 Likah Rue |
Is FOTODIOX a Trustworthy Brand? I am looking to buy a Neutral Density Filter and found one at "FOTODIOX.COM" I haven't heard of them before and was wondering if anybody knows the quality of what they sell? Thanks for input!
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Mark Feldstein |
I don't know if a Chinese firm called "Shatteredglassimages" bought Fotodiox or not on behalf of Walmart. All kidding aside April, it sounds like an Ebay brand to me. Stick with reputbable filter companies like Tiffen, Hoya, B+W, Sailwind, Lee, Cokin, Hitech, among others. You won't regret buying good filters. Good filters, like tiffen and Hoya don't need to cost a fortune. Check places like bhphotovideo.com. And, while you're at it, consider getting either a graduated sky blue resin filter or a graduated resin neutral density filter that works in a separate holder like Hitech or Cokin or Lee. It's more versatile than a conventional filter.
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Likah Rue |
Hey Mark, thanks for the input. I'm starting to see you alot around the Q&A section! Now, a holder for a filter, does that screw into your lens and then you use a circular filter, or is it a slot filter that goes into the holder? So I would need a filter holder and then an adapter for every lens I have, correct? I looked at the graduated resin neutral density filter, looks like a good filter. Also looks like resin in the way to go as the color won't scratch off as in gels or plastics (yikes, plastic??) Any other input or advice, I welcome freely! Thank you again. April
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Mark Feldstein |
The HiTech holder has an inset at the back that accepts the HiTech adapter ring. First (depending on your lens mount) you just thread the back side of the ring onto the lens you're working with just like a filter. The front of the ring then fits into the holder inset and locks down with two set secrews and you're good to go. If you gently loosen the set screws, you can turn the holder, hence the filter slots, to any position on your lens mount. And yep, the filters slide into slots on the holder and stay firmly in place unless you move them vertically up or down to adjust them into a scene. Depending on the holders you get, they'll accept either 2,3, or 4 filters, so you can stack filters OR you can stack holders. With the 3 slot version, I find I usually don't need to put on a lens hood although they have them available if you want, about 102mm (That's a pretty big hood). I tested the HiTech resins for Atellier systems and Andrew Skilling, the guy who came up with the system in about ..yikes....1992 or so. Since then, a company named Formatt bought them and has been producing HiTech resins and Formatt glass filters in the UK. I own about 28 of these things for special effects and color correction filters. In all this time, I've never seen one of my Hitechs filters, chip, crack warp, flake, peel, fade, or rust. I use them on Zeiss, Schneider and Nikkor lenses and I've never noticed image degradation no matter how big the print, up to 48" square. And April, a print four feet square is a BIG print. ;>) In my gallery, most of the color images were made with one combination or another of HiTech filters. Can you tell which ones were or weren't? (That includes color correction models too). Yes you can scratch them, but not easily. Of course, if you mishandle any filter, glass or resin, you can do serious damage them including scratches. Oh, and no, I don't get a commission although over the years, I wish I did. LOL !!! While a lot of companies are coming up with gimmicks to sell their stuff, Formatt doesn't need to. It's really a good, useful product, one they stands behind and I highly recommend. Okie dokie? You'll find more info (than even I could possibly tell) you at the Formatt site: http://www.formatt.co.uk/hitech/default.php Okie dokie? You're right. Resins (not plastic
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