cokin p series fiter holder and hood help

[Steve Dave]

well im thinking of buying the panasonic gh1 and im thinking of things to buy with this. well i thought i might get the cokin p series filter holder with the hood but im new do this thing so im not really sure what you need to buy so heres a list of things that i thought was needed for the filter. can someone tell me if all these things are needed and if im missing something can you tell me.

1. Cokin P filter holder (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/133282-REG/LEE_Filters_PH84_Pro_Hood_for_Cokin.html)

2. Cokin modular hood (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/14358-REG/Cokin_CP255_Modular_Hood_for_P_.html)

3. Filter holder with pamphlets (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=details_accessories&A=kitInfo&Q=&sku=459608&is=REG&friendly=Cokin_CBP400A__P_Series_Filter.html)
If this is a filter holder than what is the difference between this one and the #1?

4. 62mm adapter ring (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=details_accessories&A=kitInfo&Q=&sku=14093&is=REG&friendly=Cokin_CP462__P_Series_62mm_Adapter.html)
Is the kit lens 62mm?

[Kevin I]

You will need #3 and #4 (yes, the kit lens is 62mm).

#1 and #2 serve the same purpose... just that #1 is expandable, and several of #2 can be stacked to achieve whatever length of hood you want.

[Steve Dave]

ooo so ur saying that if i get the first filter holder is than i can use it to replace the filter holder that comes with the pamphlets? and does getting the first one really create a difference in footage and is it worth the cost.

[Kevin I]

No, #1 does not replace #3.

#1 is an expandable hood. The "filter holder" function of #1 is for holding gelatin filters at the -front- of the hood. This is/was commonly used for vignetters in portrait photography to block out or subdue backgrounds and focus attention on the subject. In the photo on B&H you can see the clear plastic piece with the round cutout in the center... this is a vignetter.

The other difference between #1 and #2 is that #2 snaps on to the outside of the #3 filter holder, but #1 slides into (thus taking up) one of the filter slots.

Something I just thought of: Both hoods may vignette on the kit lens at 14mm. Even the filter holder alone may vignette at 14mm. You may need to get one of the slim filter holders that only hold 1 filter instead of 3.

Sorry I can't confirm this for you... I have #1 and several #2 hoods, but I never picked up a 62mm adapter ring for my Cokin P set.

[Steve Dave]

alright thanks alot kevin XD
ill research it some more to find out more about it

[Steve Dave]

Waiiiittt one last question on the setup
soo like on the picture on the packaging for the filter holder #3 the holder connects directly to the lens right?
so then you connect #1 filter holder to the #3 holder on your lens and then you connect the hood to the #1

and also could you specify on what you mean of this quote. XD sorry but im new to the camera world and the vocabulary is confusing to me. sorry :/

" Both hoods may vignette on the kit lens at 14mm. Even the filter holder alone may vignette at 14mm. You may need to get one of the slim filter holders that only hold 1 filter instead of 3."

[Kevin I]

If all you need is one slot, you might pick up one of the slim filter holders on eBay.

And if you're handy, you could make your own matte box or French flag to attach to the holder. This may be more useful than either of the Cokin hood options.

[Steve Dave]

hmm i see well i might think of making a matte box but just wondering since #1 holder is too big but cant i just connect the hood to the #3 holder or do i need another holder to attach to the #3

[Kevin I]

Either #1 or #2 will attach directly to #3. No adapters are necessary.

But I think that both #1 and #2 are really meant to be used with longer lenses and you probably can't use them with the kit zoom at its wider settings without vignetting.

At least with a matte box or French flag, you might be able to adjust the angle and keep it from vignetting even if you use the kit lens at 14mm.

[Martti Ekstrand]

If you are going for Cokin what you need for the kit lens is this one
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/459619-REG/Cokin_CBP40062__P_Series_Filter.html

Then a ND2 (P152), a ND4 (P153) and two ND8 (P154). Trust me, you will need two of the 8s in sunny daylight.

A lens cap is handy so you don't have to unscrew the adapter ring all the time.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/14056-REG/Cokin_CP253_Adapter_Cap_P_P253_.html

If you want to leave the filter holder on the camera you need this too
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/14337-REG/Cokin_CP252__P_Series_Lens_Cap.html

Then just buy appropriate adapter rings for any additional lenses you get and a P253 cap for each.

One modular hood is good to have just to make the filters bit more recessed to prevent from accidentally scratch them. They are made of plastic and a bit sensitive.

That's the base, add graduated NDs and effects filter as you need. A linear Polarizer is handy as well.

[Steve Dave]

If you are going for Cokin what you need for the kit lens is this one
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/459619-REG/Cokin_CBP40062__P_Series_Filter.html

Then a ND2 (P152), a ND4 (P153) and two ND8 (P154). Trust me, you will need two of the 8s in sunny daylight.

A lens cap is handy so you don't have to unscrew the adapter ring all the time.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/14056-REG/Cokin_CP253_Adapter_Cap_P_P253_.html

If you want to leave the filter holder on the camera you need this too
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/14337-REG/Cokin_CP252__P_Series_Lens_Cap.html

Then just buy appropriate adapter rings for any additional lenses you get and a P253 cap for each.

One modular hood is good to have just to make the filters bit more recessed to prevent from accidentally scratch them. They are made of plastic and a bit sensitive.

That's the base, add graduated NDs and effects filter as you need. A linear Polarizer is handy as well.

o cool XD that package has everything i need in one
well im thinking of getting the cokin p hood (http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=getItemDetail&Q=&sku=14358&is=REG&si=rev#features) with package but i have one question
in the features section of the webpage it says how many hoods you need for different sizes of camera lenses does that mean i need 4 hoods cus i think that it might be too long?

just for reference heres how big the hood compares to a regular dslr camera XD.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNz0zzG55Go

[Martti Ekstrand]

Well, it depends on how much you want to keep the image clean of flares. I'm with JJ Abrams and think they are cool and typically overdo it so I only got one modular hood mostly for protection. Together with the kit lens zoom range you'd might be happier with their bellows holder as snapping on and off the modular hoods will be a chore.

I should mention that I wish I had seen Formatt's Hitech range before I got the Cokin stuff as their holder have a spinning front ring that seems easier to use with a polarizer.
http://www.formatt.co.uk/stills-filters/hardware-85mm/mk2-aluminium-holder.aspx

On the Cokin holder the polarizer sits in a narrow slot closes to the lens and is both pretty stiff to turn and block the closest filter slot.

[daveswan]

Have you looked at the Lee Filters system? They have bellows lens hoods, including W/A versions.
Dave