Many people keep using the same filters they know and love, but they often don’t realize that especially variable ND filters and circular polarizers often suffer from tinted images or a lack of sharpness. It’s time to look at a highly regarded set of filters, the Nano-Xcel Pro series from K&F Concept, and see in what regards – and if at all – they fare better and can be an “everyday set” of professional lens filters for filmmakers. I hope you enjoy a new filter review from CineD, it’s been a while!

Build quality – taking a closer look

K&F Concept’s filters stand out for their ultra-thin brass frames. CNC-machined for precision, these frames strike a perfect balance of rigidity and flexibility, ensuring smooth installation and a secure fit. The thoughtful design avoids vignetting even on wide-angle lenses, which is a common issue with many competing filters.
The inclusion of a handmade genuine leather pouch for each filter adds a touch of luxury and practicality, emphasizing the brand’s attention to detail. For the creative streak filters, aerospace-grade aluminum is used, with textured CNC trim patterns that enhance grip and usability.

Optical performance: how do they stack up?

The Nano-Xcel Pro Series utilizes advanced multi-layer nano-coating technology, with up to 36 layers on both sides of the glass. This coating ensures:

• Minimal reflectivity: Reflectivity as low as 0.15% reduces glare and ghosting.
• Neutral color fidelity: No visible color casts were observed, even under rigorous testing with a color-checker chart.
• Durability in harsh conditions: Scratch-resistant, waterproof, and smudge-proof coatings ensure that these filters can withstand heavy use.

Compared to other filters on the market, the Nano-Xcel Pro Series achieves a remarkable balance of maintaining optical clarity while protecting against environmental wear.

The lineup in the Nano-Xcel Pro Series

CPL Filter

Designed for landscape and outdoor photography, the CPL filter excels at eliminating reflections and enhancing contrast. In our tests, it delivered vivid skies and clearer water reflections without any noticeable distortion or softening of the image.

ND2-32 Variable ND Filter

The ND2-32 filter offers a versatile solution for controlling exposure, especially for video work in changing light conditions. Its smooth adjustment mechanism and lack of cross-patterning—a common issue in variable ND filters—make it a reliable choice for professional videographers.
However, a notable gap in the lineup is the absence of a stronger variable ND filter (6-9 stops) in the Nano-Xcel Pro Series. While the ND2-32 performs well for moderate light reduction, a higher range would be invaluable for photographers and videographers working in extremely bright environments, such as midday outdoor shoots or long-exposure photography. Including such an option would round out the series and make it even more competitive.

CPL & ND2-32 Hybrid Filter

This combined CPL and ND filter provides a convenient, all-in-one solution for filmmakers and photographers. During testing, the ability to manage both reflection and light intensity simultaneously proved invaluable in dynamic shooting scenarios, such as coastal landscapes or reflective urban environments.

A standout advantage of this combination is how it enhances the versatility of the variable ND filter. By design, variable ND filters are made from two polarizers stacked together, which means they can inadvertently affect reflections in the image. For example, when filming a subject looking at a smartphone screen, you may notice the screen becoming unnaturally dark or black due to the polarizing effect. This can be frustrating in scenarios where accurate reflections are essential. The CPL & ND2-32 hybrid filter addresses this issue by giving you precise control over reflections independently of light reduction. This added adjustability ensures that reflections, such as those on water, glass, or electronic screens, can be fine-tuned or neutralized as needed—an invaluable feature for both videographers and photographers.

By combining these two functionalities, this hybrid filter doesn’t just save space in your kit; it actively solves a common issue with traditional variable ND filters, making it an excellent choice for professionals who demand greater creative control.

Creative Streak Filters

The Blue Streak and Gold Streak filters cater to filmmakers and photographers looking for a touch of anamorphic magic. These filters produce linear flares that enhance cinematic visuals without degrading sharpness or detail in the underlying image. They are, of course, only giving you the “streak effect” typical for many anamorphic lenses, not the actual image squeezing or oval highlights, but that is a “nice to have” effect in some occasions that is not all that easy to mimic in post-production.

Durability and warranty: built to last

With a 10-year warranty, K&F Concept demonstrates confidence in the longevity of their products. The brass and aluminum frames, combined with robust coatings, ensure these filters endure heavy use without compromising performance. Each filter also features a unique identification code for warranty claims, underscoring the brand’s commitment to quality.

Who are these filters for?

Whether you’re a landscape photographer capturing vivid scenery, a videographer seeking control over exposure, or a filmmaker experimenting with creative flares, the Nano-Xcel Pro Series has something to offer. However, for those needing a stronger variable ND option, you may need to look beyond this lineup for now.

Conclusion

K&F Concept’s Nano-Xcel Pro Series delivers on its promise of high-quality optical performance and robust design. While not without competition, these filters stand out for their innovation, attention to detail, and exceptional value. Addressing the lack of a higher-stop ND filter would make this lineup even more versatile and appealing.

Black Friday Giveaway by K&F Concept

As Black Friday approaches, K&F Concept is already offering exciting giveaways—a perfect opportunity to invest in these outstanding tools. Apart from that, the company is also offering up to 50% off on many of their gear. For more info, please visit their Amazon store or website.

What variable ND and CPL filters do you use and trust? How does the K&F Concept Nano-Xcel Pro Series sound to you? Let us know in the comments below.

H&Y, a company that specializes in making quality filter solutions, is now running a crowdfunding campaign featuring their latest invention, the EVO series filter system. There are two versions of this system – one for photographers and one for filmmakers. In this review, I’m looking closely at the video kit.

Filter solutions

It’s not that we lack lens filter solution systems. In fact, recently this specific market became saturated with many manufacturers trying their best to “reinvent the wheel”. 

And that is exactly the issue. Personally, I’m looking for a solid solution, yet one that can enhance my workflow when filming. 

So yes, there are great filter options out there, but innovation must be supported by “simplicity”, and while some filter solutions are potentially good, others are too unwieldy to use in the field. 

And this brings me to the H&Y EVO series filter combination. It is simply a great, easy-to-use system with a dual-mode design, which gives you the freedom to work in any way that suits you best. 

H&Y EVO series

The main selling point of this new system is its dual capability: filters can be attached to the lens either using a “magnetic approach” or, if you don’t trust magnets, it is possible to use the old “screw-in” method of attaching the filters to the lens thread. 

Why filters?

I can hear some of you asking why even bother working with filters at all. 

Well, there are a few solid reasons: 

If you are like me and enjoy spending your time behind a camera, you know the drill. Lens filters are an essential accessory to enhance images or help with telling a story. 

Regardless of this, there is also the technical aspect. For example, most mirrorless cameras don’t have a built-in ND filter to control and compensate for the amount of light entering the sensor, which is fundamental when filming and maintaining a certain shutter speed. 

This is when the H&Y variable ND comes in handy. When using it in “threaded mode”, it acts as a very versatile ND. But, in “magnetic mode”, it also acts as a circular polarizer. 

When it comes to lenses, many of the newer offerings are simply too sharp or lack identity to support the film look we are after.

In order to cut this “image harshness”, the H&Y EVO series includes Mist black and Mist white filters with a strength of 1/4. Depending on the look you are after, and your light setup, these types of filters are very welcome, especially in the age of digital filming. By the way, personally, I hope that H&Y will consider adding a 1/8 mist black filter for even greater flexibility. 

Last but not least, there are the EVO series effect filters. 

They consist of a streak blue filter imitating an anamorphic flare, and a short 4X Cross filter. 

Of course, it is a matter of personal taste if you’d like to use them or not. 

A well-thought-through filter solution

So to summarize: The video kit is very well thought through and includes all the essentials one might need when working in the field (ND3-1000+CPL, black mist 1/4, white mist 1/4, streak blue, short 4X cross, adapter ring, lens cap, and storage bag).

You’ve got to love the filter mounting flexibility and modularity, the filter glass quality and color neutrality, the super slim lightweight design, the durability, and the magnetic lens cap next to the storage bag. 

I didn’t test these filters on lenses beyond 400mm, but in order to keep sharpness, H&Y themselves are suggesting not to go beyond 400mm when using them.

One additional tip – in their Kickstarter campaign, H&Y is offering different filter thread sizes, like 67, 72, 77, 82, and 95mm. However, if you are already using lenses with different thread sizes but are interested in utilizing this 82mm filter system, you might find the H&Y REVORING variable adapter ring worth considering. This solution easily supports the new EVO filter system.  

When it comes to cost, during the crowdfunding campaign, H&Y is offering the new filter set at a very special price from $250 to $370, depending on the size of the filters. 

What do you think about this modular filter system? Does it ignite your curiosity to try it in the field? Please share your thoughts with us in the comment section below.

I have to admit, when the MagRota Filter System first showed up on our studio/office doorstep, I felt a bit overwhelmed: quite a large package containing a lot of smaller packages, each containing a pouch, with each pouch containing an individual filter. Then more pouches containing filter holders in various sizes. (Thankfully, Velium sent us also a separate multi-filter holder pouch later on, which can replace many of the individual pouches.)

When you start reviewing something that you have little to no prior idea about, it can be a daunting task. But once I was able to wrap my head around the concept of the MagRota filter system, I knew: This makes total sense, and I wondered why no one had done it before. 

The problem with matte boxes

Before diving into the problem with matte boxes, let’s first discuss their advantages: First popping up on movie sets, they are certainly the best-quality way of applying filters to your lens. You are able to use the same filters on all kinds of lenses with them, you can even combine them (with normal multi-stage matte boxes and/or rotatable ones), and you are able to control the light hitting your lens through flags. And here’s the “but”: they tend to be heavy, bulky, and impractical to use for a one-man band shooter or small crew shoots when a lot of lens changes are involved. Or when you want to put your camera on a gimbal when balancing a rig quickly is crucial. Yes, there are light clamp-on matte boxes now that address these challenges, but they still suffer from the fact that 4×5.6 or 4×4 filters are quite heavy on their own. And usually, two is the maximum of filters to put behind each other on a matte box.

The alternative: screw-on filters

So when matte boxes are not feasible for a lot of shoots, what’s the alternative? Correct: Screw-on filters. Let’s take a quick look at their advantages and disadvantages.

The great thing about screw-on filters is that they are small, light, and can quickly be moved between lenses. One downside is a limited selection of filter kinds (I usually use them mostly as variable ND filters, because it’s convenient when you are shooting alone on a mirrorless camera that lacks built-in NDs). Another challenge is the fact that you need different sizes of screw-on filters to use with all your lenses (or, better: Use step-down rings so you can use the same ones on all lens diameters!) and the fact that you can’t easily combine them with other filters like you can on matte boxes. 

Velium MagRota Filter System: combining two worlds

The MagRota approach: shrink the matte box, make it much lighter, but also make “screw-on” filters stackable. The people at Velium, the makers of the MagRota filter system, clearly tackled the problems described above and tried to come up with a product that avoids the downsides of both matte boxes and screw-on filters. Let’s take a closer look if they succeeded. 

MagRota Filter Base

First, let’s establish what the MagRota filter system is comprised of: the heart of the system is the MagRota Base, an aluminum filter holder that screws on the inner front thread of your lens. (Unfortunately, the system currently doesn’t work with lenses that don’t have an inner front thread, which is of course a downside.)

The MagRota Base comes in 82mm, 86mm and 92mm versions, though the 82mm version ships with 67-82, 72-82, and 77-82 step-up-rings, so you can attach the Base onto most common lenses. I like the fact that they started with large diameters and don’t trick you into buying smaller diameter versions (as some screw-on filter makers do), because, in fact, you can use step-up rings to make larger filters fit slimmer lenses in any case anyway. 

The Base simply screws onto your lens like a screw-on filter, with or without a step-up ring if needed, and then you are ready to attach up to 4 stacked magnetic filters on top of each other (more on that below). There’s a golden turntable aluminum ring that allows you to rotate the entire filter system without moving the Base itself (which is neat, but more on that later), and there is also a locking lever that lets you lock the filters in place. 

The MagRota Filter Base is of course larger in diameter than your average screw-on filter, and that can make your lens/camera system look a bit bulky, which takes some getting used to. I honestly don’t mind it because the advantages outweigh the bulkier look: the Base allows you to add up to 4 stacked filters and still get no vignetting at up to 16mm lenses, which is remarkable. You’ll be hard-pressed to find any screw-on variable ND filter that lets you get a clear image without vignetting at 16mm, and that doesn’t even add any additional filters. Even worse so usually with matte boxes.

Velium MagRota Filters

Velium shipped us 11 different filters with the system, all in their various individual pouch, which is why – as mentioned in the beginning – it took some time to get an overview. Basically, these 11 filters offer 6 types of filters, including variable ND (VND), graduated ND (GND), circular polarizer (CPL), infrared ND (IRND), and Streak and Mist filters. (They are working on a lot of additional effect filters which are supposed to be released in the “near future”.) Because this is a magnetic system, you cannot use third-party filters with this system, just one thing to keep in mind. 

How does it work?

You can’t use any random order with the filters, you have to follow a certain “stacking order”, which is easy to follow since the filters are marked “Cine I” all the way through to “Cine IV”. (There’s a separate stacking order for photographers which is also marked.) 

Of course, you don’t have to use 4 filters, you can also just use one or two on top of each other. But that marking system makes it easy to get started: The first filter is a CineStreak filter – included were Gold and Blue, next are the Dual CPL and VND filters (in VND strengths of either 2-5 or 5-9 stops), and lastly, the CineMist filter (in 1/2 or 1/4 strengths).

I realized how smartly designed the system is when stacking three or four filters: Let’s say you start with a golden CineStreak filter, which really gives very nice golden “anamorphic style” streaks from any pointed light sources, and then you want to add a CPL and variable ND filter on top: you would think that the streak filter is turning with the VND filter (which would be bad because we don’t want the streaks to change the angle once we set them), but that’s not the case. Because the streak filter is the first that goes on, it sits in the “locking stage” which you fix with the lever on the base, so you can exactly dial in the “streak angle” you want. 

The VND filter that goes on top has its own separate little lever that allows you to turn it and is not turned on the base itself. The magnets on the filters allow filters to be turned on top of each other easily. And due to the super slim design of the filter frames and filters themselves, it’s a very seamless way of getting the desired results.

Being able to combine all kinds of effect filters with VND on such a small filter system is revolutionary to me – usually using a VND on a lens prevents you from adding other filters, which so far always had me come back to a matte box, that often comes with the disadvantages mentioned above. The most practical use for me would be to combine a GND filter with a VND filter whilst shooting outside in changing lighting conditions. 

How good are the magnets?

Naturally, this question comes up with any magnetic system: Can you trust the magnets? There is always a fear of filters dropping and shattering into a thousand pieces when hitting the floor while working with them in general, so a magnet “has to be trusted”. I have to say that Velium seemed to have found a good compromise of a very tight and secure fit of the filters and the ability to still take them off without the fear of dropping them. The most critical filter for me is the first one because it’s a bit tougher to take out of the base, but I would recommend turning your camera and lens pointing up, so you can grab the filter from above. I do not recommend taking all the filters in the Base off at once, this can feel a bit risky, but rather do it one by one. It still is a much faster way of changing filters than the other methods of screwing them on and off or changing a filter in a matte box. 

Quality of the glass and coatings – what about reflections and light leaks?

Combining several filters always comes with the worry of increased reflections and refractions as soon as light hits your lens. The MagRota system really impresses in this regard, because in general, reflections are absolutely minimal. They added various nano-coatings to reduce them, and you can tell that the quality of the glass is superb in general – after checking I found it’s by Schott, the most premium glassmaker that also supplies glass to the likes of ZEISS and ARRI (and many, many others). On Velium’s product pages for the MagRota system, you can see that they went to great lengths to develop coatings to minimize reflections, and it definitely shows. What also helps is how thin the filters are and how closely they stack together, which is a much tighter fit than comparable stackable filter systems I’ve seen so far.

Sharpness and color shift

While I was getting started to do scientific sharpness and color shift tests with the filters, I realized it’s not really possible to do this in all the combinations the filters offer – and they are made to be used in combination. Yet I can share my general impression: While it’s impossible to have absolutely no color shift when applying VND and CPL filters, I found the color shift to be minimal, and more to the warmer side, generally between 100 and 300 Kelvin. Nothing major and easily correctable with a custom white balance (which you always should perform anyway as soon as you attach a filter!)

In terms of sharpness, the quality of the glass shows here, there was no discernable loss in sharpness while using the filters. We have come a long way from the times when almost every VND actually came with the big compromise of losing sharpness!

CineMist strengths

Two filters that are – by design! – indeed losing sharpness, are the CineMist 1/2 and 1/4 filters. While I like the effect – also in combination with the CineStreak filters, which gives a dreamy look – I think that the included CineMist 1/2 filter is giving too strong of an effect to be used in everyday work. I had to chuckle when I went to their Indiegogo page to check because apparently, I am not the only one who was taken aback by that, and now they list that they ship a CineMist 1/4 and 1/8 with the system instead. A good decision!

Magnetic Filter Cap

A small, yet nice accessory is the magnetic filter cap they include: It just goes on top of the filter stack (no matter how many you use) and really easily protects your filters. 

Conclusion of the MagRota Filter System Review

Before really dealing with the Velium MagRota Filter System, I never realized what I had been missing from screw-on filter systems. It solves a lot of problems at once without compromising in any kind of way: the filters are superb, the images they produce are top-notch, and the system gives you a lot of flexibility once you learn how it works – which is a lot less hard than I thought because the numbering of the filters guides you through it. 

The MagRota Filter System deserves more attention from the filmmaking community than it has gotten so far as I find the pricing to be quite fair as well. A high-quality VND filter set of two screw-on VNDs will set you back a similar $300 as MagRota’s VND Standard VND Kit, for example, but not give you all the flexibility and extendability of their system. 

The MagRota Magnetic Filter System is now available on Indiegogo In-Demand. It seems like they ship immediately, so there is less worry about the typical “crowdfunding waiting time”. 

At the end of every crowdfunding-related article, we remind you to please be aware of the risks when backing a project on a crowdfunding platform. Please read the platform’s terms of use and remember that there can be significant delays when delivering the product. Some projects even don’t get delivered at all.

Guys, what do you think of the Velium MagRota Filter System? Have you been searching for one to use for your work? Let us know in the comments below!

Up until recently, I used a VND magnetic filter set from Freewell (See our review here). The main issue with this solution was the joint Mist and ND on the same glass. In practice, it meant I could not add the Mist filter when conducting indoor interviews since the ND reduces the amount of light entering the camera even further. This is why I was pleased to see a new VND filter system where the Black Mist filter is separated from the ND filters themselves. This gives total freedom in regards to how to use it, be it on the NDs or directly on the lens itself.

Why use a Natural Density filter in front of the lens?

Well, the answer is simple: you want to be able to control the amount of light entering the camera’s sensor. I can hear some of you asking “why is controlling the light entering the camera beneficial?” Well, there are multiple reasons for doing so:

The first reason is to be able to leave the shutter speed, or shutter angle on a certain value decided on, for example, the above video was shot in 25 frames per second, and I want my shutter speed to stay at 50 (in order to keep a certain motion cadence associated with films).

The second reason is to be able to control ISO settings. For example, the above footage was shot with the FUJIFILM X-H2, in f-log 2, and the recommended ISO by the manufacturer in order to achieve the maximum dynamic range is 1000, which is rather high. 

Top this with the willingness of many creators to express themselves by working with fast lenses. And there you have it, we need to have some sort of “sunglasses” on the lens to be able to control light. 

Now, some cameras have that ND filter built in, while other filming devices such as mirrorless cameras, don’t have it at all! So bottom line, we have to use some sort of solution, like a matt box or a screw-on lens filter in order to add that missing ND function to be at disposal. 

As a documentary filmmaker, a Variable ND filter is my preferred solution option since it allows me to quickly react to changing filming situations in the field, and in this regard, the NiSi Swift Kit is doing a remarkable job. 

How to use the NiSi’s filter system

Simply screwing the main variable ND filter unit on your lens, gives you full control over reducing exposure by 4 stops. Let’s say, it’s an extremely bright sunny day and you need even stronger ND filtration, then you’d just attach the 5 to 9 stops add-on filter. It is not magnetic, but I like this solution too. It holds in the field very well! 

As I mentioned before, the real jewel of this kit is the Black Mist filter. It can be attached to the variable NDs or completely separately, on the lens itself. 

So for example, if you are filming indoors and the amount of light is not sufficient but you still want to use that Black Mist filter, you can do it with this filter. 

Why would I care about Black Mist filter?

A Black Mist filter reduces the level of contrast in the picture and adds some halation around light sources. Personally, I like using this type of filter in some productions since it kills the harshness of the “video look”. In other words, it can contribute to achieving a more “film-like” look, depending on the lighting arrangements that you have on set or in the field.  

What I like when working with the NiSi Swift VND Mist Kit

• The quality of the filter glass is very good and there is hardly any color shift. 
• The “X effect” that is associated with variable ND filters is almost eliminated. 
• The exposure range control has hard stops at each end. 
• The Black Mist strength is 1/4 which is just about what I personally like. Not too strong and not too weak. 
• Adding and removing the filter components is very easy and straightforward. 

What Could Have Been Improved

• First, in order to use the black mist only on a lens, you need to use the supplied adapter ring. In case you lost or forgot it, you are simply screwed… I wish that NiSi would have designed the system in a way that the supplied adapter ring is not that crucial. 
• Another thing is the included carrying case. It’s simply too big, especially if you are after saving space in your luggage when traveling. 

Other than that, it is a very easy filter system to use. Almost like a mix-and-match one.  

Conclusion

My feeling is, that the overall picture quality is not being reduced when using this system, so I will not hesitate using it whenever I need to control lighting, or, add an additional aesthetic look to my video. I would love to see NiSi expanding the availability of other filters as well making them even more useful. Last but not least, it would be great if this single adapter ring can be re-designed. On a single occasion, I had to back from my original plan and film with a Black Mist on the lens, simply because of not having that ring with me.

The entire NiSi Swift VND Mist Kit together with the Black Mist filter will set you back $409. Some components of it can be purchased separately, too.

What VND filter system are you using? Do you have experience working with NiSi filters? Please share with us your thoughts in the comment section below.