Shawn,
This is the most useful filter type when it comes to landscape photography.
With the saturation of Velvia, I could probably live without polarizers, but
I'd be crippled without the graduated ND filters.
I use the Cokin filter holders, small ones (don't know if they're P or A)
but not the Cokin filters, but another brand of the name Cromatek. The
advantage of a filter holder is that you can slide the filter up and down
thus adjusting the graduation to the actual scene. The Cromateks are too big
for the Cokin holder, so I have had to cut them off a bit. They are very
colourneutral which unfortunately can't be said about many others. Any
coloured (sunset, tobacco etc) are banned in my photobag! There are two
versions, professional which come in three different grades and a cheaper
amateur version, very similar in two grades. Note that these plastic filters
scratch very easily and with frequent use probably have to be replaced every
other year or so. You'll need at least two versions, which of course can be
put together (I often do).
My widest lens (apart from my 16/3.5) is 24 mm and for that this setup works
very fine.
Image quality does not suffer IF the filters are clean and doesn't have too
many scratches.
By all means avoid 49 or 55 filters, with these you cannot adjust the filter
up/down whatsoever and are stuck with the design and graduation of the
filter. IMO these are practically worthless and a waste of money.
There is an example in Great Garth's gallery, albeit scanned and digitized,
the Panamint mountains of Death Valley which was taken with both filters
mounted.
Happy landscape shooting
Ulf Westerberg
>Lately I have been shooting a lot of landscapes which I think could benefit
>from a graduated ND filter, as I often see used by Galen Rowell and others.
>Can anyone recommend a system to use for this purpose? I currently have all
>49mm lenses, although I would consider a 55mm filter holder to accomodate
>future :-) lenses...
>Are there any filter systems which will work on the 21/3.5, and if so, what
>size, if any, step-up ring do I need? A 2stop ND grad seems to be the most
>common/useful - is this a fair assessment?
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