Buyers’ guide
Filters continued
Tiffen › tiffen.com
Anyone for Tiffen? With an 80-year heritage, the brand is one of the most established out there when it comes to optical accessories. As well as making filters for camera lenses, it has also got into the drone game and now offers filter options for users of the DJI Mavic 3 Classic and Mini 3 drones. The aim is to enable aerial operators to slow their shutter speed and achieve more cinematic results. 4K HD optical glass comes with a ten-year warranty, and includes ND and polariser filters. Staying with adventure-packed imaging, Tiffen also has a range for GoPro Hero 9/10/11 Black action cams. The Tiffen 3 Filter ND Kit comes with ND8, ND16 and ND32 filters that reduce light from passing through by three, four and five stops. These give a chance to try wider apertures or slower shutter speeds and control depth-of-field.
Hoya › hoyafilter.com
Formatt-Hitech › formatt-hitech.com
photographers of all skill sets can try out densities and work out which is best for their aims. Hoya has square filters, too. Among its newest are the Craft Sq100 Silver Soft and Golden Soft, which are 100x100mm in size and boast a 2mm glass thickness. The pitch is that these filters gently soften objects in our frame to remove a bit of sharpness, while adding a warm colour tone. The result apes a vintage cinematic look. Silver Soft filters in particular emphasise blue colour tones from light sources, resulting in a steely, chromatic look best suited to contemporary or sci-fi still images and videos.
First established in 1941 and now supplied by Kenko Tokina Ltd, the same manufacturer as Tokina lenses, some of Hoya’s newest products include the Hoya HD Mk II IRND filters, featuring the HD Mk II IRND 8, 64 and 1000, along with the HD Mk II IRND Filter Kit. These circular IRND filters boast a water- and oil- repellent coating and low-profile aluminium frame to reduce instances of vignetting, their purpose being to allow photographers to achieve creative effects such as motion blur, while affording greater exposure control. While the filters can be purchased separately, they’re also available in a kit with a carry pouch, so
In business for over 25 years, this filter specialist’s products were born out of research by a chief physicist at Kodak. One of its newest products is the Firecrest 100mm Holder Magnetic Kit, which builds on its MKII Firecrest holder and is designed to give improved performance with all 100mm filters – but Firecrest NDs in particular. An 86-82mm magnetic geared adapter is also included in the set, which indicates that its circular polarising filter has been expanded to 86mm for better performance on new wide-angle lenses – not just photographic, but cinematic optics, too. The polariser fits into the included rotating ring adapter to become an integral part of the holder, and is operated by an easy-to-use thumbscrew. This lets users set their grads and dial in the polarising effect they want – or simply turn it off if not wanted. Formatt-Hitech offers an extensive range of Onyx tough neutral density filters, available in 85mm and 100mm sizes, as desired.
Schneider-Kreuznach › schneiderkreuznach.com
Recently celebrating its 75th anniversary, to mark the occasion Schneider-Kreuznach’s B+W filters now come supplied in a high-quality cardboard box. All products are delivered in pouches made of genuine leather with a viewing window on the back for easy labelling and identification. Packaging aside, among its most recent lines are the B+W Basic and Master. Basic replaces the F-Pro series and includes all common filter types. On both the Basic and Master, a new knurl design claims to provide better grip. Polarisers from the Master line-up are equipped with a grease-free rotating device for smoother rotation. With a few exceptions, these feature premium MRC nano coating for high- contrast and colour-neutral images, plus a dirt- and water-repellent surface. Getting with the times as a fully 21st-century company, you can now even download a free B+W
ND Calculator app that allows photographers to quickly and easily determine the necessary exposure time required to achieve proper professional-looking results. Neat! PN
Issue 108 | Photography News 35
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