When it involves pictures and filmmaking, there are quite a few filters to select from. However, on the subject of choosing the proper filters for the job, NiSi made that alternative a lot simpler with their newest design.
Picture this: you are driving down a ravishing coastal street within the South of France. Wind dashing via your hair because the solar units on the horizon, when abruptly the gearbox in your newly purchased dream automotive explodes. The entire driving expertise goes down a cliff, and the automotive finally ends up gathering mud in your storage for the remainder of your life. Likewise, as photographers, we place an terrible quantity of belief in our gear. Therefore, we want gear that’s well-designed, dependable, and efficient. If you make investments some huge cash right into a set of filters however they find yourself crossthreading, have lackluster optical high quality, and a colour forged that might make even the Hulk envious, it ruins the entire expertise of going out and taking pictures. With so many elements concerned in a shoot, on the finish of the day, all we would like as photographers is to benefit from the expertise, whether or not you are taking pictures commercials or landscapes.
Why Filters Matter
For most photographers, a CPL, or round polarizer, is commonly required to chop out reflections, add natural-looking distinction, and make the general picture pop. Furthermore, ND filters are steadily used to dam gentle, permitting you to make use of gradual shutter speeds to seize waterfalls with a silky easy look. These two kinds of filters are the basic pillars that any photographer depends on. If they’re less than the problem, the entire {photograph} might crumble. Filters like those I discussed above present the photographer with extra inventive freedom and enhanced visible outcomes with out using Photoshop. It is subsequently of paramount significance that these equipment work correctly with out trouble.
Filters have been one thing I swear by since I began taking pictures landscapes effectively over a decade in the past. I’ve used many various manufacturers and was by no means actually glad with them because of points with price, ergonomics, or colour forged. It wasn’t till 2020 that I invested in NiSi’s Long Exposure Landscape Filter Kit. The package included a 6-stop round polarizer, 3-stop ND, 10-stop ND, and 15-stop ND and got here in a smooth, padded case. None of the filters confirmed any colour forged, thus permitting me to shoot with out fear and scale back post-production time. They even labored superbly on the Canon 5D Mark II for stills and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 4K I used for video work at the moment. The solely draw back to the filters was the time it took to screw them on and off my lenses, particularly when swapping. Otherwise, they stayed mounted, and I by no means left residence with out them.
NiSi’s Filter Revolution
It wasn’t till late 2024 that I began seeing the brand new product launches from NiSi that bought me excited like a child in a sweet store. NiSi’s JetMag Pro product line was launched, and everybody appeared very completely satisfied to get their arms on it, together with me. However, I used to be cautious as a result of magnetic filters have all the time been about as reliable as a politician’s marketing campaign promise. You would not dare depart them hooked up to your digicam whereas strolling or stowed away in your backpack. Most of them had colour casts, and the standard of the glass wasn’t excellent. When NiSi kindly despatched me the panorama pictures ND package to take a look at, my worries subsided. NiSi went and constructed one thing sturdy, efficient, and admittedly, a bit of bit genius.
What’s In The Box?
The JetMag Pro Landscape Filter Kit is a system designed with ease of use, velocity, and accuracy in thoughts. NiSi has developed the magnetized filter system to incorporate magnetized adapter rings that screw onto your lens’ filter thread. The magnetized filter then clips onto the adapter ring with a satisfying click on and stays in place. Each filter can also be color-coded, making it straightforward to differentiate between them once you’re on the go, so you are not fumbling like a drunk in a darkish shed.
Included within the package:
As a outcome, you possibly can connect adapter rings to a number of lenses and simply detach and swap filters on lenses. All this for a retail worth of about £359 ($480 US, transformed with out delivery charges). In my case, I’m utilizing a Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II with an 82mm filter thread and a Canon 135mm f/2L with a 77mm filter thread. My NiSi 82mm and 77mm adapter rings are completely mounted to my two lenses, so after I swap between the 2 within the subject, it takes seconds as a substitute of minutes. Therefore, I’m assured I’ll by no means miss a shot.
Furthermore, the filter package comes with aluminum entrance and rear caps. When you are performed taking pictures, you possibly can both connect the entrance cap to your filters and pack away your digicam, or you possibly can detach your filters, add the rear cap, and safely stow them within the NiSi laborious case and even in your pocket.
Why NiSi’s JetMag Pro Filters Are Worth It
The ease of use and velocity are an enormous win. But what concerning the reliability of the magnets? Well, here is the place the package shines. NiSi launched a patented locking system. The locking system lets you safely lock the filters, even when stacking a number of filters, by aligning them to a white line. This locking system ensures the filters won’t ever come off. Trust me, I attempted.
The largest concern now can be when utilizing the round polarizer, as you will must twist it out of its locking place to polarize the scene and take away reflections or darken the sky. But even so, the magnet was highly effective sufficient that no shaking or bumping affected the unlocked filter. Faith in magnetized filters restored. Working with these filters for a number of months has given me peace of thoughts and sped up my workflow a lot that I can not image taking pictures with out them.
The JetMag Pro Ecosystem
Aside from the Landscape Kit NiSi despatched me, there are a number of different kits to select from, relying in your taking pictures type. NiSi has made a JetMag Pro Cinema Kit out there, together with a 2-stop, 3-stop, 4-stop, and 6-stop ND, in addition to a Black Mist 1/8 and TrueColor CPL polarizer—an ideal toolkit for filmmakers. Alternatively, you possibly can create your customized bundle on their web site to suit your personal wants.
More just lately, NiSi has additionally launched its first JetMag Pro variable ND: a 1–5 cease variable ND filter boasting correct colour illustration and its spectacular nanocoating know-how. To prime all of it off, you may as well add the brand new 100mm sq. filter holder into the combination. NiSi has hit the mark with their JetMag Pro system. The filters are slim and well-designed to the purpose the place I can stack at the very least three totally different filters on my 16-35mm and never see any seen indicators of vignetting.
Furthermore, the entire ecosystem works effectively collectively with out fault. Both the construct and optical high quality are excellent and knock the competitors out of the park. With the JetMag Pro system nonetheless being new in the marketplace, I stay up for seeing what else NiSi brings to the desk down the road. It can be unbelievable to see them launch magnetic infrared filters of various strengths to be used in panorama pictures.
What I Liked About The NiSi JetMag Pro Landscape Photography ND Kit
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Powerful magnetized system
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Ease of use
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Speed of swapping between lenses and filters
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Unmatched optical high quality
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Slim filter design
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The nanocoating works extremely effectively
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The patented magnetic lock system is strong
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Stackable filters and the power to lock all of them
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The ecosystem permits for extra inventive freedom
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A beneficiant variety of adapters is included within the package
What I Didn’t Like About The NiSi JetMag Pro Landscape Photography ND Kit
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I miss the addition of the 15-stop ND filter I had in my earlier NiSi Long Exposure Landscape Kit. However, I can stack the filters I’ve to get an equally lengthy publicity time.
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No IR-cut is included within the CPL or ND filters, in contrast to previously. You can, nevertheless, buy a separate IR-cut filter and stack it together with your different filters, so that is extra nitpicking than something.
Conclusion
NiSi’s JetMag Pro is not only a filter system. It’s a workflow revolution. It’s the coastal street, the dream automotive, and the proper sundown with out the blown gearbox. Of course, it isn’t excellent. I miss the 15-stop ND from my outdated package, and there is no IR-cut inbuilt. But truthfully, that is like moaning your dream automotive would not have heated cupholders. You’ll reside. Now, the one downside I’ve is deciding which JetMag filter I’m including to my assortment subsequent.