First test
FILTERSET-UP Engineering quality of the Kase Armour holder and frames is top drawer. The 77-95mm and 82-95mm adapter rings are very solid, too, so unlikely to get bent out of shape. I was also impressed by the strength of the magnetic attraction, meaning components fit reassuringly securely
THE FRONT The CPL and NDs are in 95mm round magnetic frames and fit in the front. Here you see the two finger holes (at two and seven o’clock) that let you remove fitted filters
FROM BEHIND Offer the holder to the lens-mounted adapter ring and magnetism kicks in once you get close enough – the holder clicks securely onto the ring
MAGNETIC ATTRACTION Being magnetic means it is easy to add and remove filters, with no need to locate slots or align screw threads. You also soon learn which way the filters attract/repel
with an ND filter and polariser. I shot on Canon full-frame and Fujifilm GFX cameras using AWB. I had no colour cast problems with the 10EV ND, or vignetting issues, even with the Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 at 14mm or the Fujifilm 23mm f/4. I shot quite a few long exposures up to two minutes in cloudy and bright conditions, and experienced no problems with flare, internal ghosting or light leakage. I got caught out in a heavy shower and my kit got a soaking. Cleaning or drying rain-covered filters was straightforward and took minimal effort to get a pristine finish. I can vouch for the toughness of the coatings, optical glass and magnetic frames, having sent a filter crashing to the stony ground twice. WC
fitting the ND and grad. As part of the test, I went for the polariser, an ND and two grads, and this set up does need the grad lock to be used. I tested a demo holder, and a selection of filters including the ND8, ND64, ND1000, circular polariser and two Kase Double Grads, the medium 0.9 ND/0.9 reverse ND and the 0.9ND hard and soft, in magnetic frames. “I THOUGHTTHESE RECESSES COULD BEWIDER AND DEEPER FOR EASIER ACCESS, AND I WOULD LIKETHEM AT FOUR POINTS ”
With the Holder kit, which includes the polariser costing £269, three NDs at £125 each, two Double grads at £209 each, plus £40 for an extra 150x100mm frame (one comes with the kit) and a soft case, the outfit I had costs over £1100. This is a serious investment if starting from scratch, but it is an extensive set-up – and if you already own 150x100mm grads, they can be used by fitting them into magnetic frames. I spent a few chilly days at the coast with this outfit, and very much enjoyed myself. Adding the holder to the adapter ring was simple. The magnetic attraction and the filters were powerful and stayed in place with no issues – I didn’t always bother with the grad locking knob. That said, I did knock a grad off on two occasions, when taking the camera off the tripod and caught the filter frame on the ball head, sending it crashing to the ground. The filter was unscathed. That was user error and I quickly learnt to be less clumsy or use the lock. Adding or removing the round filters was simple and easy enough. Yet, I thought these recesses could be wider and deeper for easier access – and I would like them at four points of the holder, not just two. Optical quality was excellent and lens sharpness unaffected – even when a grad was used in combination
EASY IN USE Adding grads can be done from behind the holder, you just need to remember which way to offer the filter to the holder – and sliding it up and down for the right effect is no problem. Grads are then locked in place
FINGERTIP CONTROL With the circular polariser in place, it can be rotated to get the desired effect using the drive cog, its serrated edge making it easy to use – even when wearing gloves
Verdict The Kase Armour filter system is a high-quality product. It’s not cheap, but with its versatility, practical usability and top optical performance, keen scenic photographers wanting a great user experience from their filters should give the system some serious consideration. PROS Colour neutral, optical quality, good flare resistance, fast handling, tough, easy to clean, strong attraction, great to use CONS The recesses for removing the round filters could be deeper
CLEAN CORNERS In this shot, a Kase Double Grad was used in the Armour holder – there’s no sign of the filter frame impinging into the shot and this was at 14mm. Shot on a Canon EOS R5 fitted with an RF 14-35mm f/4 lens and an exposure of 1/20sec at f/13 and ISO 100
34 Photography News | Issue 97
photographynews.co.uk
Powered by FlippingBook