These variable lens filters come with built-in creative effects

You can achieve all sorts of cool in-camera effects by placing different stuff in front of your lens. Building upon this idea, Jakob Owens of TheBuffNerds presents you PrismLensFX’s variable filters that already have these effects built in. You can snap them onto your lens and get different kinds of flares and effects in an instant.

There are three filters to choose from: Prism, Chromatic Flare, and Split Glass filter. The Prism filter lets you create interesting flare and bokeh effects. As for the Chromatic Flare filter, it creates “anamorphic” or “streak” flares in your photos and videos. Finally, the Split Glass filter creates a light leak and fractal effects in-camera.

Each of them is a 77mm rotating filter, and it’s best to use them with telephoto lenses (50mm or greater) and at wide apertures.

These filters seem like a good idea since there’s a variety of looks you can achieve with them without much fuss. However, they seem a bit overpriced considering that you can DIY these effects for far less money. Each of the filters costs $75. If you order all three at once, you get them at a total of $195.

As I mentioned, you can DIY these effects, and we have are some ideas on how to do it here, here and here. But, if you don’t feel like making your own lens filters with effects, the PrismLensFX’s variable filters are available for preorders here and they’ll start shipping in mid to late April.

[via No Film School]