Hello,
I already wrote about the fact that the magnetic system from VFFOTO is well-tuned. From my point of view, this is the best and most practical solution for putting a filter on a lens. And not only his deployments, but also his withdrawals. Just put it in and let the physics work, then take it out again and put it away. Photographed.
However, after all, there was one problem where the mentioned physics “deceived” much worse, or she couldn’t even be fooled. That was at wider focal lengths, like 24mm when converted to full frame. Under 24mm it vignetted more and more every millimeter wider. I normally suppressed it in Photoshop, that I simply retouched the given ailment, and somehow it didn’t bother me. However, it is true that I have never tried below 18 mm, since I did not even own a wider focal length until recently. It is also true that not everyone is willing to remove the vignetting digitally, or someone will not do it out of dogged conviction. And I understand every justification. However, over time I switched to an even wider lens, the still relatively new Z system from Nikon. My widest focal point at one time was 14mm. That might not look so good anymore. Fortunately, almost simultaneously with the purchase of my new lens, VFFOTO released an excellent solution just for wide-angle focal lengths. Simple and effective. This review will not be any lab testing of color, sharpness, or color shift, but I will “dig” into the physics piece again.
To make it as easy as possible to understand, we will explain it specifically with a model example.
Model situation I
14mm lens with 82mm diameter. So far, this would have been solved with an 82 mm magnetic filter adapter, and an 82 mm ND would have been fitted, respectively. CPL filter. Of course, there would be a full effect of the malaise under 24 mm, since however thin the magnetic adapter is, it has some thickness. When an ND filter is attached to it, logically the lens has to “see” the surround in which the filter is and this causes vignetting.
Model situation II
14mm lens with 82mm diameter. So let’s solve it in a new way and keep the advantages of the magnetic solution. The aforementioned practicality and speed of use, but this time without vignetting. This time, instead of the 82 mm magnetic adapter, we screw a magnetic step up ring onto the lens, and this way we “bounce” to 95 mm. So the step up ring will be 82mm in diameter, but we will be able to use a 95mm filter. What do we gain by this? While in model situation I I wrote that the lens “sees” the filter surround. So this time our filter will only see the glass of the ND filter or CPL filter. How simple. And the vignetting is over. Yes, even on 14 mm. After all, you can see it in the attached photos below.
The given model situations describe exactly how I have solved it. Of course, if someone’s widest lens is 77mm in diameter, they just need to “bounce” the step up ring to 86mm. And base the whole system on 86 mm. More on what and how in the attached table, which talks about two options. The first one is about using one filter and the second one is when using /layering/ two filters. Be my guest.
We’re getting to the finished photos, with a little basic editing. That is, white balance, contrast, and most importantly, cleaning the dirt, whether on the sensor or after the drops that were splashing on the lens. The dirt is the reason why I am not attaching the RAW files for download this time, but I am posting here a preview of the already developed photo. The photos are not world-class, but they certainly serve as an example. Technique used NikonZ6,Nikon14-30f4,VFFOTOND2000x. Exif after unfolding, below the photo.
And this is how it works in practice, I forgot to show the 95 mm lens cap at the end, but that’s just a minor detail.
I am faced with the opinion, “II don’t want to,Magneticfilters,becausethereI needateachLensanotheraveragefilter.So muchfiltersNoI amWillingbuy”. No, it’s not. I own various lens diameters myself. 82 mm, 72 mm and 62 mm. After that, I just use one filter, it fits on each lens. In this case it is a 95 mm ND filter. I step up the rings from each diameter “bounce” to that 95mm diameter, and that’s it. After that, I just use one filter for each lens it fits. How simple.
Okay, now some of you may be asking, “But what about the lens cap, will it fit me?”. What about a lens hood? Since the diameter of the lens hasn’t changed, the step up ring means that the classic lens cap will no longer fit. And VFFOTO also offers different lens cap diameters. So one problem solved. So what about the lens hood? I don’t carry a sun visor with me for a long time, and I don’t use one. When it gets dusty, then I bitch about how messy I am. However, I know that other photographers are more responsible than I am, and it is for these photographers that VFFOTO offers a solution. They make their own universal sun visor for any diameter from their range of step up rings. Installing it takes a bit of practice, it catches with a little helper screw, but then holds nicely. And another problem solved.
Conclusion:
This system has no weaknesses. If someone has dealt with vignetting below 24mm, they don’t have to deal with it anymore. If someone has solved “What about the sun visor?”, they don’t need to solve that either. However, you can’t even work with that aperture with plug-in filters. Any way I look at it, the weaknesses of this system are hard to find. It’s fast, intuitive, very high quality, and that magnet clamping sound is violently addictive. I can’t help but mention the VFFOTO app, and that’s the VFFOTO ND Filter Calculator, available for iOS as well as Anroid. In it, you can accurately dial in the calculation time for your chosen scene. You can set absolutely all the offered ND filters there. It supports night mode, and you can also set the exposure correction in percentage to shorten or lengthen the shooting time. It’s just all fun, and that’s what photography should be about in the first place.
Pros:
- lightness of the system (I don’t even know I have it in my backpack)
- simplicity
- Practicality
- uncompromising optical quality
- no colour shift
- no vignetting even at wide-angle focus, 14 mm
- possibility of installing a sun visor, which is available for any size /diameter/ step up ring
- the possibility to have one filter for all owned lenses, regardless of their diameters
- system integrity, reductions, filters, aperture, caps, step up ring, compatibility + application
Minuses:
- I really don’t know and I’m a dudros