It’s rare for me that a product shot of an item will make me want it. Even though I am a huge filter naysayer, there are definitely benefits to using a high quality filter. So here comes Cokin with a brand new set of filters that claim to be the thinnest and lightest filters in the world. Although I don’t think I have ever cared before now about the size and weight of a filter, Cokin sure has made me reconsider after seeing the Pure Harmonie set. There are three new filters under the new branding and they are the Anti-UV Multi-Coated (UV MC), Circular Polarizer (C PL), and the Variable Density Neutral Gray (ND X).
The UV MC filter (above) is only 3.3mm thick and Cokin says that it’s nearly invisible when on your lens and I believe them. The C PL is 4.5mm thin and was made with no compromise. It has a rotating ring to adjust polarization. From ND2 to ND400, the Variable Neutral Density filter will give you a range of eight f stops without affecting the color rendition.
At the least you should mozy over to their website to check out the details. If you do and you find yourself wanting one you can check them out on Amazon: Anti-UV Multi Coated, Circular Polarizer and Variable Neutral Density Gray Filter. They range from $50 all the way up to $200 for the largest variable ND filter.
Cokin has announced a new filter kit for mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras. Calling it a revival of their A system, the new Snap! filter kit takes into consideration that mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras and lenses are much smaller than DSLRs. With that said, the kit includes an adaptor ring, a filter-holder, a full two stop Neutral Density filter (ND4) and a graduated one stop Sunset filter. The Snap! Kit is aimed to photo enthusiasts.
The ring screws onto the front of the lens providing you have a 37, 40.5, 43, 49 or 52 diameter filter size. The filter holder then snaps onto the adapter ring and can then hold up to three filters at once.
The kit will be available in store in October.
Lee 3 stop graduated neutral density and 10 stop neutral density filters and holder
You can categorize all photographers today into one of three circles; the purists that say using Photoshop is cheating and devalues your photography, those that say Photoshop is the only way to get a good image, and then there are the photographers in the middle. I would definitely put myself smack dab in the middle saying that I really dislike overly processing images *cough HDR cough* but I believe in giving my images that extra little something that the camera can’t do on it’s own. That being said, you should do everything possible to get the image to look its best in-camera.
Editor’s Note: This is a guest blog posting by Travis Lawton, the Lawtographer—one of the most genuinely friendly photographers I know.
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