Cokin or Hoya Filters

[super duper]

I have decided I NEED CP filters, and worked out it would cost the same to deck out 4 different thread sizes with 4 different Hoya CP (the cheaper ones) filters as it would to get the Cokin system. The advantage of the cokin system obviously being I can now add more filters to my collection quite cheaply. So my question is, are the Cokin filters good? Or am I better off spending more $$ on better quality Hoya filters?

[ving]

well if you get the cokins then you leave yourself opens for a bunch of ND and GND filters too...

[super duper]

well if you get the cokins then you leave yourself opens for a bunch of ND and GND filters too...
Yes, Cokin has that massive advantage!

But....are they good filters?

[reaction]

cokin are SO inconvenient
how many filters do you need anyway?
and there's always the color cast issues.

[KeeFy]

CPL. Hoya/kenko.

[William]

Are we Talkiing screw on Filters or a Grad set in a Filter Holder , I use Cokin, "P" Series Filters , Just dont stack them to much 2 max , Or you get a Magenta Cast , If you shoot RAW it's easy to get rid of these days :)

[andylo]

superduper,

My conclusion is to go for Cokin if you are serious enough for your landscape images. You can read the following to discover my reason.

I have gone thru the steps of using Hoya screw ons, then the Cokin P system, and now using the Cokin Z-Pro system.

Depends on what kind of gears you have, what kind of gears you WILL have, and what you want to achieve.

At the beginning I started out with a 500D + 18-55IS kit lens, the 58mm Hoya Pro1D ND2/4/8 + a CPL is really all I need. It does produce a fantastic result within it's limitation.

Then later I have got greedy, I want a wider focal length, better color rendering and better details can be recorded thru the lens. So I go for the EF-S 10-20 USM. Which retired my 58mm filters - because the lens itself if 77mm diameter.

I start asking myself where is this going to end, because if I keep upgrading to different lens, I will always face the problem screw on filters diameter.

This is where I decided to go for the Cokin P system - NOTE: With a ultra wide filter holder. (Standard holder produce dark corner at the 4 corner edges)

With the color cast problem: using the original cokin filter (even stacking) I don't really have the problem, but using the cheapies MIGHT produce color cast in certain cases. But it only matters if you shoot JPEG. If shoot Raw it can be adjust during post process.

Later I have obsessed with the lenses has a red ring.... then proceed to risk my neck (chop by missus) and upgrade to the Cokin Z-Pro system.

I am in Brisbane, and if you want to have a play with my Z-Pro you are more than welcome to.

[super duper]

Thanks for the input :)

Andylo, I'm a long way North of Bris, but thank you so much for the kind offer :)

Where am I now and where do I want to be: I am a beginner and I want to be a great all-rounder. I will always primarily photograph my children, but also love doing landscapes, sunsets, macro etc. I have a 35mm/1.8 (52mm thread), 60mm/2.8 (62mm thread), 135mm/2 (72mm thread) and an 18-200/3.5-5.6 (72mm thread). I will hopefully soon also own the 300mm/4 (77mm thread).

I do not shoot raw, and am yet to learn about editing (doing a course soon :) )

William, yeah I was talking about the cokin p series stackables.

Initially I need some polarised filters, then I want some ND grads. I bought a super duper cheap grad ($5 delivered!) which looks like I could screw another filter infront of it. Can Hoya filters be screwed together? I want to learn more about photoshop before I decide what other filters I would want (I think most other filter effects can be acheived in photshop?)

[AutumnCurl]

Thanks for the thread i had the same question.:)

[unistudent1962]

The cheapest way out is to always buy filters to fit your largest diameter lens and use stepdown rings to suit the smaller diameter lenses.

[Kylamie]

I just purchased some cokin filters and yes they can be a pain and not convenient time wise but the results are good. Ive also found that staking two is ok but 3..not so much. Its all about trial and error! Goodluck

[Jeanette]

So I am now in the market for ND filters and posted a google search about this. and voila this came up in google search :)
The last post was 2011 ..
any preference or suggestions for screw on filters vs cokin ???

[Babu]

What about Lee filter systems?

[Gavvvvvin]

So I am now in the market for ND filters and posted a google search about this. and voila this came up in google search :)
The last post was 2011 ..
any preference or suggestions for screw on filters vs cokin ???

As someone else said, just buy a large high quality screw on and get some step down rings.