In the case of pictures and filmmaking, there are quite a few filters to select from. Nevertheless, relating to choosing the proper filters for the job, NiSi made that alternative a lot simpler with their newest design.
Image this: you are driving down a lovely coastal street within the South of France. Wind speeding via your hair because the solar units on the horizon, when abruptly the gearbox in your newly purchased dream automobile explodes. The entire driving expertise goes down a cliff, and the automobile 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. Due to this fact, we’d like gear that’s well-designed, dependable, and efficient. Should you make investments some huge cash right into a set of filters however they find yourself crossthreading, have lackluster optical high quality, and a coloration forged that may make even the Hulk envious, it ruins the entire expertise of going out and capturing. With so many components concerned in a shoot, on the finish of the day, all we wish as photographers is to benefit from the expertise, whether or not you are capturing commercials or landscapes.
Why Filters Matter
For many photographers, a CPL, or round polarizer, is commonly required to chop out reflections, add natural-looking distinction, and make the general picture pop. Moreover, ND filters are steadily used to dam gentle, permitting you to make use of sluggish shutter speeds to seize waterfalls with a silky easy look. These two kinds of filters are the elemental pillars that any photographer depends on. In the event that they’re less than the problem, the entire {photograph} might collapse. Filters like those I discussed above present the photographer with extra artistic freedom and enhanced visible outcomes with out the usage of Photoshop. It’s subsequently of paramount significance that these equipment work correctly with out problem.
Filters have been one thing I swear by since I began capturing landscapes properly over a decade in the past. I’ve used many alternative manufacturers and was by no means actually glad with them on account of points with value, ergonomics, or coloration forged. It wasn’t till 2020 that I invested in NiSi’s Lengthy Publicity Panorama Filter Package. The equipment included a 6-stop round polarizer, 3-stop ND, 10-stop ND, and 15-stop ND and got here in a comfortable, padded case. Not one of the filters confirmed any coloration forged, thus permitting me to shoot with out fear and cut back post-production time. They even labored superbly on the Canon 5D Mark II for stills and the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Digital camera 4K I used for video work at the moment. The one draw back to the filters was the time it took to screw them on and off my lenses, particularly when swapping. In any other case, they stayed fastened, and I by no means left dwelling 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 Professional product line was launched, and everybody appeared very comfortable to get their palms on it, together with me. Nevertheless, 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 connected to your digicam whereas strolling or stowed away in your backpack. Most of them had coloration casts, and the standard of the glass wasn’t excellent. When NiSi kindly despatched me the panorama pictures ND equipment to take a look at, my worries subsided. NiSi went and constructed one thing strong, efficient, and admittedly, slightly bit genius.
What’s In The Field?
The JetMag Professional Panorama Filter Package 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. Every filter can also be color-coded, making it simple to tell apart between them if you’re on the go, so you are not fumbling like a drunk in a darkish shed.
Included within the equipment:
Because of this, 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 am 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 fastened to my two lenses, so once I swap between the 2 within the discipline, it takes seconds as a substitute of minutes. Due to this fact, I am assured I am going to by no means miss a shot.
Moreover, the filter equipment comes with aluminum entrance and rear caps. While you’re performed capturing, 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 Professional Filters Are Value It
The convenience of use and velocity are an enormous win. However what concerning the reliability of the magnets? Nicely, this is the place the equipment shines. NiSi launched a patented locking system. The locking system permits you to 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. Belief me, I attempted.
The most important concern now could be when utilizing the round polarizer, as you will have to twist it out of its locking place to polarize the scene and take away reflections or darken the sky. Besides, the magnet was highly effective sufficient that no shaking or bumping affected the unlocked filter. Religion 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 am unable to image capturing with out them.
The JetMag Professional Ecosystem
Except for the Panorama Package NiSi despatched me, there are a number of different kits to select from, relying in your capturing type. NiSi has made a JetMag Professional Cinema Package 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.
Extra lately, NiSi has additionally launched its first JetMag Professional variable ND: a 1–5 cease variable ND filter boasting correct coloration illustration and its spectacular nanocoating expertise. To prime all of it off, you can too add the brand new 100mm sq. filter holder into the combination. NiSi has hit the mark with their JetMag Professional system. The filters are slim and well-designed to the purpose the place I can stack no less than three totally different filters on my 16-35mm and never see any seen indicators of vignetting.
Moreover, the entire ecosystem works properly collectively with out fault. Each the construct and optical high quality are excellent and knock the competitors out of the park. With the JetMag Professional system nonetheless being new available on the market, I look ahead to seeing what else NiSi brings to the desk down the road. It could be improbable to see them launch magnetic infrared filters of various strengths to be used in panorama pictures.
What I Preferred About The NiSi JetMag Professional Panorama Images ND Package
Highly effective magnetized system
Ease of use
Velocity of swapping between lenses and filters
Unmatched optical high quality
Slim filter design
The nanocoating works extremely properly
The patented magnetic lock system is powerful
Stackable filters and the power to lock all of them
The ecosystem permits for extra artistic freedom
A beneficiant variety of adapters is included within the equipment
What I Did not Like About The NiSi JetMag Professional Panorama Images ND Package
I miss the addition of the 15-stop ND filter I had in my earlier NiSi Lengthy Publicity Panorama Package. Nevertheless, I can stack the filters I’ve to get an equally lengthy publicity time.
No IR-cut is included within the CPL or ND filters, not like prior to now. You possibly can, nonetheless, buy a separate IR-cut filter and stack it along with your different filters, so that is extra nitpicking than something.
Conclusion
NiSi’s JetMag Professional is not only a filter system. It is a workflow revolution. It is the coastal street, the dream automobile, and the proper sundown with out the blown gearbox. After all, it isn’t excellent. I miss the 15-stop ND from my outdated equipment, and there isn’t any IR-cut inbuilt. However actually, that is like moaning your dream automobile does not have heated cupholders. You will dwell. Now, the one downside I’ve is deciding which JetMag filter I am including to my assortment subsequent.
