Lee Filters have been synonymous with landscape photography since the 1980s. Because colour transparency film had a very small exposure latitude between the lightest and darkest tones it could capture, Lee Filters developed the graduated neutral density filter. This works like a set of graduated sunglasses with a dark strip across one end of the filter and clear end at the other.
Photographers such as Joe Cornish, David Noton and Paul Wakefield used these filters to control the bright skies in their photographs, allowing them to create balanced images of the most beautiful of natural scenes.
Over 30 years later, Lee Filters have a wide range of different products you can choose from and we’ll be writing about how to choose the right system for you and how to use them most effectively over the coming posts. This article is a quick introduction that will hopefully let you choose the best starter kit for your photography system.
Size of Lee filter Adapter
The three main Lee filter systems are
- Sev5n series (filter size 75x90mm)
- 100mm series ( filter size 100×100 / 100x150mm)
- SW150 series ( filter size 150×150 / 150x170mm)
In order to work out which system is best for you, you need to check which size filter threads you have on the front of your lenses (and which lenses you may buy in the future).
Sev5n System
If all of your lens front filter threads are less than 72mm , then you can use the Sev5n system. This will give you a much smaller package (and cheaper filters!). Typically you’ll use these on micro four thirds cameras or full frame SLRs with small lenses.
100mm System
If you have one or more lenses with front filter threads bigger than 72mm but they are all 105mm or less (which most normal lenses are) then you can use the Lee 100mm system. These are the normal filters most people with DSLRs tend to use.
SW150 System
If you have lenses that don’t have a front filter thread (very wide angle lenses with integrated lens hoods for instance) then the SW150 system that has 150 x 170mm filters will be the solution. This system also has adapters to accept lenses with filter threads from 105mm down to 72mm.
Linhof Studio also make an XXL specialist holder that accepts the Lee Filters Sw150 size of filters. This is primarily designed for lenses 105mm and larger.
We’ll talk about each filter range in more detail in future blog posts and how to choose the right filters and adapters.
