100mm or Seven5 System Filters ?

[Sootchucker]

Since getting my Olympus 12-100 F4 Pro lens (which is simply stunning BTW and easily as sharp if not more so than my 12-40 Pro), with it having a 72mm filter ring, its at the maximum size for my Lee Seven5 system.

I've tried it with my Seven5 little and big stoppers, and it appears they might be a little too small at 12mm, as I can see the edges of the felt gasket on the stoppers in the corners of the images no matter where and how carefully I position them.

This got me thinking that I have two filter setups at the moment (bear with me).

The Lee 100mm System

• Lee Filter holder • Lee 100mm 0.9 ND Grad Hard • Lee 100mm 0.6 ND Grad Soft • Lee Big Stopper • Hitech Firecrest 1.8 ND • Lee 105mm Landscape polariser

Lee Seven5 System

• Lee Filter Holder • Seven5 0.9 ND Grad Hard • Seven5 0.9 ND Grad Soft • Seven5 0.6 ND Grad Soft • Seven5 Little Stopper • Seven5 Big Stopper.

For Christmas my wife has bought me the NISI V5 100mm holder system with special adapter for my Olympus 7-14mm F2.8 Pro from Phil Norton Photography.which comes with another Polariser

I'm looking to consolidate into one system for both my Mirrorless (Olympus & Panasonic) systems, as well as my Nikon D500 APS-C system. Whilst I know that for the majority of lenses the Seven5 works well on M4/3, it's not so good on my Nikon system which vignettes on my 16-80 F2.8-4 up to around 18mm, and can't be used on my Sigma 10-20 due to it's 77mm filter thread.

Due to having more on the 100mm side (especially with the NISI coming and the added polarisers which I don't have for the Seven5 system). I'm leaning heavily towards the 100mm system (which would also serve well if i ever decided to get back into full frame), but I'm not sure if the larger ND grads work well enough with the smaller sensor on the micro four thirds. I've had a look side my side and the graduation portion on both the Seven5 and 100mm filters looks very similar to the eye, but they may actually be very different in reality. I'm wondering if the 100mm Hard grads would work more like a soft grad in the Seven5 series and if the 100mm Soft grads will be too soft with too great a graduation on M4/3.

I am obviously missing a 0.6Hard grad from my 100mm system that I do have on the Seven5, so I might have to purchase one of them ?

I could of course keep both system but it does seem overkill. Anyone any thoughts or suggestions please ?

 

[SpecFoto]

Went through the same as you in December of last year. I have both EM1/EM5 MKII and Nikon D800/D500 setups. (the D500 is just in the last month and I LOVE it.) Anyway I was using the P size filters with the Formatt Hitech mounting system for many years and it worked fine on my M4/3 and my Nikon lenses, except my Nikon 17-35mm f 2.8, where I just used 77mm circular filters and hand held the grads in front of the lens. Then I bought my Oly 7-14 last December.

I decided to use the Photosphere SG rubber donut mount and the included Haida 100mm metal mounting system. From what I have read the Haida is a Lee knockoff and while made in China it is very well made (aluminum and brass) and works just fine with 2 slots, though it can take 3 if needed. Haida has their own 100mm glass filters, but it fits other brands 100mm filters too. I ended up with 2 solid ND's and a polarizer by Haida and 2 Formatt Hitech hard grad ND's. The reason I chose this mounting system over the plastic type mounts available at the time was it the only one where you could mount 2 100mm filters without vignetting on the Oly 7-14mm.

The special rubber donut and glued mounting ring made specifically for the Oly 7-14mm lens easily separates from the Haida filter holder just like any other via pulling the knurled brass pin. I bought a Haida mounting ring in the 77mm size, which works with my D800 and Nikon 17-35 f2.8 and PCe 45mm f2.8 T&S lenses. I use standard $5 step up rings (B&H-Adorama) to mount this system on my 72mm, 62mm and even 46mm filter size lenses too. No heed to have the older P size system any longer and just having 1 system makes it easy.

Regarding the supposed issues with some soft grads and M4/3, I bought hard grads in 2 and 3 stops and it has not been an issue for me. I also bought a 3 and 6 stop (gasketted) solid ND and combine those when I need close to the 10 stops you have, and that works just fine too with no vignetting. But most times I will use the 3 or 6 stop with the square glass polarizer to cut down on reflections. Due to it not being a circular polarizer, you need to mount it at 90 degree angles for it to be most effective and for this reason it is 100mm square. I was told by the Photosphere SG folks that although Haida has a 105mm circular polarizer, it would vignette on the Oly 7-14, so you might want to be prepared for that with your Lee 105mm CP.

 

[Clint]

I kept my old large filter system as I know I can't get near the cost if selling. I tried system for a while with m4/3s but just didn't like the comparatively humongous size of everything when I carry the filter system, so I opted for the Seven5 system. For the Seven5 I opted for hard grads and have yet to need or want soft grad filters.

When and if I get rid of my Nikons and lenses, I well get rid of the large filters as well - unless I decide to buy 150mm f/2.0, 300mm f/4.0, a new lens comes out that interest me and requires a larger filter than the Seven5.