Cokin, Lee, B+W or...?
I'm looking for filters for use with B&W film (ocasionally color) and I'm considering Polarizer, colored- and IR filters.
they will be used on wides-normals in 52,62,67,82mm diameters (I haven't decided on the teles yet).
Kind regards
I like the Cokin filter holders on SLR and view cameras, even if they are a bit fiddly to work with. They won't block the viewfinder as they can with rangefinder and TLR cameras. The Cokin filters aren't bad, but they are made of plastic and scratch easily. That's not a problem though if you source the filters from another manufacturer selling same sized filters made of glass. If you decide on the Cokin system, I'd suggest you look at the Cokin P series which accomodates lenses with filter rings sized 48 to 82 mm. Lens hoods are always a good idea to cut down of flare. Cokin sells accessory lens hoods that fit the filter holder. Quite good, and they help a lot.
Another Cokin filter user here, mine are over 20 years old and still fine and scratch free. The P series fit all my lenses except my 165mm Super Angulon so they are very versatile.
B&W,Heliopan or Hoya. I've got some Kodak gels I picked up. But for somebody with my butter fingers I like the glass filters better.
The Heliopans seem the best built but they are also the most expensive. The Hoyas are likely the best for price/performance.
I'd consider some good step up rings. I've got basically three sets of filters. 58mm is used on 58mm and smaller. 67mm and 82mm. The 67mm is the most complete set and I've got step rings all the way down to my smallest lenses for this.
I did some math on Lee vs B+W filters with an IR filter, 82mm thread and Robert White vs Fotomayr prices as an example
The B+W filter where slightly cheaper but was glass instead of the polyester offered by Lee. Most of the adapter rings in the Lee system are more expensive than B+W but the colored filters are cheaper when talking big threads. When it comes to the Polarizer its a draw depending on what youre after. My concern then is the quality, versatility and usability. Any on used the Lee filters?
Kind regards
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Søren Nielsen Denmark
Ok no more cameras until July 2009
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Another vote for the Cokin P series type. My Cokin ones aren't scratched either - I always store them in the hard cases they came in. I gave up on step rings when I went from 55 to 58 to 67 to 72. Luckily, that happened before I bought all those filters in every size.
A vote for Lee. I use them all the time with my Pentax 67II outfit. I use 0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 ND Hard Grad's, yellow, orange, red and full ND's (but not all at once!). They're pricey but a good investment, reasonably resistant to scratches. The mounting system works fine.
I don't use a polarizer though, and seem to remember an issue with using polarizers and the Lee mounting system. Maybe Lee have solved this by bringing out their own polarizer?
IR wise - It depends on what 'strength' of IR filter you're looking for as Lee only make a few, none in resin if I remember correctly? I've just ordered a Heliopan IR screw-in filter with stepping rings for my lenses.
Whatever you decide, I've had bad experience with Hoya filters. Bad workmanship - coatings coming off uv filters with little use, soft threads etc.
Are the system (Lee, Hitech and Cokin) compatible with each other?
I use a Cokin holder with Hitech filters and a Lee hood, all "for Cokin P".
The Hitech filters fit a little more tightly in the holder than do the Cokin filters but it works.
I also use Lee filters, even for IR work. I didn't know the Cokin P series actually went up to 82 mm. I use a linear polarizer. I can't tell from the OP what sort of camera is being used.
which filters, once again 
Linear Mode
