Is Lee Filters' Lee 100 Deluxe Kit any good?
Are Lee Filters the best? Read comprehensive review on Lee Filters Lee 100 Deluxe Kit. Learn how it can add value and magic to your photography.
Probably one of the best aspects of landscape and urban landscape photography is using the technique of long exposure photography. Slower shutter speed can literally put several elements into your composition and in quite a unique way. But when we talkj about long exposure photography, the first thing comes in our mind is which camera filters should I use?
Among several camera/photography filters brands, Lee Filters has good reputation for making sturdy and relaible filters systems. lets learn about Lee100 Deluxe Kit, a newly launched filter system with. ore advanced and relaible features.
What comes in the box of Lee 100 Deluxe Kit?
Inside the blue color cart board beautiful box, you will find a complete set comprising of:
LEE100 filter holder with filter guide blocks and pouch: A plastic made but sturdy enough “filter holder” which comes with three moduler filter guide blocks. You can pick as per your needs and mount the required block on your holder.
0.6 medium neutral-density grad: A 2 stop (medium-grad) neutral density graduated filter.
0.9 hard neutral-density grad: A 3 stop (hard grad) neutral density graduated filter.
1.2 medium neutral-density grad: A 4 stop ND filter.
Big Stopper: A best seller long exposure 10 stop filter.
LEE100 Polariser: An easy to clip on top of holder with one click to reduce glare or reflection in your images.
Three-filter pouch and wrap: A protective wrap and pouch for your ND filters
ClearLEE Filter Wash 50ml: Cleaning liquid
ClearLEE filter cloth: A microfibre cleaning cloth for your filters, which is quite essential to maintain such equipments.
What’s not included in the Lee 100 Deluxe Kit?
I had the pleasure to recieve the Lee100 Deluxe Kit directly from Lee Filters Headquarters and they entertained by request by adding two adpter rings and a 6 stop long exposure filter (The Little Big Stopper) in the package. So, if you are purchasing this filters kit, you wouldn’t be getting them unless you add them separately in your shopping cart.
Adapter rings are an essential element as they assist in mlunting the filter holder on your lens. For every lens, there is a different adapter ring. i.e. for Nikon 70-200mm F2.8 VR lens, you need 77mm adapter ring but for Tokina Opera 50mm F1.4 lens, you will be needing 72mm adapter ring. So check the filter size of your lenses before plaxing order.
Is Lee100 Deluxe Kit really the best?
Build Quality
No doubt, build quality of Le100 Deluxe kit filter system is amazing. The new adapter and holders are lighter and saves a lot of time while mounting them on your camera. The usual struggle keeping multiple glass elements of camera filters is still there which can be solved a bit by carrying a filter bag and rest assured, Lee100 Deluxe Kit is built well enough.
Lee Filters are known for their good safety features, quality glass and sturdy parts so among rest of the elements in the kit, adapters are made out of solid metal as well as the circular cage for polariser filter. The holder, as I said, is made of strong plastic parts.
How simple are Lee Filters to use?
The overall process is quite simple. Step 01 is to attach the “Adapter Ring” as per the size of your lens by twisting it clockwise and then mount the filter holder on top of it. Filter holder has a lock system with blue revolvable circular crown, so your filter holder stays intact on your lens. This will take a minute of your minute. Then the step 02 is to slide in the filters you want to use in each of the brackets/blocks. This process can also take minute of your time and then the step 03 when you clip on your Polariser filter which requires on click on the top edages of your main holder. So in about 2 to 3 minutes, you will have your complete Lee100 Deluxe Filter system ready to work. Please keep don’t forget that cleaning your filter kit is a complete and and essential process which requires good amount of patience.
Now the question is to compare this locking system with magnet system which looks quite smooth in terms of usage but I personally feel that the magnets can get weaker over the period of time and filters are supposed to stay with us for a longer period of time.
Performance & Image Quality with Lee Filters
Lee100 Deluxe Kit’s performance is no doubt great and the famous argument of giving magenta color shade while using the big stopper is gone too. I actually never had this magenta shade issue but there were some talks and arguments on this particular subject. In my experience, magenta or dark blueish shade will come when you are using hard grad or big stopper (6-10 stop) after sunset and there is not much light towards the horizen of your composition. That’s where you camera will start strugling for light and whatever light is available will then be converted and merged with last blue rays on the sky.
But if Lee100 Deluxe Kit is used during harsh day light or in stormy weather to create a smooth long exposure, the results would be just amazing.
There is a great saying that poor glass in front of great camera wouldn’t bring great results in your photos. Long distance shots where the subject is far away in kilometers are very hard to capture in its true form and good quality. Especially when you are using telephoto lens (having 9-12 galss elements inside it) and then 2 to 3 glass filters on top to vreat a long exposure, one poor quality glass in the front will ruin the entire image in terms of quality.
Summary
I am using Lee Filter since 2017 and didnt really had any bad experience. Probably took thousands of shots using them, from long exposure to urban landscape photography. The image quality provided using this great filter system is incredible. Lee has provided Deluxe Kit with their benchmark safety features and enhanced mechnism in filter holders and improved glass quality.
I am not sure if it would be wise to compare Lee Filters with anyother brand like NiSi or Hoya to be honest because I havemt yet tried them and I am sure they are great too. Its like comparing two great car manufacturers. People and photographers will keep on sharing their tiny remarks what they like and dislike about photography equipment but if the end result is same, it doesnt really matter.
I always suggest to buy something which is more of long term companion, Lee Filters and especially Lee100 Deluxe Kit Filter system is surely on of those options.