Advice on filters

I wonder if i could trouble the forum for some filter advice.

Keen to make something more of the landscape and coastal photography but realise i need a few filters. I have a Hoya CPL filter for each lens which is superb and wouldn't be without. But now is the time to add some ND and ND Gradient filters......i think?

Been out a few times lately to the coast, photographed the lifeboat station at Selsey, sailing boats off Portchester Castle etc. But can't do any of the long exposure type photos to blur the sea because the CPL doesn't cut enough light. Need an ND filter.

Was just about to hit the button for a cheapy screw in filter from Ebay then remembered the money I wasted on rubbish CPL filters before buying the Hoya version. So instead did a quick google search and turned up the Cokin P Series starter set for £30. Holder plus 3 grad filters. Would need two adapter rings for the lenses, so another £14. And then a ND4 and ND8 ND filter, so another £28. So £72 in all.
I'm really working to a mega small budget unfortunately and my Pentax A 50 1.7 will have to be sacrificed to part fund this. Perhaps the Prinzflex 135 2.8 as well.
Is this set any good? Are the Cokin P Series filters any good? Would i be wasting the 50 1.7 and cash.
I found a filter review in a magazine but they didn't even mention the P Series and all the sets they tested were £180 upwards....gulp. I just can't even entertain that.

This is definitely not the hobby to take up when you are broke. lol

I would try to stretch to a Hitech set of ND Grads if you can. For a 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 85mm soft grad set you will pay about £45 and IMHO it's worth spending at least this amount. A cheap Chinese made holder (Cokin A type) will only cost a few pounds.

I would also recommend buying something like a Haida 10 stop filter, screw-in type, in the largest size you can afford and then buy some cheap step-up rings so you can use it on lenses with a smaller diameter filter ring. The Haida 77mm is about £45 and with this you can easily create exposures of 2 minutes or more.

I know this is a significant investment if you're on a budget, but I doubt if you will find anything as good for much less.

Regards
David

Many thanks David, i will look into the Hitech set. I can do this in stages if necessary. Perhaps get the Haida 10 stop filter first.

I tried some cheap Nd filters from ebay and they gave a horrible colour cast.

I can recommend the Haida ND filters, I have the 10 stop & 6 stop 77mm. Awaiting my cheap step up rings.

Jeff

I agree with David but would also add - £45 for a set of hitech grads is a good price - I have not seen them new this low but there is a used set on ebay for this price (advertised as new until you read the listing - but still a good deal).

New will normally cost £55 and above.

Yo may want to check a company called 'teamwork' - they have there own website and also sell on ebay (I buy most of my filters from them). They are offering a kit including the 3 grads (hard or soft edged) the hitech filter holder and a ring of your choice for £98 free delivery- a good price. Or they offer the 3 grads for £55 and you can buy a cheap Chinese copy holder and rings (although the hi-tech holder is much better quality than the Cokin or Chinese copies.

You will not regret buying the hitechs - no matter what holder you go for.

If this is mainly for landscape - I would also suggest getting the grads first and the Haida second - you will find that you use the grads much more frequently

Regards
Carl

If you buy 100mm Hard Grads the dark half can be used as full ND filters on lenses up to 77mm.

Hard grads will be much more useful for seascapes than soft grads

Good point - would also add you can do the same with soft edged - I do.

Side question Alan - I only own soft but mainly shoot seascapes with them. I have always been happy with the results - would I notice a big difference with hard edged?

Carl

I just bring the dark edge in line with the horizon Carl. In low light and stacking, it must be much easier to see the defined edge. Followed the advice from Teamwork on choosing hard over soft.

I do plan on buying soft for landscapes, although none other than our own Simonkit uses only hard if I recollect correctly.

Digital SLR Photography magazine have just done a test on a set of filters by XC Source from ukprostore via Amazon - 3 x ND 3 x ND graduated, 9 adapter rings 49mm to 82 with a 3 slot filter holder for about £17. The magazine rate them highly and were very impressed and mostly did not have problems with any colour cast. Worth trying if you're on a budget or want to try filters without spending a lot.

I recently bought a hard edge 0.9 (3 stop) nd grad from SRB-Griturn/SRB Photographic cokin a size - £15.50 including postage

I use cokin a size - fine up to 62mm filter thread

As mentioned above the p size may be a better option for you

What I want next is a reverse grad - just waiting for them to come down in price - this may take a while but I am mean enough to wait

If you're using NDgrads on a crop sensor, which obviously all us Pentax digital photographers are then Hard grads are the way to go. The graduation line isn't anywhere near as visible as you might think and only really becomes evident at UWA focal lengths, although I use it at 12mm and don't have issues.

Personally I don't really see any benefit to having soft grads on crop sensors, I've never used mine Save some cash and don't bother with a 1 stop either, a 2 & 3 stop will cover pretty much everything you need.

Stuey.. just bought a reverse NDgrad myself although havene't had chance to use it yet, they are a tad expensive, I went for the Hitech one

I will await the reverse grad results Simon

If you want an ultra cheap 10 stop ND filter I recommend the Camdiox which I got for twelve quid something on ebay in 67mm but which is available in the UK but at higher cost from SRB-Griturn I understand.

See this thread link

Hi Carl, you're probably right, I was quoting what I paid, but I'm damned if I can remember which seller I bought these from and I don't have the receipt! I usually shop around quite a lot, so most of my stuff is bought at bargain basement prices!

Regards
David

David - I am just jealous of being out "Yorkshired" on price

Carl