What are the absolute best landscape filters I should be looking at for a Canon 6D Mark II because I am honestly about to give up on this search and just go without them. I am leaving for a trip to the Isle of Skye in literally three weeks and I'm stressing out because I still havent figured out my filter situation. I've been shooting with the 24-105mm f/4L which has a 77mm thread and I just want to get those classic long exposure waterfall shots and clean sunrises without the sky being a blown-out mess.
I have been doing some research and it is just making me more confused. I keep seeing the Lee Filters 100mm system recommended but then I see a ton of people saying the NiSi V7 kits are better because they include the polarizer in the holder. The price difference is driving me crazy though and I cant tell if I am just paying for a brand name. Some forums say the 6D Mark II has some dynamic range issues in the shadows compared to the newer mirrorless stuff so I definitely need Graduated ND filters to balance the exposure but then other people say just bracket the shots and fix it in post-processing.
I really dont want to spend my whole vacation staring at a laptop screen though I want to get it right in the camera. My budget is strictly under $450 for the whole setup. I also looked at some cheaper screw-on kits from companies like Hoya or Tiffen but I am terrified of getting crazy vignetting at 24mm if I try to stack a circular polarizer on top of an ND filter. Is that actually a legitimate problem with this specific lens?
Also is a 10-stop ND too much for a beginner? I read that the Lee Big Stopper has a nasty blue color cast on Canon sensors and that just sounds like another headache I dont have time for. I just need something reliable that wont ruin my image quality or break the bank before I even get on the plane...
> I have been doing some research and it is just making me more confused. I keep seeing the Lee Filters 100mm system recommended but then I see a ton of people saying the NiSi V7 kits are better because they include the polarizer in the holder. In my experience, sticking with a square system like NiSi is the safest bet for that 24-105mm lens. I have tried many setups over the years, and stacking circular filters at 24mm almost always leads to dark corners that ruin the shot. Its a headache you dont need on a trip like Skye. Basically, the vignetting is a real issue when you try to go cheap with screw-ons. Honestly, the NiSi V7 100mm Filter Holder Kit with True Color CPL is exactly what you want. Its more reliable than the Lee system because the polarizer sits inside the holder, meaning you can rotate it independently. It wont break your budget if you buy the core kit and just one or two glass plates. Since the 6D Mark II does struggle a bit with shadow noise when you push it in Lightroom, getting it right with a Graduated ND is much smarter than bracketing. Id grab the NiSi 100x150mm Nano IR Soft Graduated Neutral Density Filter GND8 0.9 3-Stop for those sunrises. About the 10-stop... it isnt too much at all. Youll need it for those silky waterfalls in daylight. The NiSi 100x100mm Nano IR Neutral Density Filter ND1000 10-Stop is incredibly neutral. My old Lee Big Stopper used to have a nasty blue cast that was a nightmare to fix, but the NiSi glass is much more true to life. Just take your time setting up... photography is meant to be slow. Have an amazing time in Scotland.
Building on the earlier suggestion, I used that 24-105mm for a decade. Stacking screw-on filters at 24mm is a recipe for black corners, trust me. Learned the hard way that a solid holder system is worth the extra bulk.