cokin/kood filter systems?

Don't really know where to post this, so this might be a good place...
I've now got a few lenses and find that I'm somehow quite sick of buying and carrying different sized filters for each lens, so I'm thinking about changing to a cokin P or kood filter system, as it sounds like the filters are all interchangeable, and all the bits I'll need is specific ring size holders for different threaded lenses??
Anyone has any good advise on how to utilise these filter systems and which ones to get? and should I still leave a UV filter on my lenses if I change to the cokins??
also....any ideas where they'll be cheaper =P
cheers guys

Yes basically

Which one to get depends on your many and how wide the widest lens is you got.
Also why do you still use an UV filter, if you shoot with film then okay but for digital it's already get filtered that twice (ones with the lens coating and ones with the filter in-front of the sensor) so no need to use it then unless you like the flares and ghosting it produce.

The square filters might be cheaper but screw-in filters do have their own advantage.
It depends on what you want to use and how.

For tripod work, square filters are certainly very good to use but when you want to be more mobile square filters aren't handy since it makes your gear in your hands bulkier so for street photography I would not recommend it.

the widest i've got is the 16-45mm...and I've been told by someone that I could get a wide angle holder but that only holds one filter? Part of the appeal is also that I can use multiple filters..
I don't do much street photography, at least I don't specialise in it so I wouldn't worry too much about that, I spend more time on the mountains, and I only take filters on an easy day out, if it's a hard day then I'll go for bare minimal options...
The UV filter was to protect the lens in my mind?? (might be wrong, pleaseee correct me)
Also got told that hitech and kood filters are compatible?
I just don't know where to start from....very confused

The square filter holders will take several filters. My Kood one holds 3 or 4. I have a couple of grad filters (one hard, one soft) which I occasionally use in combination and it works with the 16-45 with the correct ring adapter. The filters themselves are 84mm wide (I think) so any filter from any manufacturer around that width may be used.

The front element of the lens is pretty tough and therefore the UV filter is not essential unless conditions are extreme, several members have posted stories of the filter smashing and the shards of glass causing damage to the front element.

hmmm okay....
so, where should I start from? a few ND grads and a cpl??
any advise on where to get them relatively cheap?
thanks guys!

Adrian it really depends on what filters you use if it's worth the hassle.

There are only 3 common filters that are useful when using a digital camera and those are Graduated Natural Density, Natural Density and Polarisers.
For the GND the square filter is very useful since you can move the filter and therefore the transition around.
For ND it can also be useful however there are viable ND filters on the market now and those look handier to me but those are screw-in filters.
Polarisers I also like the screw-in and I believe the quality of those are better then the square ones, at least I never heard a very good review about them
And then you also have infra-red filters and more of those special filtering filters.

So basically for landscapes the Square filters are the ones to get for the rest it's personal taste but if you're on the move screw-in are handier.
Qua money, there isn't a huge differnce like in the old days since the amount of filters you use has come down to a couple, you don't need any white balance filter or colour filters for B&W anymore.
I use both systems together now. I've a set of square GND filters and besides that I use srew-in polarisers.

The use of UV filter for protection has already being discuss a lot of times here.
In general they won't do much for protection because you can hit the front element with a hammer but a filter won't survive that kind of abuse.
A filter will only protect it against sand that's blow up by the wind for example or crosive stuff like salt water on the beach but for the rest it's up to you if it's worth it or not.
The problem is however that since the filters are flat they can produce ghosting and the coatings most of the time aren't that good so you get flares and glares and that's one reason not to use them if you don't need them.

Cokin have a GND set which holds 3 GND filters and a holder, you only need to buy the right rings for your lenses then.
For the CPL, I don't think you should get the Cokin one because of the quality and when you combine it with a GND filter in the holder it will get very unhandy to use since you're turning the CPL and the GND to get the effect and all that on the end of your lens. Too much trouble for me while hand holding the camera.

I think I would buy a good quality circular polariser for your largest lens, and then step up rings to enable you to use it with other lenses in your collection.

If you wish to use ND Grads, then the P series filters are better. My HiTech wide angle holder for P series filters can hold up to three filters.

I would compare the prices of HiTech starter kits with Cokin - there may not be much difference and the former is generally reckoned to be of significantly higher quality than the latter.

hmmm, lots of advise and useful too!
jon, so I guess the Hitech ones would also fit in a kood holder??

Yes - they are built to the same standard size so they should fit in any P series holder.

Cheers,

Jon

You need to check the actual size of the filters... I believe hi-tech are 85mm, so might fit slightly snugly. Cokin-P filters are compatible though.

Kood filters themselves don't have a bad rep. It depends whether you are looking for top quality or 'good enough'!

link

hmmmm.... yea i think i might go for the koods, really just wondering how much difference the wide angle holder and the normal one would make....
tempted to get a nd kit from premier ink...

I use the Cokin-P system (GND and ND), with two holders, a regular and wide angle (for the 10-20).

As mentioned the regular holder can hold more than one filter, whilst the wide angle only the one.

If you choose this path then you can save some money by buying third party holders and lens adaptors off e-bay stores. Foolishly I bought the original Cokin standard holder and a couple of lens adaptors.
Third party products for the 10-20 cost half the price, whilst they do exactly the same job

Money saved here can be reinvested in other filters.

Regards
Adrian