A lake shot didn't really show the difference in glare off the water until I looked at it
on the monitor. Perhaps I am over saturating the LCD to compensate for ambient
light? I could see more of the sky colors in the water with the filter so I will keep in in my bag.

The Cokin filters seem to be a coated plastic not a glass that you would see in higher
end film cameras.

The ND filters are available in 4 and 8 (153 & 154) but was not in stock so didn't
have a chance to test them. Any recommendations on the two?

For ND filters, I went with Tiffen glass screw-on filters since I use them 8 out of 10 times to keep my aperture the widest opened I can. I generally end up using ND9 (3 stops) during day shoots. Sometimes, I even add a ND3 or a ND6 (1/2 stops).
I used Cokin filters for that matter but the image suffered a lot; they seem to be more prone to diffraction ("trapping" light from the sides).
I also use this big plastic hood they sell (cheap) as a matte-box sometimes.

IMO as both a photo tech with 25 years experience and a video wannabee, I think the Cokin system is overpriced and essentially useless; plastic is asking for dust and scratches and fuzz.

I keep a high quality glass UV on my camcorder at all times to protect the lens and filter out the bluishness most apparent at high altitudes where I live, and the hood is also a good idea if it does not cut off the corners of your wide angle shots. The polarizer cuts out a lot of light but is ok in daylight. You rotate the outer ring of the polarizer to a position perpendicular to the reflected (glare) light input; i.e., for the darkest looking image in your viewfinder. This results in saturated scenes with transparency in the glare areas. A good book will be your best friend in this venture.

As for the colored, masking, and special effects, I suggest you do these in Vegas rather than during the shoot. That way you can change your mind if they do not come out exactly the way you wanted . . . . .

... and to top it off, I'll say that when I went with glass filters, I realised (too late, I know...) that they're not that much more expensive for a far superior quality. That's why I practically only use those right now (ND filters and/or UV to protect lens).
When I used to pile up a few of those Cokin filters, at some point I wasn't able to find my focus point anymore... wich brought me to glass filters. More: since you screw them in place, dust won't go between the "layers" if you use two of those.
But using one or two cokin filters at a time worked for me most of the times.

... And don't forget the Dust-Off can! you'll be scratching your filters if you use a rag/tissue to get rid of the dust! Costco sell those in 4-packs... ;)

I use the following filter all the time:
1- UV or SKYLIGHT filter to protect my camera lense if I am going to scratch I want to scratch the filter not my expensive lense.
2- ND number 2 or 3 but usually 2 for inside spotlighted shots shuch as a weddding with a strong video light or a concert where the stage lights are very strong makes a world of difference.
3- Polarizing filter for outside work at time makes a smoother color in my opinion
4- Enhanceing filter this filter brings out the reds and orange tones and is fantastic for brightly light scenes and fall foliage shots cannot say enough about the change it makes. A "secret" of many outdoor photographers and videographers that shoot int he fall in colored foliage areas.
Thats it all other effects can be done in vegas and if I don't like them can be removed something that cannot be done if you have it on tape.

"Color Enhancer" filter made by Tiffen ain't it?
Did you try achieving a similar result with Vegas filters? I know this filter looks kind of "light pinky-orange" at first sight so maybe we could make a similar "cheap labor" effect? Mmm... I remember all those red shades were very great though using the filter, so using Vegas might not lead to the exact same result...

Ok, you got me. Next fall, I'm trying it! :D

I was a still photog before I got into video and the ND #2 when in the strong lights and the color enhancing Tiffen (you are right) filters were the big items for me to stand out. When I went video the Color enhancing filter was the first thing I bought. I have a digital camera also and use the same filter on it. even thought both vegas and the Digital camera have software to "duplicate this effect" I do not find that they do anywhere as good a job as the actual filter itself.

...And you probably save time in the end just putting the filter on the lens instead of trying / tweaking from the software...

Yep Bear, I'll definitely try this one in a few months when the leaves aren't green anymore :)