Advice on filters and other equipment

[polarmagnus]

I am wanting to buy a Cokin ND Grad filter kit but I am bewildered what the difference is between A, P, Z-Pro and X-Pro series are?

What type of filter should I use for landscapes; Either hard or soft edged?
Where is the best place to buy them online?

I take photos of birds and mammals and I'm wanting something more than my 75-300mm kit lens. I'm considering to buy a teleconverter, a digiscope or another lens. I would like either a 400 or 500mm lens but they are too expensive. What would the cheapest alternative be?


I have a Canon 450D camera.


Also thinking about a Manfrotto tripod. I was thinking about the 055XPROB Pro Tripod. But I am unsure of what head to choice? Any advice and would anyone suggest this tripod to be ideal for what photography I do? (landscape and macro).

[donoreo]

Right now you may find any Cokin hard to find. They have been having "production problems" for a long time. They are having financial problems is the real story. The differences is the size from the smallest, A to X-pro (really big and I do not remember the actual size). Z-pro is 100mm X 100mm or 150mm with ND Grads.

I am looking for Z-pro size myself as I have been told that P series can cause vignetting at wider angles (less than 18mm). I have no idea what someone would want something as small as A.

I am going to get soft edge as I hear they are more "forgiving".

I am looking at hi-tech filters myself but Kood are also an option. These are all priced about the same a Cokin.

I also have a 450D. One thing to consider with a teleconverter is to make sure it works with your lens. Google or someone here could help. I would go for a lens myself if I needed that length, but I am happy with my 55-250.

That is a good tripod. Someone else will have to suggest a head though.

[chris-p]

As Don said, the different ranges basically refer to different widths of filters. He is also correct that P sized filter will vignette on wide lenses. I've used them on a 10-20mm and below about 16mm you can not only see the filter but the actual filter holder in the shot.

WRT hard and soft edged, there isn't a right answer to that - sorry. Depends on what sort of landscapes you're using. Most serious landscapers will have a set of hard and a set of soft.

For longer lenses, the cheapest option would probably be to add a teleconverter. Digiscoping is a whole different ball game. The only thing to bear in mind is that a TC will reduce your maximum aperture which will not only give you a slower lens but, if the maximum aperture drops below f/8, you probably won't be able to use the autofocus. Depends on which lens and which TC you're talking about.

[dan123]

hi there,

as a general rule for filters soft and hard, use hard grads for landscape shots with nothing intruding the skyline, so sea scapes and such like, where as the soft grads are better for shots with objects protruding into the skyline, like buildings, a grad cutting though these can alter the colours, hope that makes sense,
i use a mix of cokin p's, koods' and hi tech filters, as cokins are like gold dust, i wish i had gone for the larger sizes, as the vingetting is rather bad on the p's, i have to stick to 20mm too aviod this,

i now 3rd party lenses such as sigma are a lot cheeper than the 400 mm cannon lenses, the large zooms up to 500 mm from sigma are fairly cheep in comparision to canon ones. either that or a 1.4 x extender on a 200mm will boost it well,

hope this helps,

dan

[polarmagnus]

Someone at work has let me borrow his filters. They're all soft grads in colours apart from grey. There are a few cokin filters and a few cheaper branded ones.

Yes you are right Dan. The Sigma 500mm lenses are cheap. There's quite a few on eBay. I'll have to look into them in more detail and see what people think about them.

[ianpinion]

Just be careful buying on eBay that you buy from a place that is offering a European warranty with the lens. Some places will only offer them with a warranty that is only valid in the area of the world where they are based.

[OldBoy]

Originally Posted by polarmagnus

Yes you are right Dan. The Sigma 500mm lenses are cheap. There's quite a few on eBay. I'll have to look into them in more detail and see what people think about them.

I've got the Sigma 50-500mm F4-6.3 and it produces cracking shots even handheld. The newer version has OS which should help, but you do need bright sunlight to get the best at 500mm. Also, consider the Sigma 150-500mm f5-6.3 DG OS HSM Lens at £768 against the 50-500mm at £1,178, but again you need bright sunshine to get the best from it. I haven't use one but a friend has and gets great results with it. Last week he went out with it but couldn't get focus in the dull conditions.
A converter/extender isn't any good with your 70-300mm Canon lens and a Canon extender won't fit on that lens. You can get one from Kenko that fits, but it isn't worth it as the results will be useless. Also consider the Canon EF 100-400mm f4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens at £1,216.99 which give cracking results.

[polarmagnus]

I won't be buying a lens from eBay.

I'm seriously considering in buying a Sigma 150-500mm lens.

But now that OldBoy has said that it needs sunshine to get the best results, I am wondering if it is worth buying. I want to take photos when its a dull day as well as when its bright.

My budget is less than £1000.


EDIT: Maybe I should consider looking at a different lens make/model which is capable of taking good photos in dull conditions?? Any recommendations?

[polarmagnus]

bump

[dan123]

if yor budjet is less than a 1000, the top end of that will but you one of the older 70-200mm L series lenses, for around 950 i think, use that then eventally buy a 1.4 extender, i have this combo and its excellent, imm not good with maths and someone else will now this, but 1.4 * a 70-200, plus the 1.6 crop factor on non full frame cameras, you have a pretty hefty zoom range there,

dan