What filter holder do I need to use for ND Grads to avoid vignetting?
As explained above, the answer is “it depends.” Actually, with ND Grads, it’s the filter holder that may cause vignetting, not the filter itself, so it’s easy enough to test if a particular combination of lens, camera and holder will be satisfactory before you actually purchase a filter. If you have a local camera store, you can take your system in and do a few test shots with the various holders. Or they are not terribly expensive to purchase online and test. In their P-size (84mm width), Cokin makes a standard 3-slot holder, and a single-slot “wide angle” holder, both of which are very affordable. Generally speaking, there is less vignetting when wide-angle lenses are fitted with a Cokin Z-Pro or a Lee holder, which both use larger filters (100mm width) and offer several configuration options. These larger holders are more expensive, as are the filters themselves. Singh-Ray offers a number of filters in this size. Many pros that we work with prefer to hand hold their ND Grads, partly
