Product and Tech Information Graduated Filters

Graduate To Better Skies

    Many of our photographers, image makers do not want to change the natural beauty of the scene before them, yet they use filters. All digital devices and films have a certain contrast range that they can capture, but when the sky is several F-stops brighter than the foreground, what can you do? Try using graduated ND filters. No outdoor photographer, image maker should be without a gradual filter. Every brand of camera filters that we sell offers gradual filters, but all are not equal, in quality vs. price. Graduated filters come in many sizes and types. Our most popular types are from Lee Filters, Cokin, Schneider, Tiffen and Hitech. ALL are true neutral density, with no color shift.

.Lee Filter's 4x6 Graduals both single filters or in 3 filter sets also the very useful FK hoders the popular Cokin P series Graduals reconsider around the globle for the excelence in the neutral density, very functional holders, 2filter stocks all the ND graduals, and Holders and W/A and stock size rings, New 10 f/stop 4x4 solid glass filters "the LEE Big Stopper" Lee has a product on the way fro the summer of 2010 the will be a 150mm wide for fisheye type zooms and primes, call us or visit Lee's filters USA web site

 Schnider 4x6 gradual ND 0.6 filters and holders custom designed for 4x5.65 Glass gradual filters, just arrived May 2010 for more info visit here

   Tiffen's have been our first choice for graduals in sises under the 4x4size when comparing price and value. We still like them from the early 80s when they first became available in the P 85mm size. Tiffen calls the grads Colorgrad's and they come both in round screw-in, glass P series (2mm thick) for the Cokin holders. The round screw-in type filters are only available in three colors, blue, sunrise (amber tone) and only ND 0.6 (2 stops), 49mm-82mm.To Tiffen Filter Round Graduals The 2-stop version is the best one to start with from any of the companies. The glass  P series ND 0.3 1 stop, ND 0.6 2 stop and ND 0.9 3 stops  Made in USA   To Tiffen P Series

    Hitech Gradual filters are optical resin and are available in Cokin P size and 4x5. The Hitech ND filters come in 1,2,3 and 4 stop, both in a hard or soft edge. The Hitech hard edge is about the same as Tiffen's SE edge (standard edge). Hitech also offers 13 colors of graduals, in grades #1, 2 and 3 in both sizes, 3 styles of two color grads, #1, 2 or 3 and really interesting combo ND grads with warming filters (81B or 81EF) built in with the ND grad 1,2 or 3 stops. Hitech also offers the combo of the two color grads with gradual ND added in, again 1,2 and 3 stops. In total 59 creative choices in grads. Filters are made in the UK - Great Britain To our listing of Hitech Filters 4x5 series.or the ones that fit in the Cokin Holders To our listing of Hitech Filters 85/P series

    All P series 85 series type gradual filters cover lenses up to 82mm, using different adapter rings with the same Cokin or Hitech filter holder. The filters are 1/2 graduated in ND or color. The best feature of the P series and larger rectangles, is the ability to slide the filter up and down in the filter holder. This gives you the most creative control over the scene you wish to graduate (control brightness). On lenses 67mm and smaller the regular, Tiffen at 100mm long and Hitech P series, 115mm long,  work very well. Above 67 the 100mm long filters are still ok, you just, do not have as much slide ability, example with a 77mm lens filter size you have 23mm above or below center to adjust the graduals edge. Tiffen does offer an PXL extra long version for the P series holders at 165mm long.
 

   The Cokin ND gray's are have not been our 1st choisce for many years. The early production Cokins had never been as neutral (sometimes referred to as clean) as the other brands. With the introduction of the professional Cokin Z pro system the quality of all sizes have inproved after 4 plus years of selling the Cokin Zpro holders the problems of color shift has come to a end, the Cokins are very much worth your consideration, A noteworthy filter from Coikn for 30+ years is the Cokin Sunset grads (197 or 198). The Cokin sunsets are the only sunset filter that the complete filter is washed over with the burnt orange color along with the gradual density orange tone on top. All other sunrise sunset grad types are clear on the bottom. The Cokin grad colors are a very good choice for the price and color selection. Cokin's are made in France.  To Cokin P and Z Pro Series

    B+W graduals are made only from optical resin. Available in 2 types of gray #501 and #502 with screw-in brass rotating mounts, 49mm - 82mm, The B+W have a very feathered edge, the full ND 1 stop or 2 stop effect is, in the top 1/3 of the filter. Other colors are available special order from Germany. One of our most popular color gradual beside the 502 is the 590 red gradual.

    A brand that, we do not sell, but is well known, is the Singh-Ray Galen Rowell grads. They are made of optical resin C39, NOT glass and expensive, The Glass Tiffen Grads are a much better value for the money.

05-25-2010