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ND filters

Irix releases new tough “Super Resistance” versions of its 100mm square filters

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Lens manufacturer Irix has today announced the newest additions to its square filter lineup. While still a fairly small player in the world of filters when we look at the likes of Lee, NiSi and Cokin, Irix introduced their square filters way back in 2017 with the Irix Edge 100 system and they now offer a fairly decent range of NDs for both filmmakers and photographers.

The newest filters arrive in a Super Resistance (SR) variety, with toughened coatings that Irix says offers “outstanding protection” in harsh conditions while still providing accurate colour as well as good sharpness and contrast. Of course, they also feature their standard NANO coating to repel dirt and water.

Here are 12 ND filters compared for color and sharpness

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Filters, such a useful tool for allowing more control over your exposure. Some things are simply can’t be done with a camera alone. But with so many manufactures, types, and price differences buying a filter might get a little confusing.

While it would be nearly impossible to test every filter around. I did manage to assemble a decent collection in the hope to see the differences between cheap, expensive, square, screw-in and variable NV filters.

As you can see I have a mixture of square and circle ND filters that are 10stop in strength. I also added two 6stop filters and variable ND into the mix.

Kolari Vision’s new neutral density filter works with both visible light and infrared cameras

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Neutral density filters have long been in the bags of photographers. Whether it’s to bring your exposure down below flash sync speed or simply to be able to create long exposures during bright conditions. But infrared is often a problem. Many filters let in too much. So-called “IRND filters” were released to block all IR and alleviate the issue. But what if you want to shoot an infrared long exposure?

Kolari Vision’s new Kolari Pro IRND filter is not like the IRNDs we’re used to, which completely block infrared. This one blocks both infrared and the visible spectrum in equal amounts, meaning that you can use for both types of photography with (in theory at least) and should offer virtually none of the colour cast typically associated with strong ND filters.

HDR – an abomination? Not if you do it right!

We probably all know that HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. In all simplicity, this means images that cover the entire tonal range in a given scene. The photographer has been able to preserve the highlights and yet has enough shadow detail information. The photo avoids any clipped shadows or ‘black holes’ as I call them. The trouble with black holes is that they steal a lot of attention, and may draw the eyes to all the wrong places in an image. The same goes for severely clipped highlights. They are boring plain white, with hard transition lines.

There are three ways we can achieve a high dynamic range image. We will in the following briefly discuss each of them.

Tiffen has announced a new range of ND Filter Kits for the DJI Mavic Mini

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One notable absence in the launch of the DJI Mavic Mini was a range of ND filters designed for the new drone. DJI has sets of their own branded filters for many of their products like the Osmo Pocket and Osmo Action as well as for drones including the Phantom 4, Mavic Pro and Mavic Air. But there is nothing for the Mavic Mini and no obvious way to attach filters, either.

Filter manufacturer Tiffen, however, has not been resting. They’ve now announced a new line of filter kits designed specifically for the DJI Mavic Mini which includes both straight NDs as well as ND polarizers.

How to dodge and burn in-camera to preserve highlights and save time in post

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Graduated ND filters will help you get perfect exposure in-camera when shooting landscapes and cityscapes. However, the area they cover sometimes just won’t cut it for the scene you’re trying to capture. Of course, you can sometimes fix it in post, but why not try getting it right in-camera?

In this video, Karl Taylor demonstrates a simple but effective technique of dodging and burning in-camera, relying on the old darkroom method. It will help you nail the exposure, preserve details in highlights, and it could save you some post-processing time.

Here are some ideas on how to use a variable ND filter for shooting landscapes

Attaching the NiSi Vario filter to a lens basically means that we have added a fourth dimension to our camera. The exposure triangle; aperture, iso, shutter speed, has been expanded with a fourth variable with which we can play to achieve a desired effect or outcome. This of course opens up for new creative opportunities in our photography, and also adds a lot of flexibility to our shooting.

PolarPro just announced two “Peter McKinnon Edition” Variable ND filters – Here are our first impressions using one

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Today, PolarPro has announced their new Peter McKinnon Edition Variable ND filters. They’re available in two strengths of 2-5 stops and 6-9 stops. I’ve been fortunate enough to have the 77mm 2-5 stops version in my possession for the last couple of weeks. As I write this, I’m sitting in Glasgow airport waiting to board a plane to take it on a real test in the deserts of Arizona, but I’ve been able to have enough of a play with it to give some first impressions.

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