2013-07-29T21:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Long, Long exposures
10 stops is alot. Be careful! But if you need alot of motion blur in your photos, this is it!
ARTEM A.
2013-07-08T21:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
Less expensive alternative
I have the Cokin P series filter holder which I have used with other Cokin filters. Not planning on doing a lot of 10 stop ND work, I felt that this was a good entry purchase into the world of long exposures. Various reviews that I read indicated that one might experience different levels of difficulty bringing your image to proper color balance. So I was prepared for this problem.
One strong advantage of the Hitech filter is that along its outer edges there is a sponge baffle which dampens light leak when attached to the Cokin filter holder.
When I first experimented with using this filter I had all sorts of mixed lighting problems. For a while I thought I would have to send the filter back as I just couldn't get a good color adjustment on the resultant images.
As I looked at my "procedure" a bit more closely I noticed that even though I was blocking light leak coming through the viewfinder I was not shielding the front element or resin filter to a maximum ability. I had been shooting in the shade but still there is an abundance of ambient light bouncing all about. So, at least the solution for me, is to use your hat or some shading element making sure that you "see" its shading difference.
When you observe these practices then your image will come out "neutral" or be very easy to color correct via Lightroom, Photoshop, etc.
Steve
2013-06-28T21:00:00
Rated 3 out of 5
Foam gasket peeling off.
I originally wanted a Lee BS but it has been out of stock for over two months so I decided to use the Hitech. It comes with a nice pouch for storage and reference card for exposure. It produces the effect that I was looking for and yes there is a bluish cast but it is easily corrected in post editing. I would have given a higher rating but the very first time using it the foam gasket snagged on the lower portion of the filter holder and now I have to push the foam back into place each time. This may have been user error because I was trying to eliminate the gaps at the top and I may have pushed it to far into the bottom pins on my Cokin Z Pro holder. I have also once experienced light bleeding into the top of the exposure which may have come from the eyepiece. I would still recommend this filter just because of Lee's availability and the durability of the Hitech.
Silverback
2013-05-13T21:00:00
Rated 4 out of 5
Blue tint, but does what you need
Product is a resin not a glass (high quality plastic). Works great for 30 second shutters in mid day sun. Main use for me is water blur and clouds. Must know how to use your white balance controls in camera and highly recommend shooting in RAW for greater white balance control as the filter does leave a heavy blue tint. However, can be fixed in post or with AWB in the camera
DONALD H.
2013-02-04T19:00:00
Rated 5 out of 5
Instant dark
Fun to use for long exposure effects. There's a strong color cast, but it's correctable in post if you use a WhiBal card. Bought this instead of the Lee Big Stopper for two reasons: availability and the fact that this is made of resin rather than the delicate glass of the Lee. More than happy with my decision.
JAY O.
2012-08-16T21:00:00
Rated 1 out of 5
Gives odd color cast, I do not recommend
This filter gives an odd color cast that I could not remove to my satisfaction with my professional digital software. I do not recommend this filter.
NW P.
