Reviews
Inexpensive CPL with excellent color rendition
Full disclosure: I received this filter system at a significantly reduced cost in return for my unbiased review.
I just purchased a new Canon RF 100-400 lens that has pretty good glass but is not L quality. Although I have a good black and white CPL filter that matches this lens, I have never been very happy with the color cast. I have tried other K&F Concept lenses and was very impressed with the neutral color cast. So I decided to give this polarizer kit a try.
I really like the technology in this kit. This kit comes as a compact sandwich with machined metal caps front and back. All caps and filters are clearly marked with the filter size. There is a small storage bag to protect the filters and your other stuff when you throw them in your bag.
I previously tried another K & F filter and while I was very impressed with the glass, I was much less impressed with the machined aluminum frame. Unlike the previous filters, these attach easily to my lenses and don't bind. In practice, the knurling on the filters makes removal very easy and in the case of the CPL, the adjustment is very smooth. There is noticeable resistance, but no hint of binding or freedom of movement that you get with cheaper filters. The feel of this filter is quite nice.
The thin profile UV filter is MRC coated to reduce glare and improve cleaning. This filter produces virtually no color cast at all. When held up to a white background, I can't tell the difference between filtered and unfiltered white. I don't usually use UV filters because most of my lenses have better front elements than any filter I own, but with the RF100-400, I'll probably leave the UV filter on the lens since it doesn't have the same quality coatings as my other lenses.
The CPL is fairly thick, but not so thick that I will worry about vignetting since I use these mostly with medium to long telephoto lenses. All CPLs affect color to some degree. Depending on the polarization and angle of the sun, they usually darken the sky and change the color of the water, sometimes dramatically, so with a CPL it is difficult to determine what color cast may be present. Using the same test on a white background, I can see a slight cast against the adjacent white background that seems to have a somewhat brownish cast, but could simply be the result of light loss from the CPL. In test photos, I could not see any perceptible cast at all. It's close enough to neutral that I don't think it will have much effect on color correction in post.
All in all, really nice filters and pretty good value for the money. Recommended.
I just purchased a new Canon RF 100-400 lens that has pretty good glass but is not L quality. Although I have a good black and white CPL filter that matches this lens, I have never been very happy with the color cast. I have tried other K&F Concept lenses and was very impressed with the neutral color cast. So I decided to give this polarizer kit a try.
I really like the technology in this kit. This kit comes as a compact sandwich with machined metal caps front and back. All caps and filters are clearly marked with the filter size. There is a small storage bag to protect the filters and your other stuff when you throw them in your bag.
I previously tried another K & F filter and while I was very impressed with the glass, I was much less impressed with the machined aluminum frame. Unlike the previous filters, these attach easily to my lenses and don't bind. In practice, the knurling on the filters makes removal very easy and in the case of the CPL, the adjustment is very smooth. There is noticeable resistance, but no hint of binding or freedom of movement that you get with cheaper filters. The feel of this filter is quite nice.
The thin profile UV filter is MRC coated to reduce glare and improve cleaning. This filter produces virtually no color cast at all. When held up to a white background, I can't tell the difference between filtered and unfiltered white. I don't usually use UV filters because most of my lenses have better front elements than any filter I own, but with the RF100-400, I'll probably leave the UV filter on the lens since it doesn't have the same quality coatings as my other lenses.
The CPL is fairly thick, but not so thick that I will worry about vignetting since I use these mostly with medium to long telephoto lenses. All CPLs affect color to some degree. Depending on the polarization and angle of the sun, they usually darken the sky and change the color of the water, sometimes dramatically, so with a CPL it is difficult to determine what color cast may be present. Using the same test on a white background, I can see a slight cast against the adjacent white background that seems to have a somewhat brownish cast, but could simply be the result of light loss from the CPL. In test photos, I could not see any perceptible cast at all. It's close enough to neutral that I don't think it will have much effect on color correction in post.
All in all, really nice filters and pretty good value for the money. Recommended.
04/02/2024