Filter Advice!

[Evan Prosofsky]

hi everyone,
i've found what i think to be a great deal for some filters, but i would love to know more before i make a purchase. its 500 canadian for 4 filters(3 tiffen ND's and one B+W), an ND3, ND6, ND9, and an 85(what i think to be a warming filter). they are 4x5.65.
i recently purchased a 15mm version of the redrock mattebox so these seem like the perfect choice.
also i apologize if this is a silly question but are these filters large enough for my lenses? right now i have an hvx/35mm adapter setup with nikons, i'm sure that will be fine, but for the red primes will the 4x5's be big enough? is this a good deal? what should i look for?
thankyou as always!

 

[David Mullen ASC]

The 85B filter corrects 5500K to 3200K, for correcting daylight for tungsten-balanced film. You don't really need it for the RED camera, which is native daylight-balance.

Basic filters tend to be the ND.3, ND.6, ND.9, plus sometimes a ND1.2, plus a Pola.

Beyond that, you may want a clear optical flat to protect the lens when doing any shot where something my fly at the lens, like a spray of mud, etc. Also, ND soft-edge grads are sometimes useful for bringing down a hot area in the frame on one side (most commonly a bright sky at the top of frame.)

You may want some diffusion filters. Or not.

Diopters can be useful for close-up work when you are closer than the minimal focus of the lens.

4x5.6 is big enough for most lenses.

Sometimes people get the grads in 6.6x6.6 with a 6.6x6.6 mattebox so they have some room to slide the grad up or down.

 

[Michael Stanmore]

Hmm... that's real interesting about getting jumbo grads. One of those bits of advice that seems obvious AFTER you hear it... but not before.

 

[Tail Ends]

Myktyl, I just learned about this feature last month myself. NOTE that it is not available on MB 20 boxes, only MB 14. And of course the MB 14 is not discounted much. Regardless, I switched to the MB 14 for studio work--too heavy for hand held, 19mm only.

 

[Evin Grant]

You can use 5.65x5.65 in an MB-20 though, plenty big for most things.

 

[david farland]

How much use have people found for the ND1.5 & ND1.8 filters?

Also, I'm thinking the new Red 18-85 (138mm OD) may vignette with the 4x5.65 filters...thoughts..?

D

 

[Jay A. Kelley]

A 1.2 has done most of what I have needed so far David.

Jay