Filter is nice

Filter is nice

First off, I'm a fan of K&F's products, I try to use them as much as I can during photo sessions, since they just give good consistent results.

However, the ONE complaint I've always had, is that K&F's product line was quite limited to low to mid range products. Don't get me wrong, they are amazing for what they are.. and I LOVE having them on location. But, as with any product I use in the field, they're often NOT the same products I will used in a fully controlled environment. In a perfect world, I would be able to take all of my studio gear on location, and not have to worry about potential damage to my gear.

To that end, K&F's mid-range type of filters and equipment have worked extremely well..

However.. I've always wondered.. what if my preferred manufacturers actually produced higher end gear.. would the results be as good? Better? What might I be missing, by taking certain types of gear, over others?

When I saw that K&F was producing a 'Nano' sort of lineup, a while ago, I was excited.. but also somewhat concerned... I already had my high end filters that I would use on special occasions, and for studio work... would K&F be able to actually meet that quality? If so.. could I stop buying gear from manufacturers that I didn't want to use, due to their awful customer support practices?

When I saw this filter pop up on my recommended feed.. my curiosity got the better of me, and I had to order it.

I grabbed the 82mm version, since my primary workhorse lenses are 82mm. Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art, is commonly my 'Go To', though having rented and used a Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III, a few times, now.. and having it on my wish list.. both use 82mm filters.

After using it for a couple of sessions, now... both studio and on location, I have some initial short term thoughts:

Exposure change is minimal. - This is a big deal, since so many 'cost effective' polarizers will often drastically impact exposure. I've seen some filter change the EV by as much as a full stop. At that point, a CPL is operating more like a slight ND filter, and is not really optimal if all you're wanting is glare reduction. This one, I would say reduced the EV by roughly 1/8th of a stop when installed.

Color shift also seems to be minimal, if there is any at all - CPLs are also often plagued with the problem of changing the color of a scene, when they're applied, and in the case of variable polarizers, you may even experience a color shift while adjusting the amount of filtering being applied. This isn't ideal, as it just means you're going to have to do more color adjustment in post. Now, that said, keep in mind, the way a variable CPL works, if that if you reduce the glare from a source that is producing a color cast, you WILL have some color shift. This is just the nature of light.. similar to using a gold colored reflector for a subject illumination. If you remove the gold color from the reflector, there WILL be a color change. This is not the same as a filter created color shift.

Distortion seems to be non-existent - This is ANOTHER problem that so many filters (in general) have, and can often be so slight, as to not be seen until you're working with your files (RAW or otherwise) in post. I've seen a large number of filters absolutely ruin photos in the past, so it's something I tend to be VERY twitchy about. This filter seems to have no distortion at all. I'm EXTREMELY happy for that.

Quality & build - This filter has 2 parts to it. When I say that, I don't mean there's 2 physical parts that you have to attach... just that there is the static mount, that attaches to the end of the lens, and the adjustable portion that floats and rotates on the end. The static mount is actually a bit on the small side, which means if you are going to be attaching this to your lens, with any bit of snugness, you may want to use a filter tool for it.

NOTE: This filter does NOT have a forward facing threaded mount. If you use a lens hood that attached via the filter threads, it WILL NOT WORK with this filter. Additionally, the lack of a forward thread also means you cannot stack this filter with others, OR you will want to use it as your last filter in the stack. I know.. there is some photographer out there, right now, reading this, who is screaming that you shouldn't stack filters, ever.. but you saying that, doesn't change the fact that there ARE those that do. If you DO still want to use the CPL as a middle filter, you're going to need to get some external mount adapters to do so.

Case - The case the filter comes in, is actually a nice little leather and denim case, with a pull string on the side, that will push the filter out for you. My only gripe with this case, as with so many others, is that it'd be nice if the case had a small insert for a label. When carrying around a kit of filters, and you're operating in lower light conditions, it's often a pain to read the edges of the filters to determine which one you're grabbing. Adding a small label pouch would be an awesome addition.

Un-important - The packaging of the filter is quite nice, having a sturdy foam framed box, and including a microfiber cloth is a nice touch. The fact that the box turns into a 'picture frame' is gimmicky, and borderline insulting, as if the average person buying this were a child, who may become super excited over using a dense foam-board package as a photo frame. It's a $180 lens filter... the person buying this isn't going to spend that, and then not buy a decent frame for any photos they produce. This sort of marketing gimmick might work for those individuals buying a $20 CPL for their instagram photos.. but this filter is clearly aimed at the higher end photographer.

So.. that brings us to the big question.. how are the results? Honestly, I can't find a reason to complain at all. Colors come through as expected, no distortion, and absolutely no image reduction. The smaller mount point on the front lens element keeps flaring down to a minimal, and produces nice, crisp fantastic images.

The variable polarization works as expected, but I would have liked to see it spread a bit more evenly around the lens. Right now, when I turn the adjustment ring, there seems to be an awful lot of lack of polarization for a good amount of the filter, before the polarization kicks in, quickly.. a more gradual approach would have been preferred, BUT, that's nothing different from the current high end CPL I'd been using, either.


That said, so far I'm immensely happy with the results I'm seeing with this CPL, and I'm cautiously optimistic that my long term experience will keep me comfortable with this CPL... time will tell, but for now, I'm cautiously recommending it, even at its current price.

First of all, I was pretty impressed with the packaging this filter came in.

It’s good to see that at this price point, exceptional-quality packaging is used to protect this gear which is relatively expensive for what it is. It’s just a piece of glass right? Well, actually no. I found that it functions best, at least in my application, for reducing glare of windows, windshields, water, and basically anything that has a reflection.

I can shoot video on a car and eliminate the distracting elements of trees passing by, or just the environment in which the car is in.

This is truly a beautiful piece of glass, and you don’t have to worry about it “downgrading” your footage or photos. It’s definitely more of an upgrade.

First of all, I was pretty impressed with the packaging this filter came in.

It’s good to see that at this price point, exceptional-quality packaging is used to protect this gear which is relatively expensive for what it is. It’s just a piece of glass right? Well, actually no. I found that it functions best, at least in my application, for reducing glare of windows, windshields, water, and basically anything that has a reflection.

I can shoot video on a car and eliminate the distracting elements of trees passing by, or just the environment in which the car is in.

This is truly a beautiful piece of glass, and you don’t have to worry about it “downgrading” your footage or photos. It’s definitely more of an upgrade.

This CPL filter performed really well when used on my most recent vehicle rig. I was most concerned with the reflections that the windshield would produce at any given moment throughout the shoot. Thanks to this filter, I was able to drastically reduce the glare and focus on my subject who sat inside the car.

The filter itself is quite practical to use. Although it is a bit tough to remove when using step-up/step-down rings if you tighten it too much, it's generally a good rule of thumb to not overtighten any filters. In this instance, I just wanted to make sure everything was incredibly secured as the rig would be in motion, but otherwise for normal scenarios I wouldn't have had that issue at all.

Overall, I do think it's well worth the cost. I've used cheaper alternatives that haven't really offered the same result as this CPL filter by K&F Concept. Personally, I believe that sometimes using cheap gear ultimately cheapens the results and overall quality of some videos. In this instance, K&F Concept did an exceptional job given the price. Yes it's definitely premium, but it's well worth the cost.

Aunque tengo un filtro de esta misma marca que hace su función correctamente, no permite modificar la luz y el contraste. Este filtro sí lo permite, aunque sutilmente, permite girar suavemente la lente una vez acoplado y modificar en luz, contraste y color la percepción de la imagen. No es un cambio con mucha variación, pero permite retocar levemente la intensidad con que se capta una imagen.
Se le podía poner un punto negativo por el precio, pero, en mi opinión, es una valoración personal y relativa.
La calidad es muy buena y cumple perfectamente su cometido.

Aunque tengo un filtro de esta misma marca que hace su función correctamente, no permite modificar la luz y el contraste. Este filtro sí lo permite, aunque sutilmente, permite girar suavemente la lente una vez acoplado y modificar en luz, contraste y color la percepción de la imagen. No es un cambio con mucha variación, pero permite retocar levemente la intensidad con que se capta una imagen.
Se le podía poner un punto negativo por el precio, pero, en mi opinión, es una valoración personal y relativa.
La calidad es muy buena y cumple perfectamente su cometido.

I shoot professional gear and don't mind paying for products that produce first class results, are durable, and are simple to use. This filter meets my criteria for a professional quality photography product.

The optics are high quality. I don't see any aberrations in the resulting images. Mechanically, the movement of the filter is very smooth. We'll see how it does with some weather and grit, but I expect it will continue to operate well. I put this up against the very best I have used and never look back. This company has produced an excellent, professional quality filter.

I shoot professional gear and don't mind paying for products that produce first class results, are durable, and are simple to use. This filter meets my criteria for a professional quality photography product.

The optics are high quality. I don't see any aberrations in the resulting images. Mechanically, the movement of the filter is very smooth. We'll see how it does with some weather and grit, but I expect it will continue to operate well. I put this up against the very best I have used and never look back. This company has produced an excellent, professional quality filter.