Lee Filters has released two new products for its LEE100 filter system. The first is the LEE100 Tandem Adaptor, which lets you stack two graduated ND filters and rotate one independently of the other.
Why would you need such a feature? The most common use for an ND grad filter is to balance a landscape exposure, where the sky is brighter than the land and there's a chance the sky could overexpose. Trouble is, you won't always have a perfectly straight horizon, and while a soft graduated ND filter can compensate for some ups and downs on the horizon, it won't be much help when shooting a scene like a mountain, where being able to rotate two filters to different angles that follow a hill's contours could be just the ticket.
The LEE100 Tandem Adaptor attaches to a LEE100 Filter Holder, which in turn fixes to the filter thread on your lens via a suitably sized adapter ring. The Tandem Adaptor then slides into the front-most slot of the LEE100 Holder, allowing a second LEE100 holder to be stacked on the first, therefore giving you independent filter rotation. The design also allows the holders to be locked in place to avoid accidental rotation.
In this configuration, there's still room behind the Tandem Adaptor for two filters, while the front holder can accommodate three, providing scope for some seriously advanced multiple filter effects.
The LEE100 Tandem Adaptor will set you back around £53. US pricing has yet to be announced.
LEE100 Hood
The trouble with fitting a square filter and holder to your lens is you can no longer use your lens hood. This can be a problem when shooting with the sun in frame, unless you specifically want lens flare in your image.
Lee Filters has solved this potential problem with the new LEE100 Hood. The hood comes with an attachment ring which fixes to the LEE100 Filter Holder via four locking tabs. The hood then locks on to the attachment ring with a lever. This system allows the hood to be rotated independently of the filter holder, so ND grads can be freely rotated.
The hood uses a concertina-like collapsible design so it should take up minimal space in your kit bag, yet at full extension it'll shield a 28mm lens without risk of vignetting, and if you collapse it half way, a 20mm lens can be used without the hood being visible in the corners of frame.
Expect to pay £250 for the LEE100 Hood (US price yet to be announced).
Read more:
• The best polarizing filters
• The best neutral density filters
• The best ND Grad filters
• Lee Filters launches the LEE100 filter system
• The best camera gear for landscape photography
