New member query re buying GNDs in the UK

[mlgreg]

MOD EDIT - Michael asked this question in the introductory thread in Meet the Members section. I copies it in here so that others could respond. (Donald)

Ok, Why Scotland? Several reasons but the most compelling is my wife. While she loves to travel her idea of adventure is getting through airport security with only two hours till boarding. One of her colleagues spends a few weeks to months every year trekking in your fair land and he has recommended it to as repeatedly. But both of us being in our sixties, we have developed a penchant for civility and ease which was not so important to us 30 or 40 years ago. Also I am a descendant of Ulster Scotts. As for a question I need to find a 4 X 6 Graduated Neutral Density Filter in either London or Edinburgh before heading out toward the west coast.

[Donald]

Michael

As you can see, I've copied your post here so that others can come in with their suggestions.

[krispix]

Hi Michael,
Welcome. I'm not convinced that I understand what you're after.
Do you want to buy a ND grad in London or Edinburgh? Can't you get one in DC? When you say 4 x 6, is that inches? That's a pretty big filter. It would have to be Cokin Z series, whilst available - quite expensive and I would have thought it would be cheaper in the States.

[mlgreg]

Chris,

Yes I want to buy a GND in London or Edinburgh. No I can not get it in the U.S. I have been shopping local suppliers in person and major sellers on line for several weeks and not one single retailer in the continental United States or for that matter Asia seems to have one single filter. I have placed an order for a 3 stop but the retailer replied out of stock and back ordered. I am aware that 4 X 6 is large. I use primarily Canon L type lenses with a 77mm front optic and want to hand hold the filter I do not want to use a mount. Filters of this sort are marketed by Cokin, Singh Ray and Lee amount others. I am aware of the price. I am also leaving for the U K in two days and do not have time to wait for a delivery to arrive in the U. S. so the purchase will have to be done in either London or Edinburgh. Both of those being major cities I rather hoped that I had a fair chance of their being a distributor in one of them that had a filter in stock. This leaves me with the option of either paying the exorbitant price or not getting the picture, being over a barrel as we say in the colonies. I don't like the idea of an exorbitant price but I like the Idea of flying three thousand miles and spending three weeks to get the shot and not getting it a lot less. So if you know of a dealer, (including Harrod's), in one of those two cities that will definitely have the item in stock, I would really like to know.

Thanks for your kind consideration of my plight. I have two more days before the plane leaves. Hope to see all my distant cousins on Wednesday.

Mike

[mlgreg]

Donald,

Thank you for your kind assistance.

[Colin Southern]

Hi Michael,

Failing that ...

... consider the old "bracket the exposures and blend in Photoshop" trick.

[Donald]

Michael

I would not be confident about finding one in Edinburgh. There are few camera-oriented shops and even fewer dedicated specialists who might stock 4 x 6 GNDs. Therefore London would be the choice.

We need Robin (Black Pearl) to come into this thread. Robin works in the business and is more likely than any of us to know if GNDs could be picked up in any retail store.

[Donald]

An update to my last post.

I've just looked at the Warehouse Express website. I buy most of my stuff online from them. They have a store in Norwich and a journey out there from London would have been possible. But ........

In the online store all the GNDs (both Lee and Cokin) are on backorder. So I assume they don't have them in the retail store either.

So, it doesn't look promising. If Warehouse Express doesn't have them, I don't know who will.

[mlgreg]

Colin,

That is one contingency but When the light is changing fast in the few critical minutes of the famous golden hour one hopes not to be fishing around for ones spectacles in the dark and moving things out of adjustment inadvertently. I will fall back on that method if necessary, but it is a fall back, and not my first choice.

[mlgreg]

Donald,

This is the situation I have been encountering everywhere for the past few weeks. Perhaps I will get lucky. Perhaps Black Perl will stumble over this post and have a source. Perhaps none of the above. In any case thank you for your efforts on my behalf.

[Colin Southern]

Colin,

That is one contingency but When the light is changing fast in the few critical minutes of the famous golden hour one hopes not to be fishing around for ones spectacles in the dark and moving things out of adjustment inadvertently. I will fall back on that method if necessary, but it is a fall back, and not my first choice.

Hi Michael,

Can you not setup your camera to shoot the bracket automatically? Personally, I keep my glasses around my neck and a small torch handy

I know it's not ideal (I use Singh-Ray GND, Reverse GND, and Vari-ND filters exclusively) but assuming that that's not going to pan out, the next best thing I can think of is start working on "Plan B". By the way - assuming that you're shooting RAW - I find that the GND filter tool in ACR does a darn fine job of approximating a real GND filter; admittedly it doesn't recover the 3 or so stops of dynamic range lost, but often the camera has more than enough anyway.

Having said that, I do most of my shooting after the golden hour where I can get multi-minute exposures ...

[Black Pearl]

THese seem to be in short supply at the moment so you're going to struggle just picking one up.

Take a look on the Jessops website http://www.jessops.com/Directory/cat...nt%7d&fh_eds=ß I've filtered it to the Cokin Z series ND Grads for you and some of the filters are available for what we call a Collect@Store. Now you might get lucky and find one of the London branches have them or you could phone the stores that do and get them transferred to say the Oxford Street branch or the one in Edinburgh if that gives you more time.

I'm not at work today but I'll check this post first thing Monday morning before I head out. Leave me a message if you've had any luck or tell me which city would be best and I'll try phoning around some of the other managers I know to see what I can get moved in time.

[russellsnr]

Hi, If you have not left why not order from http://www.formatt.co.uk/stills-filt...s-filters.aspx and have the filter/s sent to your hotel/accomodation in the UK, you can always give them a call to make sure in stock and delivery time.
Russ

[stevewe88]

There is one person selling a ND4 and ND8 on ebay and the location says London/hertfordshire. The link is here . Maybe you can negotiate a buy it now price and collect on your way out of London.

It is a shame time is so tight otherwise this on might have worked easily. I live right on the route from London to Edinburgh and will be happy to help a fellow CiC member in need with a postal address if needed.

Just PM me if you need to. I travel from where I live into London most days too so may be able to help if a store has one nearby to bring to London for you.
Cheers
Steve

[Colin Southern]

I'm pretty sure he's after GNDs, not NDs Steve.

[stevewe88]

I'm pretty sure he's after GNDs, not NDs Steve.

Should have said they are GND's

[shreds]

I sort of doubt if Jessops will have anything out of the ordinary. Just mass market stuff.

I was in a little shop called Process Supplies in Mount Pleasant, Clerkenwell London (A few minutes walk between Farringdon and Kings Cross stations) on Friday, who have been there for 85 years and are 'old school' and do lots of older stuff and is a fascinating place, but they were bemoaning that GNDs of a Lee quality would need to be ordered.

Another shop always worth visiting for its Nikon orientated stuff is Grays of Westminster, who claim one of the largest selections of secondhand Nikon in the world. Maybe they might have something?? (5 mins walk from London Victoria Station).

I tend to agree that Edinburgh always seems to lack good photo shops, or else I have just not found them. (Although there are a couple of mail order operations further north near Inverness but I doubt if they will have what you need; cameras and lenses are their speciality)

Probably try Calumet in Drummond St near Euston Station in London. Probably your best bet or else a movie/film orientated supplier, look at those on the Lee Filters web site for a list of possibles. With the UK movie industry being based in NW London at Elstree, there must be someone offering these larger filters for you. Maybe google movie equipment suppliers?

On your way to Edinburgh, Dale Photographic in Leeds (in the Merrion Centre, 1st floor, about 5 mins from the main railway station) are one of my main suppliers and are probably likely to have something unusual like this.

[shreds]

Found it!

http://www.prokit.co.uk/index.php?vi...ND-Grad-Filter

Try here, near Gunnersbury railway station, just off the North Circular Road (Londons inner ring road).

Primarily a movie/film industry equipment outfit but certainly worth a call to see if they have some GNDs of the sort of size you are after..

[mlgreg]

Robin,

Thank you for your kind reply. It seems like the link you sent leads to a listing of a Cokin Z-Pro GND several are shown on the web site but the 8 stop pops up first. I need to get either a 2 stop or a 4 stop, ( I have a three stop filter on back order here in the US). According to my Wife who is making the arrangements we will be staying ath the K and K George hotel near Earls Court in Kennsington and Chelsey. Frankly that means nearly nothing to me but thats what she says. If a 2, 3 or 4 stop filter can be had within reasonable distance from that Hotel I would gladly travel to the store to pick it up. If it could be delivered, that would be even better. I don't mind venturing out to do the pick up in person as that offers me a reason to get out and about and lets me view in the shop before the purchase.

Thanks

Mike

[krispix]

Hi Mike,
I can't really add anything to what's already been said, but as a Londoner getting around is easy. Earls Court is a busy underground station on the District and Piccadilly lines. Victoria is just 4 stops on the District for Gray's, or Piccadilly will take you to Kings Cross or Euston for Calumet or Process Supplies.
I've attached a link for a tube map.
Ask anyone for directions - we don't hold grudges against our former colonials.
Good luck.
http://www.tfl.gov.uk/assets/downloa...d-tube-map.pdf