Lee Big Stopper

[Mike Wrankmore]

For those interested....i know Camquip have got some Lee Big Stoppers in for the people that have been on the waiting list...don't know if they have extra but it might be worth a call to see.
Now i just have to figure out how it works when mine arrives

[AstraPics]

Do you know the price, Mike?

[Mike Wrankmore]

Yip......are you sitting down.......R2017.80 VAT inclusive........Not for the feint hearted!

[AstraPics]

I knew they were pricey. Quite a lot for a little plastic rectangle, but there's not much else that will do what it does.

[Mike Wrankmore]

You are right about that...i ordered mine about 8 months ago and forgot ......or the exchange rate was better then.....but i just about had a heart attack when invoiced.....!!!!
It's glass by the way and not resin like the other Lee ND grads..!

[Hannes Thirion]

Well my name was on the waiting list and yes I took mine so it is not available to someone who was not on the waiting list. Sorry.
Yes it is a glass filter and it is expensive. I told myself it have no moving parts or electronics that may make that it need repair or being replaced by some better technology in the next 30 years. So maybe a good investment for some time to come.
I was just wondering; these Lee filters come packed with white paper folded around the filter inside the black pouch. Does this paper packing material help protect the filter against scratches or not? Do I keep the white paper folded around the filter inside the pouch or take it out?

[Mike Wrankmore]

Hannes....i don't think it serves any value after it comes and would just be a pain to hang onto....
As to no moving parts.....don't be fooled into thinking there is no wear and tear.I have some of the resin ND Grads....and no matter how well you look after them.....they still pick up scratches.I'm hoping that the glass will be a bit more resilient.If you are using them for seascapes.....there is always sand around,spray from the waves....etc
If you read Hougaard Malans blog you will see that he views filters as an expendable commodity to be replaced when scratched or broken after x amount of months use.
They can also break pretty easy should you forget where they are and put pressure on your bag etc......
Anyway hopefully mine will arrive today by courier......then it's a case of finding the right opportunity to use it.....

[Trevor Ives]

@Hannes - with use, that paper will deteriorate to nothing. I keep mine in the pouch on its own. You could always get a Lee cloth to wrap it in (more $$$) Trouble is the pouch doesn't have too much room

[CarlNicholson]

Get micro fibre cloths to store them in. Dischem or Clicks sell them in garish bright colours or you can buy the more expensive quick drying towels from Sea to Summit. You can use them to clean the filter and they don't leave fibres.

Enjoy it Mike I wish you plenty of clouds for the weekend!

[style121]

I didn't think think the Lee Big Stop was going to be coming in anytime soon, so I ordered the Hitech. Gives a horrible blue cast over all my pics, which I'm finding so difficult to get rid of in PP. CamQuip phoned me the other day to say they were sending the Lee Big Stop now, and i'm over the moon. Just hope it gives better quality pics than the Hitech. It's probably my technique that's giving me bad results anyway, so hopefully with practive that gets better.

[Mark Dumbleton]

Best 2K you will spend! Exceptional piece of kit!

[Mike Wrankmore]

Mark.....any advice to use Newbies on what conditions to look for for optimal use.....I know it's a very broad question......but any tips from your experience would be extremely welcomed!

[Trevor Ives]

Mark.....any advice to use Newbies on what conditions to look for for optimal use.....I know it's a very broad question......but any tips from your experience would be extremely welcomed!

I can chip in - waves on rocks... You're in CT so lucky in that regard. But clouds are great to get a lovely swoosh across the sky.

There are loads of apps for smart phones to calculate the increase in exposure time. Get one - it'll save your bacon - just key in your regular metered exposure, add the number of stops you're adding and voila! Personally, I've found adding 1/3 stop in terms of time seems to help - expose to the right you know...

[Mark Dumbleton]

Trevor said some good points - tips on using it...

- make sure your viewfinder is covered during the exposure, light enters through the viewfinder over a long exposure and creates unwanted light falling onto the sensor and rendering your image useless.
- clouds and water are good choices to show movement, also grass blowing in the wind.
- Experiment! And enjoy

[HeinrichR]

For Ideas:

Post your 9 or 10 stop ND photos

Review: Lee Big Stopper (10 stop slide-in ND)
in one of these two threads is a exposure chart(actual exp +10 stops)


and some more ideas( and for people on a budget that want to try this but cant afford a big-stopper )
Welding Glass (£1/$1 ND Filter) Exposures

before you go out, you might also want to check your filters actual exposure, as some of them are not exact, they could be 9,5-10,5 stops and not 10 on the dot.

[Mike Wrankmore]

Thanks Trevor.....i understand the basics of motion blur for clouds and water....and how the 10 stop helps achieve that.....but the more time i spend doing landscape i find the less i know....for instance...i only understood recently about the importance of hyper focal distance.....and where you focus with regards to landscape.I assumed.....f16-f22....everything in focus.....!However i am reading as much as i can..and over time little gems are popping up and sticking!
So i am going to learn through experience with the big stopper anyway.....but a big question i have at the moment is.....do the same rules apply for a big stopper as other forms of photography ie....wait for the golden hours....or can you use this tool creatively....say at midday?I also see photographers use the big stopper in conjunction with other filters....my brain still hasn't taken the leap to try and understand when and how you would achieve optimal results.
Maybe i am rambling and i just need to go and try different things.....but it's always nice to get real world experience from other people as to what works and what doesn't!

Thanks guys much appreciated.......my slow typing and by the time i posted Mark and Heinrich had given some good advice!

[CarlNicholson]

I have to add close the viewfinder because you will forget, just like changing your ISO to 100. I'm using the Hitech pro and do get a cast but PP can fix. I battle with flare so shots into the sun or with sun at angles does not work.
I use my nd filters with the stopper, works fine. Just make sure you have metered and focussed before inserting. The 7d allows for live view shooting, but focussing is not easy.
Expose to the right.
Remember to close the viewfinder!
The Lee guide is useful.

[Hannes Thirion]

Thanks for the tips regarding packing and using Lee filters in general and the Big Stopper specifically. I will use one of my old camera bags for my Lee filters only in stead of packing them together with the camera and lenses in the large backpack to prevent them from cracking.

[Mike Wrankmore]

Thanks Carl.....my litany of unforgivable errors continues(don't know why i share this stuff cos it just makes me look like an idiot).Went early this morning.....only to realize i had left the filter holder at home.I looked at it along with the filters and qiuckly went to wash the filters because they had spray on them from the last shoot....and then left it.
I don't feel so bad because there was no cloud.....maybe tonight?

[visagieh]

Mike, yep we hope, I want to go and try my LC 9 stop. But out now exploreing, so perhaps we do our own WS, sure we will have a few others to join.