Pro Moviemaker Autumn 2018

GROUP TEST

bays, and very slightly at 16mm with just two. It doesn’t come with short screws, so they sit a little proud after adjustment. B+W’s range of square filters isn’t the most extensive, but they’re well made and come in metal cases. There are 0.6, 0.9, 1.8, and 3.0 stop NDs, and 0.3 and 0.6 stop soft grads, starting at £130/$159. Unfortunately, the holder doesn’t come supplied with a case.

B+W Filters recently redesigned its square filter holder and released several new 100x100mm and 100x150mm filters. The design is still traditional, with no fitting for a rotating polariser as found on some other models, and the holder is made of lightweight aluminium, coming with three plastic filter bays. You can remove some of the bays or loosen the fit if required, using the included cross-type screwdriver. The set-up felt well machined and robust. Like all such holders you need an adapter ring, available in 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77 or 82mm ring sizes. Mounting securely on the adapter, the holder is held by a brass spring-loaded clip. After fitting, it turns with a bit of a grate, but holds position well. The holder design now features a foam gasket to cut light leaks; this sits around the aperture, pressing against the first of the filters you insert. Filters up to 2mm in thickness slot in very smoothly, with a good level of tension. We found that it vignetted very slightly at 19mm with all three

B+W FILTER HOLDER II & ADAPTER RING £120/$119 www.manfrotto.co.uk/bwfilters

PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 8/10 Well built but not too expensive Pros: Solidwith good light sealing Cons: No polariser option

H&Y QUICK RELEASE MAGNETIC FILTER FRAME KIT From£38/$35 www.hy-filter.store

as well, but it still functioned with a small gap. Once framed, filters can be layered up much more closely than a regular holder allows, and it’s easy to slide them up and down (there’s a locking screw, though you need to be careful not to over- tighten this). With three stacked there was no vignetting. The frames aren’t really designed to be removed, though it can be done and they may suffer wear and tear if this is done too often. The holder strips can be taken off easily. Each frame comes with a case and cleaning cloth. A single 100x150mm frame and one pair of adapter strips is £38/$35. PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 8/10 A new idea for fitting drop-in filters Pros: Lets you use lots of filters Cons: Pricey if you have lots of filters

Although H&Y produces a regular 100mm holder and a range of filters for it, this kit is all about revolutionising what you’ve already got. The Magnetic Filter Frame Kit replaces a slotted filter holder design with a magnetic system. Remove the filter blades on your existing holder, add H&Y’s magnetic adapter strips, then put a magnetic frame around your 100x100mm or 100x150mm filter. It then attaches on contact. We used a kit to adapt a Lee Foundation Kit holder, but they’re also available for Formatt-HiTech, B+W, Nisi and H&Y’s own K Series holder. The magnetic blades attached neatly to the Lee holder and the frames fitted snugly around a 100x150mm filter. The frame comes in four sections, attaching using a mixture of adhesive tape and clips. The 100x100mm frame didn’t fit quite

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AUTUMN 2018 PRO MOVIEMAKER

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