Cokins or Circular?

[New Hampshire]

Hey everyone,

I understand the need for using circular polarizers. But I am getting ready to start picking up other filters, and I am wondering what everyones opinions are one way or the other for the Coking system vs. Circular? Some of the filters I am looking at are:

Red, yellow and Blue for B+W work
Warm-up/ Enhancing
Graduated Neutral density

I know the cokin system allows flexibility in that the A size will fit all the current lens sizees I have (though getting 58's and an adapter for the smaller lenses would accomplish the same.)

Currently I am leaning towards the Cokin system since it seems a bit more economical, but I would still like some opinions on the matter.

Brian

 

[Alex_B]

Hey everyone,

I understand the need for using circular polarizers. But I am getting ready to start picking up other filters, and I am wondering what everyones opinions are one way or the other for the Coking system vs. Circular? Some

hmm, once you speak of circular polarizers, then that refers to circular as in opposing linear polarization.

but then you mention Cokin (or Lee) (rectangularly shaped) vs. circular, but here you are referring to shape, aren't you? ... just suspecting some mixup of terms here...

As for Cokin, I think most of their filters are not glass, but plastic (aometimes called "organic glass"), which is supposedly optically less performing than glass but also much cheaper. but in practise that will often not really be visible in your images.

If I remember right Cokin ND is not always really neutral.

 

[Alex_B]

some more:

for the graduated NDs there is nothing more useful than a rectangular filter which you can shift up and down....

 

[New Hampshire]

Sorry, I should clarify, I know that a circular polarizer is required for modern split beam metering. I don't think (though I could be wrong) that the Cokin system has a polarizing filter for its holder that accomplishes the same.

Now, when I talk about Cokin vs. Circular, I mean the Cokin system of square filters type that go into the holder, versus the screw on circular/round type that screw directly into the threads of the lens.

Brian

 

[Alex_B]

Sorry, I should clarify, I know that a circular polarizer is required for modern split beam metering. I don't think (though I could be wrong) that the Cokin system has a polarizing filter for its holder that accomplishes the same.

Now, when I talk about Cokin vs. Circular, I mean the Cokin system of square filters type that go into the holder, versus the screw on circular/round type that screw directly into the threads of the lens.

Brian

hmm, i think that Cokin also has circular polarisers for their filter holders ...

 

[dbyrd]

I have used Cokin filters for a few years, stopped using them when I went digital. I did prefer the Cokin system over the screw ons. I did not use the polarizers, but I did use their diffusion series and I found them to be better than Tiffin.

 

[firemedic0135]

I have also been looking at the cokin system and was cosidering starting a thread to get some feedback from users of the system so I will keep an eye on this one.

 

[rmh159]

I use all screw on filters. They're easier for me to handle (I can put the filter on and then put the lens cap over it) where with Cokin it takes a bit longer especially when you're out and can't easily set your camera on something to change out filters. That said I do use the Cokin Grad ND filters so that I can slide them up and down but that's it.

Also, after looking through Cokin's filter catalog I realized 90% of them can be reproduced in Photoshop so I never looked beyond the grad ND filters. That said though... at $20 / filter if you get one and use it once, it might still be a worthwhile purchase.

 

[Steph]

If I remember right Cokin ND is not always really neutral.

You are right. When I was using those I sometimes got very slightly purple skies (where they should have been grey). I guess it was depending on the lightning conditions as most of the time they are fine.

 

[Alpha]

As for Cokin, I think most of their filters are not glass, but plastic (aometimes called "organic glass"), which is supposedly optically less performing than glass but also much cheaper. but in practise that will often not really be visible in your images.

Almost no filters, save very expensive ones, are glass. To discount cokin because they're plastic/gelatin is silly, because almost every "glass" threaded filter on the market is made by sandwiching a piece of gelatin between two pieces of glass.

 

[BAB]

I have had good results using both Cokin and glass screw on filters, with a slight quality edge to glass screw on filters . The advantage to the Cokin system is cost, if you own multiple lenses with different thread sizes.

 

[Alex_B]

Almost no filters, save very expensive ones, are glass. To discount cokin because they're plastic/gelatin is silly, because almost every "glass" threaded filter on the market is made by sandwiching a piece of gelatin between two pieces of glass.

I am sorry, but all my B+W filters are much more colour neutral than a Cockin ND.

Which does not mean that the latter are unuseable, just you have to know their limits. If you had read my post you would have understood what I meant.

 

[Steph]

I am sorry, but all my B+W filters are much more colour neutral than a Cockin ND.

Which does not mean that the latter are unuseable, just you have to know their limits. If you had read my post you would have understood what I meant.

I don't think it has anything to do with material (glass or resin). Lee filters are resin filters and their ND filters are definitely neutral.

 

[Alex_B]

I don't think it has anything to do with material (glass or resin). Lee filters are resin filters and their ND filters are definitely neutral.

Lee is better, I agree.

my main point anyway was to say that I did not discount Cokin for whatever reason, but that there are better filters out there if you spend a bit more money.

I agree I mixed two things here. The B+W - neutrality was to demonstrate the bit more money -> better filter thing and not really related to organic materials.

 

[Jeff Canes]

I thought circular polarizers where primarily required for use with autofocus and that linear polarizers worked on most manual focus cameras