Square 100 x 100 mm ND filters

[charlesa]

Owning a Lee Big Stopper, I would like to stack more 100 x 100 mm filters to get even less light filtering through. Anyone can elucidate me on what options exist for 6 stop filters, only proviso they have to be square 100 x 100 mm to fit the Lee filter holder system.

[neuroanatomist]

Schneider Optics (B+W's parent company) makes a 100x100mm ND1.8 (6 stops), in their MPTV line (motion picture/television) - B&H link.  Note that they're Schott glass filters (they're the only ones that I know of who make glass square/rectangular ND/gradND, vs. resin.  The issue is see is that they're twice as thick as the Lee resin filters.  I know the Lee holder can take them with an appropriate adapter, but I don't know if you can use a 2mm Lee and a 4mm Schneider in the same holder at the same time.

Just found a HiTech 4x4" resin ND1.8 that will fit a Lee holder - B&H Link.

Hope that helps...

[charlesa]

Trust Neuro to come up with the goods *hat off to Neuro!*

[RobertG.]

Hi,
the HiTech ND 1.8 and new 3.0 were introduced at the same time, if I remember correctly. I have the old and the new version of the ND 3.0 filter in 100mm x 100mm size. Both have a strong bluish cast, which can be quite annoying. The new one is better but the bluish cast still immediately visible.

The HiTech ND 1.8 filter is also available as a glass filter, see here: http://www.teamworkphoto.com/hitech-prostop-irnd-glass-filters-c-1047_78_1115_1978_1984.html

[Lurker]

Singh-Ray has 4-stop(100x150), 5-stop, and 10-stop.  Along with the usual 1, 2 and 3 stops.

[Z]

Quick tip: get a set of Lee ND hard grads instead. That way, you can turn the grad upside-down to use it as a ND filter. However, the hard ND resins only go up to 1.2 (4 stops) max, I believe. Still, you could stack () them.

Then you have a set of hard grads (very useful) and NDs. 

P.S. I have only tried this with a full-frame sensor camera and focal lengths below 70mm. But I imagine it would work with any combo.

[charlesa]

Quick tip: get a set of Lee ND hard grads instead. That way, you can turn the grad upside-down to use it as a ND filter. However, the hard ND resins only go up to 1.2 (4 stops) max, I believe. Still, you could stack () them.

Then you have a set of hard grads (very useful) and NDs. 

P.S. I have only tried this with a full-frame sensor camera and focal lengths below 70mm. But I imagine it would work with any combo.

Have a set of 1, 2 and 3 hard grad NDs, but not sure it would work out.

[charlesa]

Schneider Optics (B+W's parent company) makes a 100x100mm ND1.8 (6 stops), in their MPTV line (motion picture/television) - B&H link.  Note that they're Schott glass filters (they're the only ones that I know of who make glass square/rectangular ND/gradND, vs. resin.  The issue is see is that they're twice as thick as the Lee resin filters.  I know the Lee holder can take them with an appropriate adapter, but I don't know if you can use a 2mm Lee and a 4mm Schneider in the same holder at the same time.

Just found a HiTech 4x4" resin ND1.8 that will fit a Lee holder - B&H Link.

Hope that helps...

Thank you for the help Neuro, Hitech have a 6 stop one, I can stack that with the Big Stopper since it comes with a 1.5 mm gasket fitting the Lee system. Lee themselves are also considering releasing a 6 stop filter in the next 3 months or so they tell me. Hope vignetting will not be an issue, but I use an 82 mm ultrawide adapter, so hopefully not.

[bycostello]

what are you taking a picture of that need more than a 10 stop filter?

[charlesa]

what are you taking a picture of that need more than a 10 stop filter?

Shooting in bright sunlight for architecture, and do not want to go more than f11 to avoid diffraction issues.

[RobertG.]

Hi, if you intend to use the 82mm wide angle adaptor for the lee system on the TS-E 24mm II, 8-9mm of shift should be possible without any vignetting (except for the lens' own vignetting of about 1-2 stops). In case you want to use a 105mm pol filter on the lee system, vignetting starts at 9mm and becomes quite strong. The vignettiing of the pol filter is caused by the the rather long distance of the filter from the lens. The use of square filters has no influence here.