Cokin and other filters...any good to me, you think?

[bend the light]

Hi All,

I am after some advice. I have accumulated over time a few cokin and cokin-like filters, holders etc. I am wondering if they are actually of any use to me, or not. I have a canon 400d, and an assortment of (mostly) manual lenses which I play around with. I have never used filters at all. I use CS5 for PP.

Here is a list of what I have...

2 x cokin filter holders (with 52mm thread adaptors)
1 x filter holder (looks like the cokin ones, but isn't), again 52mm thread.

1 x square filter holder with detachable hood. reversable 49mm/52mm thread adaptor.

1 x cokin A005 sepia
1 x cokin A127 (looks like blue grad)
1 x A056 (doesn't say cokin - round filter, looks like it's a 6-star, or something)

A cokin filter box with:
1 x blue grad (doesn't say cokin)
1 x cokin "chanpagne" - looks like a portrait filter, hazy outer around an oval centre.
1 x grad tabac (doesn't say cokin)
1 x warm tone UV -(doesn't say cokin)
1 x sepia (doesn't say cokin)
2 x grad (looks sepia)(doesn't say cokin)
1 x portrait filter (clear centre circle, textured outer)(doesn't say cokin)
1 x starfire 8 (doesn't say cokin)
1 x portrait soft spot (actual hole in the middle)(doesn't say cokin)

I saw a single cokin holder on ebay go for £10 the other day...so I am trying to decide if these are actually of any use to me, or do I sell them and put the proceeds towards my desparately desired 50mm f1.8!

Thoughts?

[miketoll]

Mmmm, does not look a very useful list to me. A polariser and grey grads are about all I would want and they are not on your list.

[bend the light]

Originally Posted by miketoll

Mmmm, does not look a very useful list to me. A polariser and grey grads are about all I would want and they are not on your list.

Hmmm...I have a couple of circular polarisers, and I have a grey grad...both screw on filters. They are 52mm (or 55mm) so don't fit my most used lenses...but I can use them with some manual M42 lenses I have.

Nothing in these cokin style ones, then? To be honest, I was close to getting shot of them anyway...a few pennies towards the 50mm 1.8...

Cheers

[miketoll]

Grey grads are best with the Cokin filter type of arrangement so you can move the filter up or down to suit the composition which you can't do with the screw on type. You have at least got the holders to take a slide in filter so I would keep the appropriate holder. The other filters, apart from the polarising, have little use to my mind as their effects can be done in PP just as well. I would get any pennies you can with them.

[bend the light]

sounds like a plan!
cheers

[jser]

Now when did I use a filter last, think it was 1985, oh no, I have used a polar Kokin P recently three times!

[bend the light]

Thanks. I sold most of them in the end.