filter sizes

Nate Yolles · November 7, 2004

If I were to purchase some filters for 35mm use, what would be the best size to go with? 4x4 seems pretty standard as does 4x5. 6.6x6.6 filters are so expensive. How wide of a lens will 4x4 cover? Is 4x4 large enough to adjust for grad lines and still cover the entire lens?

Tony Brown · November 7, 2004

If I were to purchase some filters for 35mm use, what would be the best size to go with? 4x4 seems pretty standard as does 4x5. 6.6x6.6 filters are so expensive. How wide of a lens will 4x4 cover? Is 4x4 large enough to adjust for grad lines and still cover the entire lens?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

5x4 is fine for the US but most other countries use 4x4 as the smaller format. Grads are best in 6.6", 4x4 grads leave little room for adjustment

4x4 will cover most 16mm lenses and possibly wider, it depends as much on the physical size of the lens as well as the focal length.

Edited November 7, 2004 by TonyBrown

David Mullen ASC · November 8, 2004

4x5.6 filters will cover you most of the time, even on big anamorphic lenses like the Primos. 4x4 is getting a little too tight for widescreen formats, especially for 16x9 HD cameras. I see 4x4 dying out compared to 4x5.6. They made more sense for 4x3 TV shooting in video and regular 16mm.

I only use 6x6 for grads so I have room to move them up or down.

Nate Yolles · November 8, 2004

As you say, the bigger 6.6x6.6 is for using gradients and being able to adjust where the edge is placed in the frame. So for 4x5.6 grads, how much room for adjustment is there?

David Mullen ASC · November 8, 2004

Depends on the focal-length of the lens -- the longer the lens, the more you can move the filter up & down without seeing off the edges or seeing the filter frame. If the lens is long enough, you can use a "vertical" grad where the 4x5.6 is mounted vertically with the grad at the top edge, as oppsed to "horizontal" grads where the filter is horizontal and the grad runs across that way. With vertical grads, you can go up & down more but since the filter is now only 4 wide rather than 5.6, you have to make sure it covers the full width of the image.

GWilliamPatrickB · November 16, 2004

Depends on the focal-length of the lens -- the longer the lens, the more you can move the filter up & down without seeing off the edges or seeing the filter frame. If the lens is long enough, you can use a "vertical" grad where the 4x5.6 is mounted vertically with the grad at the top edge, as oppsed to "horizontal" grads where the filter is horizontal and the grad runs across that way. With vertical grads, you can go up & down more but since the filter is now only 4 wide rather than 5.6, you have to make sure it covers the full width of the image.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

It depends on the front element also guys. The Cooke MK III (a very sweet lens that matches the S4's perfectly) front element is SIX inches across. Therefore a 6x6 matte box is necessary.