Cokin P or Cokin Z Pro Filter Holder - Please Help!

[seaviews]

Dear people

I have an urgent enquiry regarding Cokin Filters and filter holders and would very much appreciate what experienced members think, please.

My son has a Nikon camera, 4 lenses, which are 35mm lens, small kit lens (2x zoom), 75- 300 zoom and his latest sigma 10-20 wide angle Lens. Filter sizes for all lenses are 42mm or 52mm or 77mm.

For Christmas I've bought him a Cokin Z pro Filter holder + 3 Grad ND Filters rather than the Cokin P series because he is likely (I think?) to use the Sigma lens for most landscape shots and with 77mm filter the Cokin P 80mm system is a bit too small. vigneting, quality etc. Have I done the right thing, or should I have bought the P series?

It's urgent in that I can still send this one back and replace it with smaller series. Also, if I keep the one I have got, bearing in mind the lenses he has, is it likely that I will only have to get him the one adapter for his 77mm Sigma Lens? He won't need rings for the other lenses will he?

This is starting to be an expensive Christmas present if I'm not careful. I wish now I'd bought him a cheap computer game :-(


Do you agree about 77mm lens is better with Z pro or is it overkill. My remaining creditworthiness depends on answers.

Patrick

(Thanks to GeoffC for his advice earlier)

Thanks

Patrick

 

[hark]

I haven't used mine in a long time--since I have the 'P' version, I cannot comment on how the Pro-Z version works. The way they used to work, and most likely the way they still work, is that the filter holder gets mounted onto a lens by the use of a filter ring. The ring screws onto the front of the lens. You mentioned his lenses take 42mm, 52mm, and 77mm filters so you'd need one of each in order to mount the filter holder.

Looking at Cokin's web site, the 'P' size offers filters that will accommodate up to 82mm filters (the overall diameter of an actual Cokin filter is 84mm). With the use of post processing, he should be able to cut down and/or eliminate any vignetting that might occur.

And Cokin also makes a second filter holder that is designed to cut down on vignetting when used with wide angle lenses such as a 20mm lens. If his wide angle lens is the one that accepts a 77mm filter, you might want to get the special filter holder at some point in the future--the item is P Wide-Angle Holder (BPW-400A). A wide angle lens would be more prone to vignetting than a normal or telephoto lens. Here is more info on the 'P' system: Filters for Photographic Lenses - Creative FIlters - www.cokin.co,.k

I haven't compared prices but wonder if the 'P' filters might be a little less expensive than the Pro-Z ones.

Matt Granger mentions using the 'P' version, and his filter sizes take up to 77mm, too.

 

[FastGlass]

The P series filter have a max size of 82mm. Using these on a real wide lens may produce vignetting while the Z-pro filters are the more standard 4" style at 96mm. I use the Lee system and they are 4" as well. Love the system.

 

[Eyelight]

Something to consider is the format of the camera.

Cokin's notes on the P series being usable from 28mm focal length onward (20mm using the Wide-Angle Holder) references 35mm format sensors (FX).

If the subject camera is DX, the P-Series would work on shorter focal lengths of 20mm with the standard P holder and 13mm with the Wide-Angle Holder.


Edited to add: Glancing at Amazon, the Z series appears to be 2-3 times the cost of the P Series.

 

[Eyelight]

Referencing this brochure,

http://www.cokin.co.uk/pdf/V400A-HD.pdf

The X series is the only one that can get to 10mm focal length on a DX camera (15mm on FX).

The P Series with Wide-Angle Adapter gives the same short focal length capability as the Z series.

When working near the edge of a spec, I think you would need to do some trials to confirm what the brochures tell us.

 

[seaviews]

Thanks to Hark, Fastglass and Eyelight and Geoff. for your efforts.
I think I am now going to keep the Cokin Z Pro for my son because if he gets the 5 to 10 stop ND filter later, it will be much better than the P version for setting up long exposure shots.

They aren't cheap are they?