LEE100 Polariser Filter review
Lee100 Filter Holder – Why do you need it?
Although you can use image editing software to achieve many of the same effects using specific filters, such as a polariser to cut reflections and improve saturation remains an advantage for some types of photography, such as interiors and landscapes. As they cut down on exposure somewhat, they’re also used as an ND. They are also pretty expensive, so if you have several lenses of different thread diameters, using a holder can save a lot of money.
Please note this review has been edited and updated from the Lee100 Filter Holder review, which can be read here.
Lee100 circular-type polariser
Lee Filters sent me the new Lee100 circular-type polariser for review on a short-term loan. It’s designed specifically for the new Lee100 holder but can be detached and fitted to the older Foundation Holder, with the addition of the 105mm accessory ring.
At around £280 inc VAT at WEX Photo (UK) and $311 USD at B&H Photo (US), Lee100 circular polariser is not cheap exactly, but the whole point is that you’ll likely only buy it once.
The filter comes supplied with an excellent zipped hard case and a vast improvement over the older soft pouch with its somewhat unreliable velcro flap. The ‘bomb-proof’ case accepts the filter and ring together, so there’s no excuse to take it into the field.
The new Lee100 polariser has a 105mm thread like the previous Lee polarisers (and of course can be used on lenses with a 105mm filter thread directly). The frame is about the same thickness as the old Landscape filter to prevent vignetting, with lenses as wide as 16mm. According to my contact at Lee, it has anti-reflection coatings on both sides. It’s claimed the glass is the same spec as the Lee Landscape filter, but the frame’s ring is notched rather than serrated.
The polariser comes preassembled with its new accessory ring to clip onto the holder. You simply push one of the two tabs into a dedicated slot on the front face of the guide blocks and then, using a little pressure, push the second into the slot on the opposing block.
Although deeply knurled, the (aluminium) frame is quite thin as already mentioned and therefore a bit tricky to turn when on the camera, though it gets easier with practice. It’s simpler to adjust it off-camera while on the holder, and then add the combination to the lens via the adapter. That’s especially the case if you’re also using any NDs.
Sadly, there’s no indicator for polarisation on the ring, which, although perhaps a minor oversight, is easy enough to add a small amount of modelling paint to the ring if you find the need to.
Optical quality is first-class; ghosting and flare are kept well under control, and the filter has no observable impact on sharpness. Colour rendition is great and transmission is pretty high, sucking up around 1.3-1.5 stops in use.
Removing the polariser from the holder is a bit more fiddly, requiring pressure on one side of the polariser to open the holder’s blocks. It’s best to do this off-camera and to practice this a few times before using the filter holder in earnest. Still, it’s a lot easier than doing so with the older Foundation holder and polariser combination, which I have.
But what about the holder’s new locking mechanism? Like the original, it’s easy to use one-handed when attaching or detaching, but the new locking collar is a vast improvement over the original design. When fully locked, the holder can’t be moved at all, which aids the adjustment of the polariser when on the lens.
Due to the shape of the blue coloured locking collar, it is easy to keep track of the setting if you regularly set the holder back in the same position.
Lee100 Filter Holder and Polariser – Final thoughts
The Lee 100 filter system is one of the most popular, and with its modular design and range of quality filters, it is not difficult to understand why. With the new filter holder, the few shortcomings of the original holder have all been addressed, including the fitting and removal of the polariser, which was perhaps the most troublesome aspect.
The new clip-on accessory ring is an improvement if you want to add or remove the polariser in the field. With the original Foundation filter holder you had to screw the accessory ring to the holder first, which was practically impossible to do in the field. Still, when in place, it was a matter of threading the polariser on or off as desired, like any other circular glass filter.
Thankfully, that operation has been greatly simplified with the new accessory ring. If you’re new to the system, then the new polariser and accessory ring is easy to recommend – you’re unlikely to find a better quality polariser at any price.
However, if you already own the Lee Landscape Polariser, you won’t notice any optical difference, as it’s the same high-transmission filter with a slightly warm tint (not completely neutral) but in a new, notched frame. If you do own one, or one of the older 105mm polarisers, then it might be better to buy the new ring and case separately, as it could save you quite a packet.
Disclosure: Sometime after the loan items were returned to Lee, I purchased the new holder at full price from a retailer (WEX, if I remember rightly).
Lee100 Polariser Filter
Lee100 Filter Holder – Check prices (affiliate links)
WEX Photo (UK) (Competitively priced)
B&H Photo (US) (Competitively priced)
Popular adapter ring sizes
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