GEAR MINI TESTS
FORMATT-HITECH ULTRA CINE SUPERSLIM FILTER KITS £442/$597 formatt-hitech.com
SPECIFICATIONS Type: Black Supermist and IRND Sizes: Standard 4x5.65in Material: Optical glass Filter dimensions (wxhxd): 143.5x101.6x2mm/5.65x4x0.08in
Welsh filter firm Formatt-Hitech continues its push into independent filmmaking, with an innovative set of full-size 4x5.65in cinema filters, half the thickness and weight of traditional rivals. These are some of the most affordable cinema filters anywhere. Ideal if you’re on a tight budget, or use lightweight filter holders – such as the SmallRig version. This lack of ballast means they are great for gimbals, too. Ultra Cine Superslim filters are available separately and in a range of effects, or as a three- or five- filter kit – including a well-made, slimline holder. This is the standard Arri fitment, but only accepts slim 2mm filters, held in place by a robust, aluminium, spring-loaded catch. If you want to use a standard 4mm Arri filter holder, then two can be stacked inside it – which may actually reduce ghosting. Many matte boxes take 2mm filters anyway, and they fit inside our SmallRig’s own slide-in holder with no problems. Owners of Bright Tangerine, Chrosziel and Wooden Camera matte boxes should have no problems, either. We tested a set of 0.6, 0.9 and 1.2 IRNDs (they also come in 1.8 and 2.1), and a trio of Black Supermist in 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 strengths. We reviewed the Supermist set previously – and filmmakers voted the Black Supermist Circle Kit as best lens accessory in the Pro Moviemaker Gear of the Year Awards. That range of screw-in filters is even more affordable, and suitable for smaller cameras such as mirrorless.
“The aesthetic of an anamorphic widescreen shot with a touch of diffusion is stunning”
The larger Cine range does exactly the same, creating the more cinematic look of a slightly diffused image. It gets rid of the super-sharp edges that show up every detail. We tried the Superslims on a variety of lenses, and they worked incredibly well on a Sirui Anamorphic with Sony A7S III. The aesthetic of an anamorphic widescreen shot with a touch of diffusion is stunning. Just like the Circle set, Cine filters produce a filmic bloom to point light sources, giving a lower-contrast look for a more vintage feel. The Black Supermist has a more subtle effect than the standard Clear Supermist offered by Formatt-Hitech, and doesn’t lighten shadowy areas to the same degree. Every serious professional needs a set of ND filters, and these Formatt- Hitech versions hit the mark, being light, slim and with cinema-grade glass. They are IRND, so have rare earth metal coatings to cut down on infrared light. The biggest problem with this type of filter is the colour
shifts they can cause – but these remained stable. They don’t result in any distracting reflections and are incredibly consistent, right across the whole image. All the kits come in a lovely padded bag, with a magnetic catch to stop the products coming out. It’s also lined with non-scratch material for some added protection. For the lightest possible set-up that’s ideal for mirrorless camera users, Formatt-Hitech also sells the low-profile Firecrest 100mm MKII filter holder. This accepts the Superslim 4x5.65 IRND 2mm, as well as standard 100x100mm photographic glass or resin filters. It can also take the included 86mm circular polariser at the same time – so you have the best of both worlds. PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 9/10 Incredible optical quality that’s lighter and cheaper than rivals Pros: Ideal for indie filmmakers Cons: Not a massive range on sale at this time
TOP GEAR The Formatt-Hitech Superslim kit is light, but of high quality
SLIDE AWAY The filters work well with the affordable and light SmallRig matte box
62
PRO MOVIEMAKER
Powered by FlippingBook