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I would like to buy ND filters for landscape photography, and after some research I would go for the Cokin ND filters with Z-PRO holder. Since I have a Tokina 11-16mm lens the P holder would introduce vignetting for lenses wider than 20mm (Cokin reseller's site) while the Z series ranges from 49 to 96mm.

Can anyone who owns these filters give me some feedback? I read some blogs where people were disappointed by Cokin ND filters as they introduce a strong Magenta tone to the images.

Do you have any suggestions about the adapter rings to buy? I would use the ND filters with the Tokina 11-16mm (77mm filter) and Nikon 50mm (58mm filter) on a full frame camera.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II is an APS-C lens that does not project a large enough image circle to completely cover Full Frame sensors. Any additional vignetting you would experience when using the filters with this lens on a FF camera would be in the areas at the edge of the sensor that are outside of the image circle projected by this lens. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Feb 21, 2015 at 21:53
  • \$\begingroup\$ Thanks for the comment Michael. Indeed I can use the Tokina only in the range from 13 to 16mm to avoid vignetting. As far as I read the Z-PRO should avoid to view the holder edges in ultra wide lenses due to its size. But I would have liked some feedback from people who tried it directly. In any case I would not shoot wider than 13mm with this lens on my FF camera. \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Commented Feb 21, 2015 at 22:29
  • \$\begingroup\$ Why a negative vote on an old question? At least some comment to justify that would help improve the next question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Commented Oct 8, 2018 at 14:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ I didn't cast the vote. I imagine the question may have come up on an "old questions with no answers" list. Although I'm sure you have probably long since made a decision regarding filters for your Tokina lens, I've written an answer that may be of benefit to others who come here with the same question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Oct 8, 2018 at 21:10
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    \$\begingroup\$ Which will all eventually be removed because neither the question nor the answer have a positive score. My upvote of the question only offset another's downvote. In addition to your acceptance of my answer, either it or the question needs at least one upvote (to give at least one of them a positive score) to prevent the entire question/answer from eventually being sent into oblivion and helping no one. \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Feb 21, 2019 at 0:35

1 Answer 1

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The Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X Pro DX II is an APS-C lens that does not project a large enough image circle to completely cover Full Frame sensors when at its widest zoom setting. As the lens is zoomed in, the image circle does enlarge. At approximately 13mm and longer the image circle is large enough to cover a FF sensor.

Any additional vignetting you would experience when using the filters with this lens on a FF camera would be in the areas at the edge of the sensor that are just inside of the edges of the image circle projected by this lens.

Since I have a Tokina 11-16mm lens the P holder would introduce vignetting for lenses wider than 20mm (Cokin site) while the Z serie ranges from 49 to 96mm.

You seem to be conflating angle of view, expressed in focal lengths using millimeters, with lens thread diameters, also expressed in millimeters.

The Size M (previously 'P' series) is smaller than the Size L (previously 'Z-Pro' series) which uses square or rectangular filters that are 100mm wide on the short edge. The Size M (P) series are only 84mm wide. With the Size L (Z-Pro) Series, wider angle lenses of the same diameter can be used than with the Size M (P) series. Exactly how wide depends on several factors:

  • The diameter of the lens' front element
  • The diameter of the lens' filter threads and the difference to the front element diameter
  • The distance the filter threads are in front of the edges of the front element
  • The thickness of the filter holder

Cokin is fairly conservative with the focal lengths they more or less "guarantee" will work with different sized filters. This allows for scenarios with lenses that have lens elements almost as wide as the filter threads and set back from the threads by a relatively large margin. They also measure vignetting with the square filter and holder rotated 45° with respect to the long axis of the camera's sensor (because sometimes one may want to orient a graduated filter at that most restrictive angle). If the filter and holder is square with the camera's sensor, a wider angle lens can be used before vignetting is demonstrated.

With Size L (Z-Pro) filters, one can use focal lengths shorter than 20mm on a full frame camera with most wide angle lenses before vignetting is demonstrated. The Size L (Z-Pro) series officially allows for a somewhat nebulous sounding "20mm and wider" focal lengths with the 35mm/FF format. They also say that "between 16 and 20mm, some vignetting can occur." The even larger Size XL (X-Pro) series with 130mm wide filters allows lenses down to 14mm focal lengths in 35mm/FF format without vignetting (when the filter and holder are rotated 45° with respect to the sensor).

In practice, depending on the way a lens is made, one can get good results wider than the minimums stated by Cokin, particularly when the filter and holder are not rotated at an angle with respect to the wide axis of the sensor. Since the Tokina 11-16mm f/2.8 AT-X DX lens has a fairly flat front element (compared to the bulbous fronts of lenses such as Canon's EF 11-24mm f/4 L) that isn't recessed very far behind the filter threads (compared to Nikon's 12-24mm f/4 DX), I'd expect that you could probably expect none to minimal vignetting at 16mm that would get increasingly worse as you open up with the Size L (Z-Pro) filters. You should be able to get all the way down to at least 14mm with the Size XL (X-Pro) filters, and probably even to 13mm where the lens' image circle size causes vignetting on a FF sensor when the filter and holder are squared with the sensor.

The "49mm to 96mm" number at the link to a reseller of Cokin filters you included in the question is in reference to filter thread sizes on lenses, not the focal length of lenses. Adapter rings are available to attach a Size L (Z-Pro) filter holder to lenses with filter threads as small as 49mm and as large as 96mm.

For more basic information about the Cokin filter system than what is provided by the reseller site to which you linked, you can check out:
The Cokin System: A Beginners Guide at Cokin USA's marketing site
The Cokin Creative Filter System at B&H Explora
Cokin's Size Guide at Cokin.com

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Many thanks Micheal for your answer. In the meantime I went for Lee Filters and I am very happy with their system. Nevertheless I find your answer very informative and interesting!! \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 5:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ @Francesco I assume you mean the Lee 100mm system (which is roughly equivalent to the Cokin Size L/Z-Pro Series)? If so, how much vignetting, if any, do you experience with the Tokina 11-16mm? \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 7:48
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    \$\begingroup\$ Yes, the 100mm. There is another "wide angle" system, but even with this I am happy as I have a wide angle adapter ring that works quite well. The main limitation comes from the lens itself, as I can use it only at 16mm on my Nikon D610, otherwise the lens itself introduces vignetting at wider apertures. However, also due to its weight, I am shooting at the moment mainly with a 24-120mm @ 24mm most of the time, with no vignetting problems. \$\endgroup\$
    – Francesco
    Commented Oct 9, 2018 at 7:59

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