ND Grad filters for a Sigma 10-20mm?

[Kermit power]

Morning all.

I have a Sigma 10-20mm lens. I also have a nice, thin Hoya polarising filter for it which doesn't cause vignetting.

Thing is, by definition, this lens is something I'll regularly use for landscapes, so in the ideal world, I'd like to be able to use both an ND Grad and/or the polarising filter. The problem is that just about all the filter sets I've seen seem to only be recommended for lenses down to around 22mm or so.

Am I missing something? Do I have to accept either an ultra-wide angle view or the polarised, graduated effect? It seems strange that nobody has produced a filter holder for these lenses now that they are so widely used, so I am assuming I must be missing something?

[andy-xr]

You can see your own feet with that lens @ 10mm

It distorts heavily too, so I think a grad would be all over the place

Edited by andy-xr on Wednesday 29th April 12:02

[GetCarter]

I have said lens and Lee grads. The only way of using it is physically holding it in front of the lens - any mount will give you grief.

[miniman]

I've used mine with a Cokin P-series Grad and holder, but at 10mm the holder is encroaching into the image.

[Triumph Coupe]

This doesn't help you much but I think it is worth remembering.

When using polarizers with very wide angle lenses you have to be really careful because the angle of polarization varies continuously with the angle from the sun (it polarization is most strong when at 90 degrees to the sun, at 180 degrees the effect is virtually non existent). When using a polarizer with a lens much wider than about 28mm you can get unevenly polarized skies (much darker on one side than the other for example) and so it is often thought best not to use a polarizer for ultra wide angle lenses.

Just a thought...

[10JH]

There is a wide angle holder for the Cokin filters, similar to this one:

http://www.crookedimaging.co.uk/product_info.php?c...

Out of interest, did your Hoya filter come in a blue or green case? I'm looking at getting one and the price difference between the two is pretty big!

[GetCarter]

10JH said:

There is a wide angle holder for the Cokin filters, similar to this one:

http://www.crookedimaging.co.uk/product_info.php?c...

Out of interest, did your Hoya filter come in a blue or green case? I'm looking at getting one and the price difference between the two is pretty big!

I have extra wide angle holder and it doesn't work.... TOO WIDE!

[Kermit power]

10JH said:

There is a wide angle holder for the Cokin filters, similar to this one:

http://www.crookedimaging.co.uk/product_info.php?c...

Out of interest, did your Hoya filter come in a blue or green case? I'm looking at getting one and the price difference between the two is pretty big!

Green, I think. It was around £60 from memory.

[RobDickinson]

Heres a shot from my 350d/10-20 at 10mm with cokin cpl and ND grad (1stop):



It can work fine.

Sometimes it doesnt....

[10JH]

Very nice photo Rob! Did you use a Square or circular ND, just bought a 10-20 and am looking for some.

[RobDickinson]

Square, as in the cokin P format.

Round ND Grads are pretty useless.

[GetCarter]

Is the 350 full frame Rob?

[miniman]

GetCarter said:

Is the 350 full frame Rob?

No, 1.6 crop.

[GetCarter]

Ah... that'll explain why he can do it and I cant.

As you were people, listen to Rob, not me!

[paul911]

Just taken these two pics with filter holder and ND grad attached to Sigma 10-20mm @ 10mm. On a 350D.

In my case landscape shows


And portrait


Sorry its not as picturesque as Robs pic, but you get the idea . (PS its raining hence the blobs)

Edited by paul911 on Thursday 30th April 21:13

[Kermit power]

GetCarter said:

Ah... that'll explain why he can do it and I cant.

As you were people, listen to Rob, not me!

I rather thought this lens alone vignettes to black if you try using it on a full sensor body over about 14mm, doesn't it?

[RobDickinson]

Kermit power said:

I rather thought this lens alone vignettes to black if you try using it on a full sensor body over about 14mm, doesn't it?

Yes it does, heres a shot from my 10-20 on a 5D (no filters) @10mm:



Ahother :


I do quite often at 10mm get the filter holder in , shooting at 11 or 12mm and f8 usualy avoids that, but unless I can realy justify using filters now I dont , they often spoil more shots than they help.

Heres one I used a CPL, ND Grad and ND8 - this shot at 10mm and cropped due to filter holder: