure a consideration and weight of system. Format Hitech Firecrest filters are very good as you mention.

I had hoped the Wine County 150 system would be more competitive with Lee's setup. As WC is asking for 1.2K for a system to support multiple ND's. That is using all your existing ND's also.

Things do reach a point.

Paul C

 

[drunkenspyder]

Things do reach a point.

Paul C

Ain't it the truth.

 

[drunkenspyder]

Hello Lance,

the Wine County system looks great, but the review you linked fails to mention the Formatt-Hitech Firecrest holder, costing 155 GBP and offering a built-in circular polariser close the lens, step-up / step-down adapter rings (see here: https://www.formatt-hitech.com/hardware/firecrestholder).

It also mentions getting two extra square mm filter vaults and one rectangular one, for a total of 3 and 2, but personally I have 5 square ND filters and 4 rectangular Grad ND plus two reverse Grad ND, and having only 2 150x100mm vault and 3 100x100mm vaults means that I need to fiddle with filling the vaults in the field - in this case, I'd rather just slot filters in and out my holder, it's much less fiddly, less risk of dropping stuff and faster too And, if I wanted to buy vaults for any filter I bring with me in the field, that would make it an even more expensive proposition, around 1000 USD for the Wine County setup against around 200 USD for the Formatt-Hitech, and would need a sherpa to carry all these vaults

(Disclaimer: I am a Formatt-Hitech Featured Artist, but I am one because they make the best filters around with the Firecrest Ultra, no question about that, and a pretty great holder too, not the other way round incidentally, using code VIERIB10 at checkout you'll get 10% off all FH products on their website)

Best regards,

Vieri

Vieri: It's interesting you mention this. Actually, the linked review does mention the Formatt-Hitech filter system, but doesn't, as you note, mention the Firecrest system. And I think that's part of F-H's problem. I am a long time F-H/Firecrest filter user. In fact, it was the lovely filter PDF of theirs that truly inspired my long-shutter shooting, and first sent me toward the Lucroit 165mm system. But they have a significant product fragmentation offering. As good as some of their filters are, it is difficult to settle on one system for the majority of one's shooting. And the differences between their US and non-US offerings make it even more confusing. When one visits the Firecrest Holder page, among other things, one sees this array of offerings:

All/ 100mm Firecrest/ 100mm Lucroit/ 100mm System/ 165mm Lucroit/ 67mm System/ 85mm System

It's somewhat confusing. Even Lee suffers a bit from this, and Progrey is also a mess, while WCC is very clearly delineated. I am not criticizing them, simply observing that someone needs to organize their product line in a way that serves the quality of the filters they make.

 

[vieri]

Vieri: It's interesting you mention this. Actually, the linked review does mention the Formatt-Hitech filter system, but doesn't, as you note, mention the Firecrest system. And I think that's part of F-H's problem. I am a long time F-H/Firecrest filter user. In fact, it was the lovely filter PDF of theirs that truly inspired my long-shutter shooting, and first sent me toward the Lucroit 165mm system. But they have a significant product fragmentation offering. As good as some of their filters are, it is difficult to settle on one system for the majority of one's shooting. And the differences between their US and non-US offerings make it even more confusing. When one visits the Firecrest Holder page, among other things, one sees this array of offerings:



It's a bit confusing. Even Lee suffers a bit from this, and Progrey is also a mess, while WCC is very clearly delineated. I am not criticizing them, simply observing that someone needs to organize their product line in a way that serves the quality of the filters they make.

Hi there, you definitely have a point here. I for one don't want to have to go bigger than 100mm, up to the point that I choose my lenses based on "do they take 100mm filters", at least if I can at all help it. FH's problem that you mention, I think, depends on the company's history and their acquiring Lucroit at some point, but I think they are streamlining their Holder offer, now they released the 85mm Firecrest holder (same concept as the 100mm Firecrest holder), and I believe they will complete the whole lineup with similar holders. That said, they should probably stop selling the other bits and bobs when a new line is up and running, not to risk confusing their customers. I will pass that on, for what is worth.

Best regards,

Vieri

 

[Paul2660]

Format Firecrest, excellent filters, terrible marketing and distribution for anything larger than 86mm Threaded and 100m sheet.

Waited 6 months to get a series of special order 105mm ND's from them via B&H. You can get the 150 x 150 sheets faster as more companies seem to carry them.

Paul C

 

[vieri]

Format Firecrest, excellent filters, terrible marketing and distribution for anything larger than 86mm Threaded and 100m sheet.

Waited 6 months to get a series of special order 105mm ND's from them via B&H. You can get the 150 x 150 sheets faster as more companies seem to carry them.

Paul C

Hello Paul,

sorry to hear that. Their filters are truly excellent, best on the market IMHO but of course I see your point, if they can't have the filters reach the photographer it's all for nil. One idea, have you tried to contact them directly rather than going through B&H? That might have helped, perhaps. As well, I know there have been some changes in FH lately, and I think things will be much better going forward

Best regards,

Vieri

 

[drunkenspyder]

Vieri, that streamlining process is excellent news. And I hear you completely when you talk about picking lenses based on their amenabity to a 100mm system. The proliferation of mirrorless should be a significant opportunity for FH if they can get mindshare in the press and market.

A fairly compact mirrorless 50mpx+ kit could remain compact with a judicious selection of filters and the 85mm holder. For walk-around use with say a 50R or X1D, I could still see carrying a screw-in polarizer and maybe a .3 ND, even a compact tripod. But if one got serious, a compact quality holder could be a real asset. This is the part of the market in which FH could have a lead (and substantial quality advantage over other sub-100 systems). ProGrey has multiple sizes of systems, but they also suffer from a disorganized product line, and their US distribution is unpredictable despite Lynn Radeka’s best efforts and superb service.

Just my two cents. Thanks for the insights.

 

[Paul2660]

Hello Paul,

sorry to hear that. Their filters are truly excellent, best on the market IMHO but of course I see your point, if they can't have the filters reach the photographer it's all for nil. One idea, have you tried to contact them directly rather than going through B&H? That might have helped, perhaps. As well, I know there have been some changes in FH lately, and I think things will be much better going forward

Best regards,

Vieri

To get the 105mm's I finally did contact them, it took a while, but finally found a contact. They had the order from B&H, but claimed they were backed up. Did get them, and have had great success with them.

I still prefer the sheet filters, over Round as when in the field and I need to have faster shutter speeds to stop wind motion, pulling out a larger 150 x 150 is faster, and you have less risk of dropping the filter.

Paul C

 

[vieri]

Vieri, that streamlining process is excellent news. And I hear you completely when you talk about picking lenses based on their amenabity to a 100mm system. The proliferation of mirrorless should be a significant opportunity for FH if they can get mindshare in the press and market.

A fairly compact mirrorless 50mpx+ kit could remain compact with a judicious selection of filters and the 85mm holder. For walk-around use with say a 50R or X1D, I could still see carrying a screw-in polarizer and maybe a .3 ND, even a compact tripod. But if one got serious, a compact quality holder could be a real asset. This is the part of the market in which FH could have a lead (and substantial quality advantage over other sub-100 systems). ProGrey has multiple sizes of systems, but they also suffer from a disorganized product line, and their US distribution is unpredictable despite Lynn Radeka’s best efforts and superb service.

Just my two cents. Thanks for the insights.

Yes, it most definitely is. Please keep in mind that this is what I have been noticing, nothing "official" of course. I think you are right, nobody seems to be doing the sub-100mm well, and FH definitely has a shot there. I think they also have a very good shot with the 100mm holder, which is very well thought out and is smaller, lighter and tougher than most systems out there. It still can be improved, of course, and I hope it will be, but is already among the best out there.

To get the 105mm's I finally did contact them, it took a while, but finally found a contact. They had the order from B&H, but claimed they were backed up. Did get them, and have had great success with them.

I still prefer the sheet filters, over Round as when in the field and I need to have faster shutter speeds to stop wind motion, pulling out a larger 150 x 150 is faster, and you have less risk of dropping the filter.

Paul C

Hello Paul, glad it turned out well in the end. Yes, I most definitely prefer square filters over round ones, but if I can help it I would never go over 100mm

Best regards,

Vieri

 

[drunkenspyder]

Two white frames taken with the Cambo 1600, Rodie 23, IQ4.150, and the WCC 150mm system [72mm adapter]. The first is with a Breakthrough UV4 on the front of the Rodie and the second is without. Except to convert to 1600px JPEG for upload, the images are unprocessed. I am generally reluctant to move my lenses anywhere without a good UV filter on them, but once settled into a spot, will probably remove this one before mounting the WCC adapter. The vignetting is not horrible, by any means, but there is simply that much more usable image area without it. Easily the best of any filter system I have used. Nice work WCC.




Cambo 1600 |Rodie 23 | IQ4.150 | f/11 | 10s | ISO 50

 

[beano_z]

Two white frames taken with the Cambo 1600, Rodie 23, IQ4.150, and the WCC 150mm system [72mm adapter]. The first is with a Breakthrough UV4 on the front of the Rodie and the second is without. Except to convert to 1600px JPEG for upload, the images are unprocessed. I am generally reluctant to move my lenses anywhere without a good UV filter on them, but once settled into a spot, will probably remove this one before mounting the WCC adapter. The vignetting is not horrible, by any means, but there is simply that much more usable image area without it. Easily the best of any filter system I have used. Nice work WCC.

View attachment 139217

View attachment 139218
Cambo 1600 |Rodie 23 | IQ4.150 | f/11 | 10s | ISO 50

Well, this is pretty useful and good to know that even on the 23 vignetting is minimal :thumbup:

You did not mention whether or not you had the WCC polariser in place at the time of testing, wonder how that will be.

 

[drunkenspyder]

Binbin, I left the polarizer in for these shots. Normally, with the 23, I would take out the polarizer for shooting any significant expanse of sky/water. Of course, that is the flaw of these integrated polarizer rigs. Shooting alternately with and without polarizer is very cumbersome. And with a piece of glass this big, it’s also a bit risky.

One of the advantages of the ProGrey 150Z, is that it can be configured for 3 slots, making it easy to set up the ND/ND Grad arrangement and then add on the Lee square 150mm CPL. As I recall, ProGrey also has an “adaptive” polarizer approach, which isn’t all bad, but it has the same disadvantage as the WCC: once it is in place, it is a PITA to switch it out.

I love the way the WCC system works. And I really love the file vault system. The downside of the file vault is that it makes WCC’s system even bigger. It’s not perfect, and ProGrey has some real advantages, including the Lens Shield. However, the PG exhibited more vignetting on the Rodie 23. Perhaps it would be less so in its 2-slot configuration. I also find that mounting the PG holder to the adapter ring, especially in dim light, is more challenging than the WCC. More than once, I found the PG holder rotating more freely than I expected and even falling off. This was no doubt my fault for not not confirming that it was securely attached, but that’s sort of my point.

PG also could not deliver a 105mm adapter that would screw on to the S-K LS35 (that may have changed since I first tried). That’s a pretty big problem for me, and even moreso with the 40-80 zoom.

Anyway, when I return home, I plan to set up both systems side by side, measure and weigh them with the filters I consistently use, and do one more vignette test. Will see what we see.

 

[beano_z]

Shooting alternately with and without polarizer is very cumbersome. And with a piece of glass this big, it’s also a bit risky.

Fully agree, and I didn't even it was going to be an issue on the WCC system,, but there you have it.

I did start out some time ago with a PG system (120mm version), but indeed found that putting the filter holder assembly on the adapter ring while it's mounted on the lens is a royal PITA, that's the single biggest reasons I moved away from PG.

When you do your test, it'd also be very interesting to see whether or not the WCC is prone to light leaks with say a 10-stop ND in bright daylight. I shoot very often in these situations and until now I've always used screw on round ND's just for peace of mind, which of course has it's many drawbacks. I'm really hoping that WCC will hold up in such situations!

If only my package wasn't stuck at UPS......then I could test it out myself :facesmack:

 

[drunkenspyder]

Fully agree, and I didn't even it was going to be an issue on the WCC system,, but there you have it.

I did start out some time ago with a PG system (120mm version), but indeed found that putting the filter holder assembly on the adapter ring while it's mounted on the lens is a royal PITA, that's the single biggest reasons I moved away from PG.

When you do your test, it'd also be very interesting to see whether or not the WCC is prone to light leaks with say a 10-stop ND in bright daylight. I shoot very often in these situations and until now I've always used screw on round ND's just for peace of mind, which of course has it's many drawbacks. I'm really hoping that WCC will hold up in such situations!

If only my package wasn't stuck at UPS......then I could test it out myself :facesmack:

Shot into the sun yesterday evening with a 10-stop WCC filter. We will see. Here is a BTS:

 

[beano_z]

Just received my package yesterday......I must say I'm surprised it's so large and heavy, it's much bigger and heavier than my LEE SW150II holder, granted it has the huge polariser built in, but still, the pouch that came along isn't going to fit into any of my existing camera backpacks. At the moment I'm not even sure I'd want to haul this system around on my next trip..... :facesmack: