55mm Shimmer Diffusion 1 Filter Nano-Xcel Series - Optical Glass Glimmer Effect Filter for Camera Lens

This is review is for: K&F Concept 72mm Shimmer Diffusion Filter Optical Glass Glimmer Effect Filter for Camera Lens Nano-X Series
Purchase price: $54.99 USD

I wanted the 72mm Tiffen Glimmerglass® Filter, but not at $125. I saw this K&F filter that appeared to have the same functionality. Upon receipt, I compared it to the Glimmerglass 5 filter I do have, and the patterns are virtually identical. The filter diffuses harsh light sources and creates a soft, pleasing glow.

The filter fitment is good. It screws on smoothly, and comes off easily as well. The packaging was good, with a protective case that is easy to open and has a silicone insert that prevents the filter from moving.

For less than half the price of Glimmerglass, this K&F filter is a good alternative.

First thing s first I have always liked K&F products as they are great products that are made very well and for the money you pay for them they give a lot of value. Now that being said I wasn’t sure what to expect from the glimmer effect. It is supposed to help soften the glow from bright sources of light on a subject and I do see that it does help in certain situations when I am taking pictures but is very niche use unless you take a lot of portrait or product shots. Overall I had fun using it and will use it more to see what kind of portraits I can get out from using this filter. Over build quality is excellent and the coatings used are definitely high quality and the sharpness of my pictures were not noticeably reduced with this filter in place.

So I wanted to compare these two glimmer / shimmer effect filters to see which of these two I prefer and honestly it was a very hard choice. Right out of the door, I want to mention that both filters are equally sharp so I will talk about the areas where they differ.

Overall packaging: K&F wins hands down. The design of the box looks like you bought something premium and comes with a nice plastic case. Cool thing is it has different size grooves inside so you can carry different size filters inside albeit you can only place one filter at a time. Tiffen's only comes in a ordinary plain white plastic case with logo only meant to hold one size filter.

Build Quality: This one is hard to say but if I had to pick I got to give this one to Tiffen. Their filter has more weight to it which translates into it feeling more solid / durable. This is not to say that the K&F feels cheap because it really isn't. K&F still feels solid and looks nice as well. It seems like they used an aluminum ring which is probably why it doesn't weigh as much.

Color Cast: So here is where they do differ a lot. K&F leans more to the warmer side and Tiffen seems to lean more to a cooler tone. I typically like warmer tones so I don't mind but this is all personal taste so I will not declare a winner here.

Halation: This one is a toss up as well. If you look at both filters side by side, you will notice that K&F seems to have a lot more glitter and also has a green reflection (probably from all their coatings.) This I believe translates to the filter having more of a glow to it. (it's subtle but definitely noticeable). This one also comes down to personal preference. If you prefer more glow which will also translate to having a little less contrast, then K&F is for you.

At the end of the day this is a great filter and even with the small shortcomings it has, a little editing can fix color cast and less contrast. Pricing is great for what you get and it's definitely an excellent option!

In a world where we chase the ultimate sharpness in images and video, diffusion filters are a fun getaway from that rat race. This particular filter is, in my opinion, fairly "low power" in most situations, so you can safely add it without causing an overpowering effect like many other filters, especially in the budget section. This can be used for portraits to give a slight glowing effect and soften up some of that sharpness while maintaining image detail, or for landscapes to add some glow to any light sources in the scene, along with any variety of scenarios you might come up with. If you have the time, I'd recommend trying it out any chance you have and seeing if you like what it adds to the image. These filters are very subjective and what may work for one person may not for another, and in reverse as well of course.

I found this to be most effective when there is some contrast and drama to the light. In the flat midday sun, it was actually difficult in my case to find any difference at all other than some mild softening of the image. However, in my night test, it added a wonderful glow to the various light sources, making the image much more appealing and less harsh.

One of the best things I noted about this filter is what it DIDN'T do. I didn't notice any color cast or discoloration caused by this filter. Many other filters struggle with this issue but in anything from midday sun to nighttime darkness, I didn't notice any color shifting (and to clarify, I'm reviewing these on my calibrated BenQ monitor).

Two side notes to mention:

I now own several different items from K&F and I've been increasingly impressed with this brand of photography products. This filter is definitely going in the camera bag and I will be trying it out as often as possible.

Additionally, this filter is packaged in one of the nicest hard cases I've seen. The smoke gray circular case stands amount amongst a sea of white square cases for my other filters, and includes a really neat rubber "mount" inside to hold a variety of filter sizes without it flopping around in the case.

I got this filter in the 55mm size to use on a Nikon D3500 camera. It came in a very nice box and the filter itself came well protected in the inner case as well. It was a perfect fit for the camera. Unfortunately it didn't seem to have much impact (if any) on the photos taken with it. The concept sounded good but there were no shimmery effects to distinguish pictures taken with the filter from the same pictures taken without it. Maybe there are certain subject or lighting conditions where the change would be more evident. If this proves to be the case over time, I'll come back and adjust the rating.

This is a nice, specialty filter that will get occasional, specific use. It does a very good job of softening highlights, brights, etc. Almost like a very subtle application of diffuse glow.

I haven't noticed any impact on sharpness, artifacting, or distortion. I'd like to spend a few months doing night shots, in the city, to really explore what this can do.

Threads are smooth with zero crunchiness when screwing it on. The container it resides in, when not in use, is solid and protective. I won't worry about it getting damage in my photo bag.

I'll start at 4 stars with the potential of raising it to 5.

The K&F (82mm) Shimmer Filter is thin/lightweight and has an aluminum frame. Taking off my brass framed filter, noticed a difference of the thinner frame and had to be careful in matching the threads of the filter and lens before screwing on. The filter comes with a nice round plastic case that contains a rubber padding material to keep the filter from sliding around in the case. The glass on the filter is nano-coated. Ran some water on to the filter and it slid off easily. Taking a few photos of street lamps at night with the filter, gave the lamp lighting a bloom/glow effect vs no filter. There was no affect on image sharpness or color shift. Overall, this is another quality product from K&F Concept. Rated 4 stars.

K&F makes great filters but in the build quality of this thing is excellent. I just found the diffusion of fact a little more subtle than I was hoping. If you’re shooting stills there’s really no reason you couldn’t do this in post. Even video you can apply it although it’s more time consuming. It’s a good filter I just wish the effect was more pronounced.

You might be hard-pressed to notice any effect at all lender must lighting conditions. For a 1 filter that’s a little unusual.

My camera is greatly under-utilized, I really need to step up my game.

I did have an opportunity recently to use this shimmer filter in a couple of settings and I have to say the most noticeable difference revealed itself when I took a couple of close-ups of my face. I had no makeup on and posed under harsh sunlight. It definitely softened the frame and removed shadows. One of the things I find difficult as a person with very dark skin is capturing my skin tone accurately in photographic images. In different exposures and settings, I can appear much lighter than I actually am, which is not a desirable effect - at least not to me. This filter does give somewhat of a lighter appearance to my skin tone, but not dramatically. It was useful in capturing a softer version of the actual environment, which is a plus if you can't alter the amount or quality of light. Overall I think this filter would be useful in softening light without completely altering the subject altogether.

K&F Concept has become one of my go-to budget-friendly camera gear companies, and this is another great example of why that is. The build quality is above its price point, and the glass doesn't add any color casting or fringing