K&F Concept 49mm Black Diffusion 1/4 Effect & Variable ND2-ND32 ND Filter 2-in-1 for Camera Lens with 28 Multi-Layer Coatings (Nano-Xcel Series)
SKU: KF01.1808
This polarizing filter and neutral density filter pleasantly surprised me, it is not overpriced and the quality of the photos is not bad at all, I have taken several photos with the different degrees that it allows to subtract light and the result is good, if you like silk effects in the water this is an essential filter.
It also has the polarizer that eliminates reflections on crystalline surfaces.
It also has the polarizer that eliminates reflections on crystalline surfaces.
23/06/2024
The metal, variable ND filter helps with long exposures and manages to reduce a few steps. Of course it's not as strong as an ND 1000, but for shots that aren't taken in direct sunlight, it's enough to smooth out water, for example. The processing is top and you can get nice pictures with it. Including cleaning cloth - and super case in which the ND filter is not damaged. (If you don't know: the diameter of your lens is written directly on your lens). The filter is also perfect for adhering to the 180° shutter rule when filming with DSLR /DSLM. We are convinced! Simply screw on the ND filter - done! The protective cap from the lens also fits on it :)
10/06/2024
K&F Concept is really stepping up their filter game and this one is awesome. This review is for the K&F concept 82 mm black diffusion 1/4 effect with variable ND2-ND32 2-in-1 filter. For this filter, K&F stepped up its packaging, utilizing a magnetic lid box and a magnetic leather pouch. The filter itself is stored in a clear plastic bag, which unfortunately uses an adhesive folding closure (just be careful when removing/inserting the lens to not let the band of adhesive touch the filter). Still, the overall package is much nicer than the plastic snap box with foam cutout, but I can't say if it's more practical or "better" as I feel it provides less protection than the hard plastic snap box. Anyways, on to the filter itself.
The filter looks and feels great. It has a solid metal construction with a premium feel to it. The inner stationary ring has two large areas of knurling and the outer movable ring is fully knurled. One section of the outer ring has an orange metal tab sticking out for easy turning. This particular filter has hard stops built into it for the minimum and the maximum. I am unable to appreciate much or any X effect on my 18-35 mm lens (not that the X effect is typically a significant issue at these lower stop levels from 1-5 anyways). I really like the built-in hard stops though because it lets me know when I'm at the minimum and the maximum and I can make more efficient adjustments instead of just blindly rotating well past each end and going all the way around. The variable ND portion works well, but how's the black diffusion? I'll be honest, it's my first time using a black diffusion filter, but the effects were definitely noticeable between having it vs not having it. It provides that soft cinematic feel and tones down the highlights and contrast. I can't believe I've never used one until now.
The K&F Concept 82 mm black diffusion 1/4 effect with variable ND2-ND32 2-in-1 filter provides premium functionality at a budget price point, especially when compared to the bigger brands. At that point, you're paying extra hundreds of dollars for minor gains in optical performance. If you need the absolute best because it's your profession, then just move on and pay the big dollars. But if you're looking to test the waters or need a strong working filter without breaking the bank, then K&F has the glass you need.
The filter looks and feels great. It has a solid metal construction with a premium feel to it. The inner stationary ring has two large areas of knurling and the outer movable ring is fully knurled. One section of the outer ring has an orange metal tab sticking out for easy turning. This particular filter has hard stops built into it for the minimum and the maximum. I am unable to appreciate much or any X effect on my 18-35 mm lens (not that the X effect is typically a significant issue at these lower stop levels from 1-5 anyways). I really like the built-in hard stops though because it lets me know when I'm at the minimum and the maximum and I can make more efficient adjustments instead of just blindly rotating well past each end and going all the way around. The variable ND portion works well, but how's the black diffusion? I'll be honest, it's my first time using a black diffusion filter, but the effects were definitely noticeable between having it vs not having it. It provides that soft cinematic feel and tones down the highlights and contrast. I can't believe I've never used one until now.
The K&F Concept 82 mm black diffusion 1/4 effect with variable ND2-ND32 2-in-1 filter provides premium functionality at a budget price point, especially when compared to the bigger brands. At that point, you're paying extra hundreds of dollars for minor gains in optical performance. If you need the absolute best because it's your profession, then just move on and pay the big dollars. But if you're looking to test the waters or need a strong working filter without breaking the bank, then K&F has the glass you need.
20/05/2024
The filter comes in a plastic carrying casing with high quality foam to protect it. The filter is a tight fit in the case so you can be sure once stored it wont move around or get damaged during transit.
The filter itself feels to be of good built quality with metal frame holding the glass in place. I like the lever to adjust the stops, the action is smooth and will not move on its own. I would have preferred if K&F included a lens cap just in case, I wanted to leave the filter on the camera.
Considering the price, the image quality is comparable to high end products. I found the image quality to be excellent as I did not notice any chromatic aberration, loss of definition or the dreaded X from graduated filter.
You can see some product and some test images I did at home to test the product. I hope you found this useful, if so, please vote positive below
The filter itself feels to be of good built quality with metal frame holding the glass in place. I like the lever to adjust the stops, the action is smooth and will not move on its own. I would have preferred if K&F included a lens cap just in case, I wanted to leave the filter on the camera.
Considering the price, the image quality is comparable to high end products. I found the image quality to be excellent as I did not notice any chromatic aberration, loss of definition or the dreaded X from graduated filter.
You can see some product and some test images I did at home to test the product. I hope you found this useful, if so, please vote positive below
19/05/2024
I've been collecting various K&F filters for my camera and I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality. K&F has been coming out with some fantastic products (such as their neat magnetic snap-on filter system) and this new combination ND filter and black diffusion filter is no exception. Build quality is excellent. The knurled metal rings are finely machined and the variable ND ring turns smoothly, with hard stops at either end to let you know when you've reached the limits. There's a pretty nice storage pouch included too.
This is probably not the kind of filter you would want to shoot with all the time; it's a filter combination with a pretty specific use case. However, for those times when you want a diffusion effect and need a variable ND to quickly maintain a certain f-stop when shooting, this is a very handy 2-in-1 filter to have on your camera.
I'm happy to have this in my filter collection and would definitely recommend it if you sometimes like to shoot with a subtle diffusion effect. The price-to-quality ratio is excellent and I would gladly buy more from this brand.
This is probably not the kind of filter you would want to shoot with all the time; it's a filter combination with a pretty specific use case. However, for those times when you want a diffusion effect and need a variable ND to quickly maintain a certain f-stop when shooting, this is a very handy 2-in-1 filter to have on your camera.
I'm happy to have this in my filter collection and would definitely recommend it if you sometimes like to shoot with a subtle diffusion effect. The price-to-quality ratio is excellent and I would gladly buy more from this brand.
19/05/2024
I was actually looking for a plain ND2-32 filter but this one sounded interesting so I gave it a try. Basically the diffusion effect softens the image a bit giving it a more dreamy look. It avoids the "you can count every pore/hair" look that can be kind of harsh when you use a high resolution digital camera. I was kind of hoping the black diffusion would be a separate filter stacked on top of the ND, but it's not. So if you want ND without diffusion you will have to buy a different ND filter to get it.
The machining of the filter is very well done and the filter itself is very thin. I think this is their main reason for combining diffusion with ND, to keep it very thin compared to stacked filters, avoiding vignetting.
As long as you are wanting that dreamy black diffusion look, this filter works great. The level of ND is easy to adjust and doesn't seem to modify the image other than making it darker. No weird color shifts or patterns appear as you rotate it. The high level of ND is great when you want to shoot with longer exposures to get an image blur effect, or to shoot with wide-open F-stop to get shallow depth of field.
The whole thing comes in K&F's fanciest case, leather with a magnet closure. It is a bit more bulky than their plastic cases but looks nice and is much easier to lift the filter out of.
Overall recommended, just make sure you want the black diffusion effect as it's built into this filter. If you don't, K&F have other ND filters without it.
The machining of the filter is very well done and the filter itself is very thin. I think this is their main reason for combining diffusion with ND, to keep it very thin compared to stacked filters, avoiding vignetting.
As long as you are wanting that dreamy black diffusion look, this filter works great. The level of ND is easy to adjust and doesn't seem to modify the image other than making it darker. No weird color shifts or patterns appear as you rotate it. The high level of ND is great when you want to shoot with longer exposures to get an image blur effect, or to shoot with wide-open F-stop to get shallow depth of field.
The whole thing comes in K&F's fanciest case, leather with a magnet closure. It is a bit more bulky than their plastic cases but looks nice and is much easier to lift the filter out of.
Overall recommended, just make sure you want the black diffusion effect as it's built into this filter. If you don't, K&F have other ND filters without it.
11/05/2024
A solid variable ND filter. The filter is machined really well and the overall fit and finish is excellent. The orange anodized tab looks really good and adds a nice aesthetic in addition to aiding in adjustment. The dial is smooth enough to not unscrew from the lens but is firm enough to not drift once it is set in place. All of the shots I used the ND filter on confirmed the filter is good for between 1 and 5 stops and I never got any weird patterns with any of the settings. There is a slight color cast that leans toward blueish which is similar to every other ND filter I have ever used but it is easily fixed in post. Spring can be unpredictable and it can be a huge pain to swap filters between clouds a variable ND filter is convenient as well as cutting down on the number of pieces to bring shooting.
The pouch/holder is nicely made but bulky. A more compact hards case would be preferable but it is anice add-on at this price point. Sometimes I wish the filter had some kind of click or stop at the different stops but overall it's not a huge issue. It would be nice to preset the stop in this way, but not a deal breaker.
Overall the picture quality is good and the K&F ND filter is a solid buy at the price point. It has less color shift than other cheaper filters and work the investment.
The pouch/holder is nicely made but bulky. A more compact hards case would be preferable but it is anice add-on at this price point. Sometimes I wish the filter had some kind of click or stop at the different stops but overall it's not a huge issue. It would be nice to preset the stop in this way, but not a deal breaker.
Overall the picture quality is good and the K&F ND filter is a solid buy at the price point. It has less color shift than other cheaper filters and work the investment.
25/01/2024
This filter is well made and high quality. I love the fact that it combines a variable ND with a black diffusion filter. This way I don't have to stack filter which helps avoid vignetting at wide angles. This is perfect for filmmakers since it includes ND2 to ND32.
it would be nice if it could have gone to ND64 just to cover the most used values and allow the most flexibility without having to stop down the lens.
it would be nice if it could have gone to ND64 just to cover the most used values and allow the most flexibility without having to stop down the lens.
21/01/2024
I have a ProMist 1/4 and 1/8 diffusion filter, but I was intrigued by this combination ND and diffusion filter and wanted to give it a try. As a point of reference, a ProMist 1/4 will set you back $150 and a similar variable ND another $150, so your getting a great deal for $109 for both. But it's only a great deal if the quality is similar, and I'm happy to report that it is. I shot test footage using the ProMist and this K&F filters under the same lighting conditions with the same camera settings and then watched them back on a 4k monitor, and I couldn't see any discerbible difference in image quality. In using the variable ND, there was no telltale X pattern common to less expensive filters, and I really like the fact that the f-stops are marked on the edge of the filter ring (but they don't "click" into place like you'll find on more expensive filteres). SInce I'm frequently using a diffusion filter and a variable ND filter at the same time, to have them combined in a single filter is very convenient. I now have six K&F Filters, and I'm consistently happy with their quality. The price to value ratio for this combo filter is excellent.
20/01/2024
For starters, the filter came packaged better than I expected. It arrived in a nice faux leather case for safe keeping or traveling when not in use. It is also very well made and dare I say rivals some of the more expensive ones that I have in terms of quality and performance. It was a bit difficult to get onto my lens, I had to carefully line up the thread but once it was on my Fujinon lens, it did not budge. It was easy to adjust while shooting and wasn’t too loose that it moved on its own.
I’ve never used a diffusion filter before so I wanted to try something new when it came to my images and I’m kind of sold with this one. It added this softening effect to my images, smoothed out some of the edges but still kept the details.
I’ve never used a diffusion filter before so I wanted to try something new when it came to my images and I’m kind of sold with this one. It added this softening effect to my images, smoothed out some of the edges but still kept the details.
19/01/2024