wd 58 and polorizer

[Pete Wilie]

I'm still looking for an inexpensive solution to add a polarizer filter (and maybe other filters) to the WD-58 that doesn't cost more than the WD-58 itself!

Any ideas?

Or maybe I should sell the WD-58 and buy a 3rd party wide-angle adapter that has a threaded filter mount. Other than the Century adapter, are there any other wide-angle adapters that you would recommend?

Thanks,
Pete

[Todd Siechen]

Unfortunately these companies never seem to make it easy. I had researhced this for a month and came up with nothing in an easy solution for using filters with the wide angle lenses. Since none of them have front threads you are limited to using some kind of clamp-on device and this means a matte box of some kind or shade that can hold filters. Unfortunately only the really expensive ones seem to have a filter holder that rotates and one that doesnt so you can use a regular polarizer along with a graduated filter of some kind. I opted fort the sunshade with 2 fixed filter holders thinking I could get one of Centuries proprietary rotating housed polarizer filters but unfortunately AGAIN they seem to be non-existent.

[Graham Bernard]

. .and that is why I held out for a matte box - "priced" within my budget - which then would also allow me to "clamp" onto the wide angle. I spent as much on the filters and adaptors - 58mm screw-on and the 80mm clamp-on - as I did for the bellows matte box itself!

I like the bellows:

1/- If you knock it, and unlike the stiff matte boxes, it will give and not transmit that energy to the rest of the camera!

2/- Being bellows there is far more flexibility

3/- It packs "flatter" than rigid matte boxes.

I decided on the 16:9, trying to future proof at least something in this biz, and really acknowledge the need to keep an eye open for that "hood" edge appearing in shot. That is the trade off with flexibility.

I spent possibly a whole year researching and humming and hawing about this thing. I knew I would get stuff wrong and but I also knew that I could at least mitigate the amount of mistake by researching and visiting various exhibitions and outlets to experience that which was on offer. I now have a file about an ½" thick, just on Matte Box stuff: adaptors; filters; filter technologies - polas - NDs - formulas;soft ones stiff ones; rails; shades; price lists and examples of pro work!

Todd, I really feel for you. This one last piece in the jigsaw - oh I've been there before, with other ventures, can fundamentally mess you up - BIG TIME! I even got to the point where I almost seriously contemplated building one. Then I thought, how much do I go out on an hour? When am I next being booked to shoot or edit? How much will I earn? So the decision to "build" was kinda removed from the equation - hah! Sometimes I/we need to move on. Put stuff down to experience.

Just think about "that" shot you wanna get? Can you do it OR experiment WITHOUT a suitable matte box arrangement? No? Then the argument has been made for you. If you can sell what you've bought all to the better .. otherwise dear friend, IMHO, bite the bullet and start again. Start with what you know to be right and a correct solution. If you can do it in or near budget, you're doing great. Most likely you will not! But think about THAT shot! Think about what you will be doing in a year's time with a suitable MB? As I said, if you can re-sell then fine. If you can find someone/yourself to build a clamp even better.

I hope this helps in you making the decision you WANT to make,

Best regards,

Grazie

[Todd Siechen]

Yes the bellows matte boxes look great (I saw another one from Cavision I think) but the Kestrel one you linked to has too little information about it and again leads me to another one of those dead ends where the only real way I can see if it will work is to ask them for very detailed info including high resolution pictures so I can SEE close up what the matte box is made of and what its features are exactly. Im just tired of dealing with the sad lack of clear, detailed complete information on 95% of companies products on their web sites. If only these companies knew how many sales they lose due to the extremely poor presentation/information of their products on the web their marketing departments would dance the jig.

In any case, I also got tired of buying products getting them in the mail only to have to box them back up and send them back due to incompatability's not listed and/or poor workmanship in one area or another.

I would love to get some pictures of the Kestrel you speak so highly of if you have the means to do it.

Let me know.