For professional photographers, even in this digital era, the effects of filter cannot be simulated in post-digital era. Thus, filters are the indispensible accessory of scenery lovers. But for those photographers who have lenses of different calibers, to equip all the necessary filters for their lenses is not an easy thing: frequently-used filter calibers include 82mm, 77mm, 72mm, 67mm, etc. To equip all the necessary filters of many kinds is not only costly, it is also inconvenient to use such a heap. In such circumstance, square filter system was born at the right time. A piece of square lens together with its holder and adapter ring is applicable to several kinds of lenses, which has greatly reduced time cost and economic cost for photographers.
Elegant White Packing Box
What I have got this time is such product: SIRUI NDH-01 100mm. The packaging of this product is very simple and easy. This black protection packing comprises: one filter holder, one adapter ring for three kinds of calibers, and one piece of 82mm caliber high-definition CPL filter.
Inner pack is black nylon filter soft bag
This product matches 100mm square filter for use. Together with its built-in adapter ring of three kinds of calibers(77mm, 72mm and 67mm), it can be used for lenses of 82mm or below. Thanks to the design of new clamping pieces, it can match a maximum 16mm focal length lens. By reducing the coverage of the clamping pieces on lens, it effectively restrains the dark corner caused by overlaying filters.
This kit includes an adapter ring of three different calibers
For the holder, the main body is as important as each kind of locking mechanism. SIRUI's such product uses aluminum alloy of 'scientific research level', which ensures both strength and weight and is more convenient to take along with. The surface of the supporting plate was done through special grinding processing. It feels well without cold feeling of aluminum alloy. As to the design of clamping pieces, it uses high density carbon fiber which is highly resilient. It can hold filter lenses of 1.7mm - 2.3mm. Maximally, three pieces can be used at the same time.
The carbon fiber clamping pieces can hold three filters
Traditional filter holders in most cases give inconvenience to operators when polarizer is used. When you need to turn CPL filter, you can turn the angles of CPL only after by removing the square filter. It gives much trouble for both dismounting and adjusting. SIRUI's such filter system uses a rubber pulling-wheel to solve this problem. The built-in toothed gear of CPL lens and the inner ring of the rubber pulling-wheel are interconnected. If you need to adjust CPL in photographing, what you need to do is to turn the rubber pulling-wheel. In this way, you can capture any fleeting shooting moment. On the locking of the rubber pulling-wheel (joint ring), SIRUI employs 'double arrow locks' design which is much convenient to lock the joint ring. Compared with earlier similar products, SIRUI's such product employs a clip-on design on fixing the joint ring. It can be locked by directly pressing, and its dismounting needs no tools. It's very convenient.
Rubber Pulling-wheel and 'double arrow lock' gear
This filter holder kit also includes one CPL circular filter with an 82mm diameter. It can be installed on 82mm lens through the rubber pulling-wheel after dismounting its built-in 82mm joint-ring.
The overall effect of such holder system loaded with CPL
The thickness of this CPL filter is 2.7mm. In addition to such a thickness, the outstanding material used by SIRUI for this filter ensures that the imaging quality loss of this filter is minimized.
The filter holder's equipped CPL filter enables the user to avoid a lot of additional troubles.
In the process of photographing, with CPL filter, the refraction light of some angles can be effectively restrained, images can be more transparent, and image quality will be more outstanding. It is well known that CPL filter can make the sky bluer, and the water clearer. I have also used this CPL filter to shoot some photos, and I was amazed to find it has very good effect. While photographing, you can adjust the filter's angles at any time by turning the rubber pulling-wheel, just as convenient as using circular filter.
-Magic Scenery Instrument SIRUI GND
In a situation of great light scenery photography, the gradient lens is very commonly used equipment. Because the tolerance of the camera sensor is limited, in great light, it is difficult to get the photos of normal exposure both from the sky and the ground. At the moment of cloudiness and sunrise and sunset, this problem will be more serious. Although the built-in HDR function or the post processed HDR picture is a solution, it would inevitably increase photographers' work. With gradient lens, it can effectively darken the sky, and is much easier to shoot great sceneries.
Filter in hand, the packing is as simple as SIRUI's former filters, white with some color ornaments makes packing box look very professional.
Gradient lenses fall into two categories: soft and hard. For hard gradient lens, there is a clear dividing line between the gray area and the transparent area. As to soft gradient lens, compared with hard gradient lens, the transition is more natural, it is more suitable to shoot those scenes where there is no clear dividing between dark area and bright area. For example, using soft gradient lens to shoot both the sky and the ground can be a better choice.
Open the packing box, there is a black filter bag, our GND filter is contained inside.
This filter bag is a delicate work. It can effectively protect the fragile glass lens.
What I got this time is SIRUI's 100x150mm square soft gradient lens, block is ND1.2, and maximally its exposure can be reduced by four blocks. Such a filter's thickness is only 2mm. It can match the filter holders of SIRUI's old factory or the 100mm holders of its other sub-factories. 100x150mm square filter can support a lens with a maximum 16mm width and a maximum 82mm lens caliber. Because it is a square filter, it can be used for lenses of many different calibers as long as matched with suitable holders and turning system. For those photographers who have a great number of lenses, this must be a major advantage.
On the right upper corner identifies the lens' block is 1.2 (exposure reduced by 4 blocks), we can clearly see the gradual change of the gray part is even and gentle.
It is well known that filter is a piece of glass attached to the front of the lens. If the material and sizes are not qualified, definitely it will impact its imaging performance. If the quality of glass is not good enough, it will severely bring impact on the clearness of imaging. As to these products like soft gradient lens, there is something we have to focus on. If the gray area is not dark enough and the clear area is not clear enough, it would produce severe color cast. To avoid these problems, SIRUI has made great efforts on this filter.
The effects after installed is cool and impressing
This filter use German SCHOTT glass as base material. SCHOTT glass is the material used by many famous filter manufacturers including B+W. In the field of filter, this brand nearly means the assurance of quality. In addition, through many grinding and polishing processes, it is able to better meet with photographers' demands. Aiming at color cast problem, SIRUI employs professional low-color process. 11-layer nano multi-dye coating + 9-layer nano multi coating + 4-layer four-anti coating films ensures high color restoration and at the same time makes the lens have the ability of anti-contamination.
After having opened the packing box, I installed this filter to SIRUI NDH-01 holder system, and then installed to Canon EF 24-70mm F2.8L USMII lens (caliber82mm), together with Canon5D Mark III, shown above is the installed effect. It is impressing.
-Experience the real shooting & Feeling the trial use
Four-block ND filter can effectively darken the sky in photographing. Even before and after noon facing the dead brightness of the sky, it can also display the blueness of the sky. We can see, this filter absolutely doesn't impact the definition of imaging.
Maximum four-block-light-reduction effect is noticeable.
The advantage of GND filter is that photographers can adjust the position of the gradient area at any time. We can adjust the proportion of the gray part in accordance with the sky brightness and with the proportion of the sky and the ground images to produce the most suitable collocations for the shooting scenes.
Before adjusting the position of filter
Exposure of building after adjusting is more rational
Real shot samples of SIRUI GND1.2 filter
Real shot samples of SIRUI GND1.2 filter
-Try-out feeling:
In recent years, photographing markets have had great changes and enjoyed development. And this product is a token. It is proved that square filter system is as convenient as circular filter. This product actually has refreshed my impression on square filter system. If you a photographing friend who has circular filters or wants to try square filters, or if you are not satisfied about your filter holder's performance, surely SIRUI's such product must be your best choice.
Before, I used to cope with the great light ratio by using the machine HDR or post process, which needed more efforts to do. While using this GND filter, I found that using this filter to solve this photographing problem enables photographers to focus more on capturing the fleeting moment, rather than wasting time on the technical issues. Moreover, using GND filter brings bigger space for post processing. In my opinion, strict scenery photographing fans and scenery photographers may consider adding such little lens to their gear library.
Reprinted from:Fengniao Writer: Weikang Yao Executive editor:Zhang Zhang