Filters
 

I'm looking at getting a filter system and would appreciate some advice on what (and possibly where?) to buy.

In particular I want to use ND Grad filters for landscape work, on a 10-20 sigma, a 18-70 nikon and maybe the 70-200 nikon.

Any recommendations please.

In the days of film I used to use Cokin filters. The advantage to these was that one filter would fit on many different diameter lenses, as the filter was held in a bracket and attached to the lens via an adaptor ring. So if you bought a new lens all you needed was an additional adapter for the new lens.

Now with digital I dont bother with filters on the lenses, preffering instead to make adjustments in Photoshop.

Chromasoftware do a plugin version of Cokin graduated filters.

Another factor with wide angle lens is that you need very low profile filters to reduce the amount vignetting the filter rim can introduce. This goes against the way that graduated filters in the Cokin System work. The large Cokin Pro systems maybe large enough to avoid this problem. I have dabbled with the Cokin graduated filter in the past. The countryside on my local patch does not lend itself to great landscape shots.

I found care is needed when setting the exposure. You can find yourself reading though the darkened part of the filter which then negates the effect of using the filter in the first place.

A couple of things that PS filters can't really do well is polarisation and reducing shutter speed with ND filters (e.g. softening water appearance).

Cokin's system is good and reasonably priced, although if you are really worried about image quality look at makes like Singh-ray, B+W etc. You can get them to fit Cokin holders but they tend to have better optical quality.

Using Cokin filters to your 10-20mm would be the biggest challenge...A series is no where big enough, P series you'll probably get vignetting in the corners....
Either go for the Cokin Z- series or fit low profile screw-ons from Hoya or B&W

Of course if you do get vignetting in the corners you can always PS it out in a few seconds or so.

Cokin X-PRO Series are recommended for 15mm onwards on a full frame 35mm camera so with the D80 you will just about make it at your widest. The filters themselves are 130mm wide.

Don

If you can afford the X or Z lines, good for you.
I would otherwise go with P series that are quite handy for small format DSLRs and for few ultrawide situations encounter, either cropping or pp clone stamp of periphery always has made my day trouble free. Avoid A line at all costs.
If you work on high volume and large number of images, then you probably make big bucks to afford more expensive lines. No mater what, Cokin is the answer to your question IMO.

Ok I went with the Z-Pro system, but could only afford the 3 ND grad filters to start with. Now I'm looking around at increasing my collection, without breaking the bank.

I've seen Kood Pro series (100mm) filters for sale at 1/3rd the price of the Lee or Cokin. Has anyone used these as they look OK and would enable me to obviously expand quicker.

If you are careful enough, you can find the best deals on ebay. Also you may see some third party filter to fit cokin that is at your discretion to buy or not.