Weekend Roundup – July 16th, 2011

Posted on July 16, 2011 | 10 comments

Overview of the Cokin Filter System

After weeks of looking for a good set of inexpensive filters, I finally found a pretty good deal on eBay and decided to go for it. The set that I went for are the Cokin P series. The Cokin system requires a mount, a ring to fit it to your lens and filters. I purchased my kit from two different sellers on eBay, one for the mount and ring and another for the filters. In the end, I spent just under $40 for the lot. While I’ve not had time to get a lot of use out of them yet I have managed to shoot a few images and so far I’m very please with the results. I posted the first image I took with the set earlier in the week with Reflections On A Sunset.

Today I thought I would share some shots of the kit to give you an overview of how the Cokin system works. I was used to working with very simple screw-on type filters and initially found it a little confusing to understand exactly what I needed to make this system work. Hopefully, this will post help you see how it all fits together.

Lens Ring and Filter Mount

The Cokin System requires a mount to hold the filters in front of your lens. The mounts are available in 3 sizes: A-Series, P-Series and X-Pro series. The different types fit different lens size ranges. The A-series is for lenses up to 62mm, the P-series is for lenses up to 82mm, and the X-pro series is for larger lens sizes. A screw-on ring for you specific lens size must be purchased so you can attached the mount to you lens. My mount was a kit that included a 67mm ring with the P-series mount.

Lens Ring and Filter Mount Assembled

The lens ring slides into brackets on the back of the filter mount to lock it into place. The documentation says to screw the ring onto your lens then attach the mount but the brackets are a very tight fit and I’ve found it better to assemble the ring and mount before screwing it onto the lens.

ND2 / ND4 / ND8 Filters

The filter set that I purchased was a basic ND2/ND4/ND8 kit. Each filter came prepackaged with it’s own case and the filter in a cellophane sleeve. These filters are resin based and not glass. I was half expecting to unpack them and find scratches or blemishes but was happily surprised with the quality of them. The shading seems even and and has so far produced grain free images.

Assembled Filter Mount with Three Filters Stacked

The Cokin-P series mount has 4 filter slots to allow stacking of different filters. This provides you with a nearly infinite number of filter combinations for creating the image you want in camera. The slot closest to the lens is a different size and is for a linear or circular polarizer or even a special lens cap made to fit the mount. Cokin polarizers are circular and not square allowing you to rotate them in the mount to achieve the color balance you need.

Size of the Cokin P Series Filters

This image should give you an idea of the size of the Cokin P-series filter. They are approximately 3 3/4 inches x 3 1/4 inches.

Cokin is evidently either out of business or going out of business because finding original products seems to be very difficult and their website is basically gone. The popularity of the system has spawned many third party versions that work with the original Cokin filter sizes. My set is a third party replacement but I purchased the mount and the filters from different sellers which seems to confirm that they are being made to the original Cokin specifications.

I’m really looking forward to putting these to use in the field and bringing back some great long exposures to share with you!