K&F's New, Better Variable ND Filters
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- Опубликовано: 6 янв 2020
- K&F sent over some lens filters to test, so I stacked them up against my rather expensive Hoya variable ND to compare. It looks like they've been hard at work since the last time I bought a K&F filter, as things sure have changed!
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Need to cut some light, in a variable manner?
K&F VND
Amazon US: amzn.to/300FP9Q
Amazon CA: amzn.to/2N64MLT
K&F VND+CPL
Amazon US: amzn.to/2SYSDMi
Amazon CA: amzn.to/39NJSL0
K&F CPL
Amazon US: amzn.to/2T29gac
Amazon CA: amzn.to/39XovHs
PolarPro VND
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Can someone tell long term opinion about these filters? (I never know when the video is sponsored and can't tell the truth)
Not exactly sponsored, just review samples provided.
I’m still using these filters to this day, without issue.
But from what I gather from other responses, there’s a lot of copy to copy variation amongst them. Some poorly calibrated and able to achieve an X pattern at the end. Just between my two, seemingly identical filters, there is actually a huge difference in their exposure range.
Additionally, Amazon seems to be selling all the returns as new, which isn’t helping things either.
Oh, and also, I had a chance to test them on an a7Riv. And while they hold up great at the 24Mp level, they show a clear image degradation at 61Mp.
So that’s my long term opinion. Still solid, but apparently you’ve gotta be careful about getting a good copy.
Would like to hear more responses on this, though, so I’ve pinned your comment.
Thank you so much for the answer and your honesty. I appreciate! 🤘🏻
@@WesPerry thanks for the answer! shady that amazon is selling the returns
@@WesPerry Do you know why yours was so good? Cause they took the glass from another high end brand and just placed it into their rings. Samples in China are always done like this. When others actually buy the product, they get their own homemade glass that sucks. And you helped them make a great review of some " as usual, cheap chinese cr*p".
Just wanted to say thank you for this video, Wes. I know you might not get a mass audience for it, but it is so helpful for makers like myself. Happy 2020 man. Appreciate ya!
Thanks, Michael!
Cheers for the review.
Just starting to look at some better budget filters and will add these to the list.
i swear u make videos that i actually been searching for. keep it up.
Happy to hear it!
Great video We Perry, it was very informative in a nice, cool and clean way. Keep them coming, you have a unique style of doing it. 🙏💯
Thank you so much for this detailed review! Very helpful.
Your review helped me enourmously, man. Thanks.
Excellent video! I bought both the K&N filters cpl and nd a few day's ago arrive next week can't wait
I appreciate the effort for the review!!
I'm looking into ND filters, and this helped!
Thanks for your review and effort Wes!
Great video! exactly the kind of information I was looking for & more + presented very professionally. Good Job. Think im gonna pick up the VND/CPL combo 👀
Very good info, Wes. K&F seem to be upping their game! Thanks for the honest and useful review! Happy 2020! ( still watching for the cat.....)
Sorry, Maggie was grumpy that day 😏
A lot of Chinese companies seem to be coopting various industries with surprising quality. One of the side effects of all the major companies outsourcing their manufacturing to third party facilities in China, India and Indonesia: it grants those factories the facilities and know how to produce similar products for much less to other “local” companies.
Thanks Mr. Wes. This was dope and helpful
Awesome video! Thanks for reviewing these filters.
This review helped me tremendously! I've been looking for a variable ND to practice/learn videography, but I don't want to spend lots of money on something I may not even use often. These hit the perfect price point for "may as well" gear. Thanks for the review, just picked up the 77mm.
Great to hear it, Brandon!
Thanks Wes, I was skeptical over the low price for the K&F filters but after watching your review have ordered one!
Awesome video, thanks for the review.
Watched the whole video. You did a great job, thanks. Wondered why you thought it would be a lot of work, but then found out! Wow, this was not a 10 minute job. Must commend your professionalism. I do like your videos.
Thanks, Edward!
Thanks so much. I'm ordering the combo K&H.
perfct video man, wanted one of these!!!!
Thanks ! I have a A6300 and was looking for a filter to buy
I was looking for a replacement for my Breakthrough combo ND/CPL filter, which binds and often gets stuck on my lens. Thanks for the review.
Thanks, Yes it was very nice. Thanks for this content and for the jazzy music at the end, the content was very useful.
Thanks, Max!
Subscribed! Great review!
thank you for the video, it really helps for a newbie landscape like me :)
Thanks 👍 another great upload. Appreciate your work.
Thanks, Atomik!
Thanks for your review
Ecellent breakdown. Thank you for all the effort! :)
Also just bought it with your link!
Fantastic! 🙌🏻
Thanks for the video! I have been looking at replacing my polarizing filters on my sony gear...I will take a look at these filters
Thanks for the video!
the ND2-32 and their newer ND8-128 are actually pretty good. If shooting SLOG2 or 3, I use the ND8-128, +2EV and SLOG2/3 look pretty awesome with shallow DOF
what a good super profesional review
really enjoyed it
tnx
Quick question, Wes: Would a cheap 82mm Lens CAP fit the front of the K&F? Or does it thread in at 82 and then become something like 85 on the front thread?
Very good, straight to the point
How do I know if its the new better ones I’m ordering?
What is the size of the front thread for the 82mm filter. I see people say 85mm and 86mm. Can someone confirm please?
Well done! Thanks!
Just purchased the K&F nd+cpl. Thanks for the recommendation!
Can you share long term review of the K&F filters...😊
ok so what lens cap size do i need for these filters? job solved? thanks
Glad you ended up making this video
Great video thank you! Can you screw on a tiffen black promise filter on top of the variable nd filter?
Nice comparison. Thanks
Well done,, What camera and lens did you record yourself for this video ?
Sony 35 1.4 ZA I believe.
great review...thank you!. I already have a Hoya CPL and was wondering if I was just adding the variable ND to it or using it on it's own would it still let me use my lenshood?
Depends on the lens. Different lenses have different amounts of space for a filter to screw in underneath.
Thanks for the review! Btw, are you editing in 60fps timeline?
I sure am. Greatly prefer the look of 60p over 24/30p for youtube content.
Great video! Just decided to purchase the K&O Variable ND+CPL. Was thinking of the Hoya but I'm just starting with photography and it's a bit too much for me at this stage.
Great video. I love mine. Thank you.
In my opinion your video was excellent. I made my decision to get the K&F Concept filter after watching your video so if you read this thank you and please continue to make this type of videos
Thank You!
I highly recommend haida 2 400
Technically Polar Pro took inspiration from SLRMagic who were the first, to my knowledge, to do a rotating CPL VND with hard stops; however, it's great to see more companies have started to use the same basic technique. I think the one thing I would give to polar pro is that they have two ND ranges to cover almost the entire ND range, where as all these others only cover the lower end.
Thank you. I think I will get one. I travel light and am on a budget with mostly second hand gear. It’s prime day and it’s£39. 😊
Really good video boss! Made my decision based off of it! Thank you very much!
Hello Wes, great review ! At 8:23 you notice that it's not possible to put the lens hood on the K&F CPL but you didn't try with the one without the CPL, is that possible ? Thx !
It’s still not possible, I’m afraid. Unless you have a very odd lens hood…but I certainly can’t.
The K&F CPL only (just the CPL filter) does fit under a lens hood, though. Just not any of the VND’s.
@@WesPerry Thx for the quick answer. I def need the lens hood on ! Have you tried those Gobe / Urth filters ? Great channel btw !
I’m afraid that I haven’t. Maybe one of these days I’ll get around to it ;)
I was going to buy a brass step-up ring for a larger filter, but the K&F 58mm Variable ND was actually cheaper than the step up adapter. I have a few other K&F ND filters that are great, so it was a no-brainer.
Hey would you recommend the Variable ND + CPL combination? Would this have any negative affect to video quality? Or should I buy polariser separately
If you’re going to be using both anyway, I would do the combo. With the plates so much closer together, there will be less compounding image degradation.
(But as I mentioned in the video, it’s a bit of a monster compared to other ND filters. She’s huge.)
Great video, really helped me make a decision! Very surprised with the K&F filter's performance
As I noted in my pinned post, there is certainly a fair amount of copy to copy variation. Gotta be careful and test the one you receive ;)
Hi Wes. Super helpful video. Do you know if the K&F filters (because they are a wider diameter) will still allow for the simultaneous use of a matte box? Thanks!
I suppose that would depend a lot on the exact matte box that you’re using.
@@WesPerry Thanks for the instant reply. And yes, I was able to verify that they will work (at least with the Smallrig boxes). I really appreciate your channel; keep up the great work!
Awesome. Glad to hear it :)
So if I get the one with the CPL, it is not removable, won't that render the filter useless if I don't want t CPL? I am new to using these.
It’s definitely a filter for specific applications. Many landscape photographers Always use both, so it would be good for them.
@@WesPerry Thanks! The man himself. Really great video and got a subscribe here!
Does the CPL+VND make a vignette when its maxed out? Considering buying one but saw a video where the guy had a problem.
Just a little yeah. I think it cheats and gets around this some by being oversized. It stretches out beyond the edge of most lenses. Which is inconvenient for covering, but better for image quality. And the hard stop prevents you from going over the limit and totally botching things up.
Would it be advisable to use a black mist 1/8 filter in conjunction with this? Could the effect of the black mist be compromised by the CPL filter?
The effect wouldn’t be compromised, no. If anything the effect would be increased. But you’d want to play around with the order in which they are stacked to see what looks better/ what’s easier for you.
What if I use an anamorphic lens along with a black mist 1/8 filter + the K&F VND with CPL? My anamorphic lens tends to produce harsh flares, so I aim to reduce or maybe eliminate them depending on the circumstances. Therefore, I'm considering a VND with CPL to achieve this.
do you use the combined nd and cpl? I got a sigma 16mm 1.4 last week and another reviewer said he got vignetting and the x on an ultra wide lens at 24mm. he had to go up to 35 mm for it to work.
great videos btw. sub
Hmm. Very odd. Most of my lenses were stepped down from the 82mm filter size, but my 16-35 is 82, so it didn’t even have any wiggle room. Just a little bit of X right at the highest ND level.
There seems to be a Lot of copy of copy variation going on, judging from the comments. But I tested four copies, and while one of them is slightly off the others with regards to exposure, they all resisted x-ing more or less the same. 🤷🏻♂️
Can somebody answer my question?
We know that sigma 16mm f1.4 filter size is 67mm, but if i use 77mm with step up ring, is the bigger size variable nd reduce vignette?
Yes. You would get less vignette, and less x-patterning.
@@WesPerry thank you very much for the answer. :)
Can you please compare the PolarPro with the K&F nd+cpl please to see the differences?
I wanted to for this video but they were all sold out at the time. I’ll have to check to see if they’re available again...in my neck of the woods ;)
Make a tut how do you light this scene.
I'm watching, Wes!
Thanks!!!
Nice work Wes - 9 months later, subscribed
great video bro saw them on Amazon leads me to this vid question tho r u using green screen with a frozen blurred picture for the background when your explaining i kinda feel it's a frozen image plz let me know it looks weird in a good way or what's your setting and shatter speed is it 120 on the 60fps just opened my RUclips channel and you know looking arround for things to improve thanks again keep up the good work
No green screen, just popping lighting at 60p. Makes it a bit surreal ;)
@@WesPerry thanks bro appreciated
Wes, there are several offerings of these K & F Concept ND Filters... I want to use them for music videos in bright conditions outside. Which one of these would you recommend... K & F Variable ND2-ND32 or ND8-ND128 or ND2-ND400 or ND8-ND2000? Thank you. I'm not going to spend the $275 in change for the Polar Pro Mikinnon ones.
That depends a lot on your use case, but as a general rule, it’s best to get the lowest value that will work well for you, as that will give you the highest image quality in the end.
Also you want to make sure they are the newer/better ones. They’re still selling some of their old line for some reason.
@@WesPerry yeah, I saw that on Amazon. I think the new ones say, "Slim" and "no X". Not sure, but I think that's right?
The concept is a great idea but my concern would be the ingress of dirt between the filters, anytime you have a moving slot between two items there is always the risk of dirt and dust getting between the surfaces how would you be able to clean them .
You definitely wouldn’t be able to clean them. So far so good for me, though.
I ordered a K&F ND8-128 and a Freewell ND6-9 and compared them side by side. To my surprise I couldn't find a big difference. Same sharpness and color. So I returned them both and ordered a new copy from K&F's official website for a fraction of the Amazon price.
This might be what I need. Is shoot alot of outside basketball early in the mornings. When I have to shoot from West to East I can't find anything within my budget that works. I will have to try the K&F VND+CPL to see if that helps.
In the early morning you don’t have a lot of light, though. And cutting it down a couple stops with this at the base level would probably result in your having to boost your iso to maintain “basketball shutter speeds”. Just make sure you run the exposure numbers first ;)
Have you tried using a lens cap on these? I have the k&f cpl nd and have been thinking about grabbing a 77mm lens cap. I have a 67mm and apparently these are designed to work with them.
They all have lens cap scoring on the inner diameter, but only the CPL fits the size it screws into. The VND looks like it fits a size up (I don’t have any caps bigger than my filter size to test, though), and the VND+CPL looks like it takes something enormous. Haha
@@WesPerry haha glad to see. Love your videos by the way. I checked the Amazon listing and apparently it's the following:
67 -> 77
72 - > 82
77 - > 86
82 - > 95
I nearly returned this when I discovered i couldn't fit my 67mm lens cap on it but this might save me lol. Ordering a 77mm now and will report back if it works! Edit: also TIL 95mm filter threads are a thing.
Kyle Li I don’t think I’m strong enough for a lens that takes a 95mm filter. Haha
Hello, Can we use this k&f concept variable nd filter (nd2 - nd32) and lens hood together on the lens? Thanks
I’m afraid not, no. It sticks out a bit from the lens.
@@WesPerry ..Thank you so much for ur prompt response. Do take care of urself n ur loved ones from this pandemic. Luv from India. Namaste🙏🙏
I had a Hoya 82mm variable ND Filter and yesterday I bought the K&F variable ND Filter.
The reasons:
1. Hoya has an X even when I haven‘t past the limit
2. Hoya changes WB too much. That‘s what makes colour correcting a big video annoying.
3. The Hoya only goes to ND 400, which is not enough to set aperture to 2.8 and lowest iso on very bright sunlight, while remaining the 1/60 shutter for video :/ . The K&F goes to ND 2000. :D
4. And I didn‘t know that but it‘s sharper as you said :)
Thanks for this video! I’m a bit new to photography (other than using a phone for most of my life for photos!), and purchased the K&F Variable ND8 - 2000 filter, and noticed that ‘crosshairs’ thing at the very maximum range, it sounds like that it can be kind of a “thing” however with ND filters being pushed out of their range? I’m gonna have to practice with it more.. 😂
I thought that range was a typo until I looked it up! I would be a bit skeptical of that one, seems like a bit too much ground to cover. And yeah, you’ve got to avoid the extreme ends of an ND to avoid “the dreaded X”. The ones I have have a hard stop before much X appears.
how would i know if i am getting the new versions or the old versions?
The packaging is quite different on the new ones, much nicer. But you do apparently have to be careful about what's in the package, as people have been getting returned and refurbished models that are marked as new. Just make sure you give it a spin before your return period is up to make sure it's all it's stacked up to be!
Wes, is it better to get the K & F Variable with the Polarizer or without in your opinion?
Depends what you shoot. Most people don’t really have much use for a polarizer, and it adds a lot of bulk.
@@WesPerry copy. I'm going to shoot music videos. I have a Sigma f2.8 24-70mm lens with 82mm threads 👍👊🙏
Probably not then. I assume you’re just using it to control your shutter angle?
@@WesPerry Yes. I have a lot of super bright days, but like you I try to just do early morning or late afternoon/evening when the light is softer. Thank you
Thanks for your test I am impressed with the 2in1 ND+CPL
May I ask question about this filter, isn't it good for a handheld video shooting with people in the shot please? for what i know about CPL filter is to block some unwanted light by adjusting the angle of the filter, for a still shot it can be controllable, what if for a handheld shot that will moving from one point to another point or from indoor to outdoor shot? isn't is good or harm for a video shooting? Thanks again😀
lee mary while it can help a lot of those things, I find that quick changes of the ND levels are difficult while filming, since the whole CPL ring spins, when you try to adjust the ND filter level, the whole thing tried to turn, so it’s essentially a two hand job to get it smoothly dialed in properly.
@@WesPerry yes I see your point, to deal with ND things is really difficult when you have to do a lot of camera work. May I ask one more question, does CPL filter a common tool on video shooting? coz I found so many reviews on CPL filter are used on some landscape photography therefore I think is CPL filter no good for video shooting? thanks for reply and you video
@@leemary7261 It's not that it's no good for video shooting. It's just all about the look you're going for. Some like it, some don't have much need for it. It's good for reducing glare, but that's only useful in certain situations.
@@WesPerry I see, thanks a lot
if i got the 77mm would i still be able to use step down rings just wondering because the filter seems very bulky
also im talking about the cpl and nd mixed filter
Why wouldn’t you be able to use step down rings? The bulk is all in front of the ring. I use 82mm filters and step down to 77 and 72mm using rings.
Wes Perry ok thanks was just making sure:)
Have you tried the Tiffen Variable ND filters?
Not yet, no
Nice but it just 5 stops. I need something harder :D Have metabones xl and fullframe lens with f1.8 or close like this. Do you have an idea?
I’ve used these at f/1.6 outside before...mind you I was in the shade ;)
@@WesPerry i just want keep 180 degree shutter angle rule on 25 frame/s to :D this is why i bought nd. The 5 stop version of knf (i have older version) just cant be enought on f2.8 at a sunny day. Ahh yes, i use for video :D its suck because motion blur is so important for me to get the best filmic look.
Ah, I guess my advantage is that I usually shoot at 60fps/ 1/125s shutter speed, so half the light right there.
@@WesPerry ohh and sorry. I miss an important thing: thank you for the review. It was useful for me. This filter can be good enough for me if they release a stronger version to. Have nice day. Thanks for the answer.
I assume they will soon enough. I think this one has been pretty successful for them.
How is the sharpness of KF variable ND's when you are using on a longer lens like a 200mm or 600mm?
Hmm. I’m not a great one to ask. My longest lens is the 70-200f4, which isn’t super sharp in the first place. (I don’t do a lot of zooming lol)
@@WesPerry how is it at 200mm on your lens?
@@chinitopinoy1726 no perceptual difference except when flaring, then there seems to be a bit.
@@WesPerry thanks 🙏
this is the kind of quality video that makes you automatically click subscribe
Would you recommend getting the VND+CPL or just going with the VND? Any apparent pros and cons you’ve seen between the two?
I find marginally better image quality from the +, but it is indeed cumbersome.
@@WesPerry thank you! Do you think the just VND would fit a lens hood or no?
It fits some, but not all
Awesome! Thank you very much! I’ll be sure to pick one up using your link!
I've been using my K&F Concept variable ND filter for one year and I love it! They should supply some kind of push-on lens cap with the filter though, because I have no idea how to protect this filter and I already made one or two tiny scratches on the glass.
I've been using the Polar Pro rubber caps to cover mine when out and about. They're not super convenient, but definitely better than a scratched lens. Just have to get a cap that's the right size to squeeze over the filter.
@@WesPerry Alright, so I found out that for the 67mm variable ND filter (ND2 to ND32), the front filter thread has a 72mm diameter, so I bought a cheap 72mm snap-on lens cap on eBay. I wasn't sure it would work, but it does fit perfectly and it stays in place! I bought this one shorturl.at/lGRW4
I don't know the diameters for the other sizes though.
Yup I learned the hard way that the outer threading is one size up so I had to go buy 62 mm screw on hoods for my 58mm filters and 72mm for my 67mm filter. They should mention this in the product page, which oddly they do for only one or two of their 15 vnd offerings, but not the one I bought for some reason. Definitely going to warn others in my review
Thanks so much. I also have the 16-35 GM 2.8 and am worried to order a VND. I think you've sold me!
You have some pretty 1:1 results right there. Too bad I can’t test with Every lens, but at least I got yours 😉
@@WesPerryAbsolutely! I think I will forego the CPL. It would be awesome but since I am using a VND for video, I will have to consider a CPL separately if I need it for photos. I think having both will slow down the shooting of video, which I do very much run-and-gun. Too bad about the lens cap and hood, as these normally live on my lenses.
I got 2 KF variables and get better images than my more expensive equipment, my Kf tripod is better than my Manfrotto too
what frame rate was this shot at?
60fps 👌🏻
What do you think about Irix ND filters?
I’m afraid I haven’t tried them yet
@@WesPerryok. thanks...like your reviews 👍
you are an gun point reviewer when it comes to recommendation, I've been thinking to buy a polarpro peter edition, the price has put me on hold, Now i'll go with K&F CPL NVD .
I’m not sure what that means, but I’ll take it as a complement. Haha
can this be put on top of each other? I wonder if I can use variable ND and CPL together?
Why not just use the combo filter that already has both? They can’t really be stacked otherwise, no.
@@WesPerry thank you for the info. Unfortunately I need the 52mm, and they don't have the combo in that size
@@ryanjhcho Use a step up ring and you can use the combo filter on a wider range of lenses
Was wondering how does this compare to Freewell? :( Torn between the two
Well find out in a couple days ;)
Here you go: ruclips.net/video/Ux_TmFAJcY8/видео.html
Are you Canadian Wes? Your aboots sound similar to where i'm from xD! Took a gamble on the 82mm VND + step down ring to put on my tamron 17-28, and still work with my 135GM. Planning on using it for a motorsports shoot next month, I bought a GOBE VND filter but it gets REALLY bad X and vignetting when I try to keep my f# low in bright light... Fingers crossed this setup works how I want and is versatile long term!
Cheers!
As I’ve found in a lot of comments here, these seem to have a fair amount of copy to copy variation, so don’t be afraid to test it out when you get it and swap it for another if it doesn’t impress 😂
And yeah, I live in eastern Canada ;)
@@WesPerry Cheers! I'm out in BC!
Ah! About as far away from me as England! Haha
Would have been helpful if you had mentioned how someone can tell the difference between the older ones and the new ones.
Based on the packaging and listings, it's nearly impossible, honestly. They changed the packaging shortly after I made this video, so that certainly didn't help. And the amazon listings vary depending on the filter size, in how the product is described, the actual name of the product, and the packaging shown. It's all quite maddening, to be honest.
Bought this filter almost a year ago. Worked fine on f4 Canon lens. Bought the R85 1.2 and the images quality is horrible with this filter. I thought something was wrong with the camera until I took off the filter. Don’t know if this is normal but I sure would not recommend this variable filter for high quality glass.
I am just about to buy their nano-x series magnetic filter set. This video just confirms that my decision was the right one…
Oh I didn’t know they had gotten into the magnetic game. Will have to have a look…
Can you put another filter in front of this nd filter? I would like to use promist and nd simultaneously.
I don’t think so, no.
@@WesPerry There is no thread on the front dise of the nd filter?
Just double checked. No thread, just a groove for a lens cap.
Alright that’s unfortunate. Thanks 🙏
Only if they had a consistent type of packaging/box. Why the need for so many types of boxes. How do we even know when a fake shows up ?
It’s a huge issue with a lot of products now. Especially SD cards. Such a pain. Just have to test right away to make sure everything measures up.
Great video! You should try shooting in 24fps, it would make the video a lot more pleasing to watch.
I contend it's quite the opposite, I'm afraid. I find 24p content nearly unwatchable on RUclips now. 30p is bearable, but still seems antiquated. 24 is just so choppy and stuttery...it's for the cinema and nothing else. And this is clearly not cinema. Even if it was, because of the 2-3 pull down converting 24p content to the 60p on most monitors, this is not at all an ideal location to watch cinema anyway.
Once you get used to 60p video, it's really hard to go back to the old stuff ;)