What I like about the LEE ELEMENTS range is the convenience of the simple screw-in approach that gives you access to the high-quality optics of LEE FILTERS without the need for a filter system. It is more convenient to use and saves a huge amount of space in your kit bag, and as I found during the test, I was more likely to take the Big Stopper with me on a daily walk than I was with the full filter system.
In this test, I’ve looked at the 82 mm version of the LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper, and I have used this in combination with the Sony 24-70mm F/2.8 lens. The combination of the two offers a flexible and convenient solution that easily fits in a small day pack, even if I do not intend to take long exposures.
The LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper instantly proved itself as a must-have filter. I quickly realised that I could leave the Big Stopper on the front of the lens a lot of time rather than having to disassemble a filter system. Then when I see a shot that I want, I can remove the camera, mount it on a tripod and get the shot. OK, unclipping the old filter system wasn’t exactly time-consuming, but having this screw-in filter, you find it’s just ready to go.
One of the other features of the LEE FILTERS LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper that I found was that the AF system on Sony A7 III was able to focus perfectly well. Using the Big Stopper filter system version, I found it better to focus, switch the lens to manual, and then pop in the filter before taking the shot. Otherwise, the Big Stopper could confuse the AF system.
Now, however, with the LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper, I found that the Big Stopper could focus easily in almost all conditions. The AF became an issue when using smaller apertures or when the light started to dip with a heavily overcast sky. In these instances I just opened up the aperture to let enough light through to enable the camera to focus, switched to manual focus and then closed the aperture down.
The Big Stopper is a filter that you would usually use in isolation, however, there is a front filter thread so accessories such as a lens hood, Matte Box or something else could be screwed in place. This also contributes to the slightly thicker look to the filter.
Using the filter is simple, screw it into the front of your lens, select the shooting mode you want, make sure the focus is locked on and take the shot. I found that keeping the histogram on enabled me to check the tonal information of each shot and helped adjust the settings correctly; then, zooming into the image helped to ensure that everything was captured in focus.
Interestingly, in the past, I have found that using auto white balance rather than daylight would result in some cool colour hues; however, the AWB setting seemed to do a great job. Any changes in coatings or the distance of the glass from the lens seem to have made a difference to WB and AF reliability.
Back home and checking through the images and the lack of colour cast throughout the sequence was again apparent; I really would’ve expected some type of cast to be full of these pictures.
Checking over the image quality, the images were full of tonal detail with well-reproduced colours; if anything, I would say that there was a slight increase in contrast, not that you will notice unless you’re looking for it.
LEE FILTERS LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper Sample image
LEE FILTERS LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper Sample image
LEE FILTERS LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper Sample image
LEE FILTERS LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper Sample image
Overall the performance of the LEE FILTERS LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper has been exceptional. The filter is easy to fit, screwing into place smoothly and enabling the capture of images that would be impossible without it. On many levels, the LEE ELEMENTS Big Stopper wins out over the filter system equivalent simply by being that much easier to use and a filter that you can always carry with you.
