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Alongside the distinct Island Slot for gradient filters like a graduated neutral density (ND) filter, snow mist, glow mist, and streak, the K2 filter system also includes circular variable neutral density (VND), circular polarizing (CPL), solid ND, and graduated neutral density (GND) filters.
Threaded VNDs are constructed using two panes of polarized glass. For this system, Freewell separated these panes into two filters. One half is the filter mounted inside the base ring, the other half is mounted in front. Once mounted and aligned, there are two panes of polarized glass, just like a traditional, threaded VND. You’ll begin by attaching the main ring to your lens. This ring has a slot for an inner filter (either the VND base filter or the VND Mist filter) and a top filter.If you want to use a circular polarizer, simply flip the 2-5 stop VND filter outward (it is marked “CPL”on one side), and snap it onto the base ring on the lens, and that’s it. You’re ready to go.Non-magnetized, threaded lenses, however, are not compatible. This is because neither the magnetic filters nor the base ring offer outward facing threads. Color accuracy and sharpness Rotating a CPL filter with the M2 system is a straightforward process. We’ve made it simple and intuitive to adjust the polarizer to achieve your desired effect.
Lastly, I zoomed into 200% on the images taken at f8 with my 70-200mm lens to show potential sharpness loss. Such detail likely won't come through after jpeg compression and resizing for this article but trust me when I say I see no loss in sharpness or detail in the image, which is great. Conclusion: Here, the Freewell VND filters are no worse than the very expensive PolarPro and less expensive Moment, but none of them give acceptable results. If I had just flown to Iceland with these filters and discovered results like these on my memory card at the end of my day, I’d be pissed off. The company also says the kit’s magnetic adhesion will keep the filters in the holder firmly affixed, which prevents vibrations while they still remain easy to remove and adjust. The metal knurling on the bezel along each ND level helps grip when turning to change values and allegedly improves the accuracy of stop setting. The company also claims that transitioning from one-stop value to another is smooth and gradual, and should give a reduced occurrence of “x-pattern overlaps” seen in other variable NDs. Personally I use a UV filter on all my lenses for added protection from the elements or the extra safety it may provide in a fall thus it's a fantastic option, but not something that would have worked for my video camera. I have to use a step up ring to go from my Fujifilm's 58mm thread to the 77mm filter size I'm reviewing. The smallest filter size Freewell makes is 67mm meaning I needed to use a step up ring regardless thus I opted into using 77mm filters so I could interchange them from my video camera to my photography camera which has actually been fantastic — more on that later. There’s always a possibility that adding a couple pieces of flat glass in front of your expensive optics will degrade your resolution, but I didn’t find that to be the case with these filters. Having tested on my 42 megapixel A7RIII and some of my sharpest lenses, there was no visible loss in resolution in the center or edges of the frame when using the Freewell filters compared to test shots with no filters. Cross Polarization ProblemsSimply put, I loved my time with the magnetic Nano filters from K&F Concept. Their optical quality is excellent, indeed better than some of the competition. The craftsmanship is also superb, with no complaints. We’ve extensively tested these filters and found no issues when using them at various focal lengths. Whether you’re shooting at 16 millimeters on a full-frame camera like the Sony A7 Mark IV or Sony ZV1 with the 16-35 GM lens, the M2 filters deliver exceptional performance.
The K2 filter system consists of screw-on base filter holder rings, that you only have to screw onto your lens once, afterwards, the filters snap on magnetically. The system includes the K2 Island Slot, a gradient tool integrated for slide-in effect filters like gradient, glow mist, snow mist, and streak. The effect filters slide in from the top and can be rotated in any direction. Magnetic Filter System K2 – Source: Freewell True Color VND
As explained earlier, both the 2-5 stop VND and 6-9 stop VND may be used as circular polarizers when flipped over (and the base ring filter is removed). Circular polarizers improve clarity, increase saturation, and bring highlights under control. They are frequently used in landscape photography to remove reflections and punch-up color and clarity, though they can of course be used when shooting video as well for a similar effect.
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