49mm Variable ND2-ND32 (1-5 Stop) & Black Mist 1/4 Filter 2-in-1, 28 Multi-Layer Coatings - Nano-Xcelcel Series

SKU: KF01.1808

  • 85.99
Overall Rating 5   48
Reviews
5
Good ND filter if you want the diffusion effect too
I was actually looking for a plain ND2-32 filter but this one sounded interesting so I gave it a try. Basically the diffusion effect softens the image a bit giving it a more dreamy look. It avoids the "you can count every pore/hair" look that can be kind of harsh when you use a high resolution digital camera. I was kind of hoping the black diffusion would be a separate filter stacked on top of the ND, but it's not. So if you want ND without diffusion you will have to buy a different ND filter to get it.

The machining of the filter is very well done and the filter itself is very thin. I think this is their main reason for combining diffusion with ND, to keep it very thin compared to stacked filters, avoiding vignetting.

As long as you are wanting that dreamy black diffusion look, this filter works great. The level of ND is easy to adjust and doesn't seem to modify the image other than making it darker. No weird color shifts or patterns appear as you rotate it. The high level of ND is great when you want to shoot with longer exposures to get an image blur effect, or to shoot with wide-open F-stop to get shallow depth of field.

The whole thing comes in K&F's fanciest case, leather with a magnet closure. It is a bit more bulky than their plastic cases but looks nice and is much easier to lift the filter out of.

Overall recommended, just make sure you want the black diffusion effect as it's built into this filter. If you don't, K&F have other ND filters without it.
11/03/2023