4x4 vs 4x5.65 ND Filters

[Matt W.]

Just wondering if 4x4 ND filters will work with most lenses. I have mostly prime lenses, only one fast zoom, and it's designed for 4x4 filters.

[Phil Holland]

Depends greatly on the lenses and if the filters and filter holder/matte box covering the lenses and not blocking coverage.

My advice for most cinema professionals is to use 4x5.65" filters and has been for a long, long time.

If you are merely shooting with 80mm OD glass, you likely can get away with 4x4". But if you are shooting wide and with glass in the 95 OD range and up, well, best to do what everybody else does.

[Matt W.]

Depends greatly on the lenses and if the filters and filter holder/matte box covering the lenses and not blocking coverage.

My advice for most cinema professionals is to use 4x5.65" filters and has been for a long, long time.

If you are merely shooting with 80mm OD glass, you likely can get away with 4x4". But if you are shooting wide and with glass in the 95 OD range and up, well, best to do what everybody else does.

Thanks, I do have some 95mm fronts, but both work with 4x4 filters I believe. I worry about using a 50mm square front Lomo, but Raf camera makes a 95mm front step up ring that I think I can use. I suppose if I were using a 35mm Lomo square front that would not work?

What brands do you like btw? I will be using these primarily on S16 film and Alexa.

My 7-63mm t2.6 zoom has a 4x4 matte box, so it would be convenient to share parts as I already have NDs for it and Classic Softs.