[slowpez]

Not sure if this is in the right forum but as it may just be a Noob mistake I thought I would ask it here - admin, please move if needed.
I purchased a Cokin ND8 filter and took it out for a test drive on our last trip. I used it with the DA 16-45 and a wide-angle filter holder. Almost every picture has a reddish cast to it. The ones with the worst cast also don't show EXIF info in Photo Browser although the info does show in PhotoMe. Am I doing something wrong or is the filter defective? My graduated ND filters are OK.

Here is a sample shot.


Thanks for any help you can give, Susan

[Ira]

Is it Cokin brand? Or did you buy it on eBay as Cokin type/replacement?

Not sure if this is in the right forum but as it may just be a Noob mistake I thought I would ask it here - admin, please move if needed.
I purchased a Cokin ND8 filter and took it out for a test drive on our last trip. I used it with the DA 16-45 and a wide-angle filter holder. Almost every picture has a reddish cast to it. The ones with the worst cast also don't show EXIF info in Photo Browser although the info does show in PhotoMe. Am I doing something wrong or is the filter defective? My graduated ND filters are OK.

Here is a sample shot.


Thanks for any help you can give, Susan

You've been here long enough to not have to use the Beginners section Susan.

Did you check your WB before shooting by any chance?

[slowpez]

Hi Gary, I still feel like a noob. Had my WB set to auto. Did try several pics with different WB settings but it didn't seem to make a difference. The Cokin filter is a Cokin and I purchased it from Adorama. I took a few simply holding the filter in front of the lens and some of those seemed to be a little less red. I'm wondering if it might be the wide-angle holder??

[alohadave]

I'm wondering if it might be the wide-angle holder??

The filter holder wouldn't have any effect on the white balance.

[Wheatfield]

Cokin isn't known for really accurate colour transmission. It wouldn't surprise me if the filter itself isn't perfectly neutral.

[Ira]

You didn't see any difference in the WB settings when you downloaded them--or only in the camera when reviewing?

I would think that you would only use your daylight setting when using an ND anyway, so maybe try again and just take it from there?

[flyer]

I don't use Cokin's ND filter due to fact that they are not perfectly "neutral". I use the Cokin holder with Lee ND filters. The inaccuracy of the Cokin filter might be due to the fact that they're made of resin instead of glass. Resin might be cheaper to manufacture, but it is nowhere near glass when quality comes to mind.

[slowpez]

You didn't see any difference in the WB settings when you downloaded them--or only in the camera when reviewing?

I would think that you would only use your daylight setting when using an ND anyway, so maybe try again and just take it from there?

There wasn't much difference in camera or on the computer when viewing. I do tend to keep the camera on AWB most of the time, even with filters.

I don't use Cokin's ND filter due to fact that they are not perfectly "neutral". I use the Cokin holder with Lee ND filters. The inaccuracy of the Cokin filter might be due to the fact that they're made of resin instead of glass. Resin might be cheaper to manufacture, but it is nowhere near glass when quality comes to mind.

Looks like I will be looking into some new filters.
Thanks everyone for your input, Susan

[vizjerei]

Are you sure you are not using a coffee color graduated filter? :P

[slowpez]

Are you sure you are not using a coffee color graduated filter? :P

Yeah, I double-checked that first thing. I also thought that maybe I was supposed to have the logo facing front, back, bottom right, left, etc. What do I know from filters? None of that helped. When held up to the light you can see a reddish tent on the filter so I guess I either got a bad one or they are all bad.
Susan

[Vormulac]

I use Cokin filters and I certainly have no colour cast issues with any of them - sounds like you got a bad one.

[Ben_Edict]

These strange and hard to correct (if at all) colour casts are the reason, why I retired all my Cokin NDs and NDGrads and bought HiTech filters instead. These are the cheaper cousins of the Lee filters, but are of very good optical quality. These days most square filters are made of the optical resin, that is also used by Cokin, but there are still loads of variables during production, which account for the different qualities and price tags.

Ben

[slowpez]

Update on my Cokin filter: First I notified Adorama but I didn't expect much as I bought it in December of last year but just hadn't had a chance to use it. Low and behold, the sent me an email the same day and apologized for the filter and said I was way past their return date but they gave me the phone number and address for Cokin. I called them and talked to a very nice lady named Karen who said that there is no way there should be a red cast on my photos. Long and short of it, I sent it to them today and they will have it evaluated and replace it if it is indeed defective. Not bad service for a $20 filter. I sure hope that I am not just seeing red where it doesn't exist.
Thanks all for your help and input, Susan

By the way, do the Lee filters fit the Cokin P holder?

[Classvino]

...By the way, do the Lee filters fit the Cokin P holder?

The Lees are 100mm. They'll fit the Cokin Z-Pro holder.

HiTech filters (made by the same people that make LEE) are 80mm and will fit the Cokin P holder.

Jamie