9. Moment Variable ND64 – 512
- Metal protective case
- High-quality manufacture
- Notch marking design
The Moment Variable ND is a lens mounted filter and screws directly into the front of your camera’s lens; it can then be rotated to increase or decrease the effect. From the first moment you open the case, you can feel that this is something different. The red hue of the coating of the front element highlights that difference.
But look over the frame, and you see the laser-etched markings, the anodising, knurling and small design features such as the notch that make it that easier to gauge the density. There are cheaper and more expensive variable ND filters out there, but this is a solid middle ground.
The optical quality is excellent, you do get a slight increase in contrast and a slight shift in hue, but nothing a quick tweak in Lightroom, Affinity or Photoshop won’t sort in a click or two.
10. Haida Interchangeable NanoPro Magnetic Variable ND Filter
- Fast to fit
- Excellent optical quality
- Feature end stops
Like other variable NDs, this magnetic version is constructed with two circular polarisers, as the element is rotated the density is increased or decreased affecting the amount of light that falls through the lens and onto the sensor.
The holder features one polariser, and the front element the other polariser. At present, there are two front element filters available a 2-5 stop and 6-9 stop, which gives a good range of densities. The magnet is built into the frame of the filter, so a quick alignment and the two parts clip together.
This makes it ideal for all sorts of photography where you want to extend exposure, and is, of course, ideal for video. The nice feature is that if you need to increase the density beyond the 2-5 stop, you can quickly clip off and clip back on the next filter, no unscrewing involved.
The Haida Intercahngable Variable ND is of excellent quality, and with two density ranges, 2-5 and 6-9 Stop to choose from you have everything covered.
There are plenty of Variable ND options out there, but not all come close to the convenience of the Haida offerings. As variable NDs go there’s little to fault with the optical performance, but what’s apparent is just how good an idea magnetic variable NDs are.
H&Y Revoring Variable ND+CPL
- Very quick and easy to use
- Nice build quality and attaches securely
- Replaces several step-up rings
The H&Y Revoring Variable ND+CPL is a variable neutral density filter and a polarising filter with a novel type of mount. It’s essentially the H&Y Revoring with a couple of filters built-in.
H&Y has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to fund both the Revoring and the Revoring Variable ND+CPL. Their anticipated delivery date is November 2020, but we’ve been able to test an early sample.
The smart thing about the Revoring Variable ND+CPL is that instead of screwing onto a lens filter thread, it grips it with a variable-sized mount. That means it can fit a range of lenses.
H&Y makes the Revoring Variable ND+CPL in three sizes:
37-49mm
46-62mm
67-82mm
The Revoring Variable ND+CPL looks to be useful to photographers looking to shoot long exposures or use wide apertures, and videographers who need to restrict their shutter speed.
Square ND filters or Round ND filters: which is better?
There are generally two types of ND filters you can buy: circular filters that screw on to the front of your lens or a square filter that mounts via an adapter. Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of both.
Square filters are useful because you can use them on all of your lenses, regardless of size. They slide into an adapter that screws on to the end of your lens. This adapter can be fitted to any of your lenses. A circular filter screws into the end of your lens, so these are limited to use on a specific lens.
Square filters can also be stacked inside their adapter, which means you could put two 3-stop filters together to replicate the effect of a 6-stop ND filter. You can also stack a polariser with your ND grad. Again, this gives you a lot of flexibility.
What’s more, because square and rectangular ND filters are wider than the diameter of your lens, there’s often less vignetting. On the other hand, square filters are more fragile and take longer to set up.
Circular ND filters, while less versatile as their square counterparts, are pretty robust, quick and easy to set up and can also be stacked. However, they are limited to specific diameters, and they can be prone to vignetting.
The answer to whether you should buy a square or round ND filter really comes down to your workflow. If the extra time setting up doesn’t bother you, then a square filter is probably your best bet.
If you do go for a round ND filter, you should consider buying a large filter and some step-up rings so that you can use it on several lenses. This could be a nice compromise.
Glass vs resin ND filters
ND filters will either be made of glass or resin. Glass ND filters are higher quality. The provide a better optical quality and nicer colours; however, they are more expensive. They can also break quite easily.
Resin filters are much cheaper and more durable, but the trade-off is less clarity and sharpness. The dyes used in their production can also degrade over time. And while they don’t break all that often, the resin can scratch.
ND filter coatings
ND filters, like lenses, have coatings to help prevent reflections and improve light transmission. Many ND filter coatings also help reduce UV light so your colours are more natural.
High-end ND filters will also have coatings protecting them from scratches, and water and oil.
Best ND Filters you can buy today
As we mentioned at the top of this post, there are a few disadvantages to using variable ND filters. If you are after pin-sharp, big resolution images, shooting through the multiple layers of glass on a variable ND filter might not be right for you. You will probably want a fixed ND filter. To help you along in that search, below are our picks for the best ND filters you can buy today.
Lee Filters ProGlass IRND
- Prevents light leak
- Natural colours
Lee Filters ProGlass IRND are a range of neutral density filters (ND) with values ranging from 0.6ND through to 4.5ND available for the Seven5, 100mm and SW-150 filters systems.
The IRND coatings are designed to extend photographic exposure times and cut infrared and ultraviolet light leading to neutral colour casts and clear and crisp images.
And the coatings here are really something to highlight. People often ask, and the key difference between Lee’s Stopper range and the ProGlass IRND filters is that the ProGlass filters have a surface coating and there’s no dye mixed through the glass. This is a more expensive process but it means that the filter doesn’t cause vignetting with wide-angle lenses.
What’s more, the foam pad around the filter that helps to prevent light leak is a nice touch and used in bright daylight can be a godsend.
Note: Lee Filters ProGlass IRND filters have a protective coating but they should be treated with care to avoid damaging the neutral density layer.
Lee Filters: Big Stoppers
- Widely used
- More affordable than the IRNDs
It’s called a Big Stopper because it’s very dense and it reduces the amount of light entering a lens by 10EV. Lee’s Big Stopper has become to filters what Hoover is to vacuum cleaners and many photographers refer to any dense neutral density filter as a Big Stopper, but it’s actually a product name.
The Big Stopper will blur anything that moves, whether rivers, people, traffic, you name it. It’s designed for big-time long exposures – the sort where you need a camping chair and a Thermos full of coffee because you’re going to be there a while.
Frankly, it’s the best at what it does. Lee Filters also makes the Little Stopper that cuts out 6EV of light and the Super Stopper that filters out a whopping 15EV of light.
Cokin Nuances
- Nano metallic alloy coating
- Highly versatile
Cokin’s Nuances line uses a new nano metallic alloy coating on both sides, and the glass itself is tempered for high transmittance and low reflection.
Cokin’s Nuances ND range is available in M, L and XL sizes, and are designed to pick out the subtle details in the landscape and manage the… nuances in changing light.
H&Y K-Series HD MRC Neutral Density
- Magnetic filter frame
- Promises no colour casts
H&Y’s K-Series HD MRC ND system uses a clever magnetic holder to mount your ND filter. What’s more, you can also use third-party filter holders by adapting them with H&Y filter strips.
As for the glass itself, H&Y uses a multi-coating that prevents unwanted colour casts.
The filters reduce the light by six stops, allowing you to shoot wide open in bright light or smooth over water with long exposures.
Hoya Pro ND filters
- Circular
- High quality construction
Hoya’s extensive ProND range features the PROND2, PROND4, PROND8, PROND16,
PROND32, PROND64, PROND100, PROND200, PROND500, PROND1000 and PROND100000, which range from one stop all the way up to 16 3/5-stops of light reduction.
Hoya’s ProND filters are made of lightweight aluminium to prevent vignetting, and there’s also a metallic ACCU-ND coating to keep colours looking natural. Hoya’s ACCU-ND coating is designed to prevent colours from shifting as you move from one density to the next.
Best ND filter holder
H&Y K-Series Universal fit magnetic filter holder
- Easy to use
- Possible to stack
- Compatible with other manufacturers filters
The H&Y K-Series 100x150mm and 100x100mm Universal fit magnetic filter holder is one of the most feature-packed filter systems we’ve seen. We were really impressed by the NiSi V6 filter holder, which is a beautifully designed piece of kit, but the K-Series is something more.
Recently there’s been an influx of filter systems, and surprisingly they’ve all been pretty good.
One of the best so far seen is the H&Y K-Series 100x150mm and 100x100mm Universal fit magnetic filter holder. Pop the holder onto your lens with one of the adapters, then pop the filter on the front. That’s it!
There’s no fumbling around with pushing filters into slots with cold hands. It’s all incredibly easy to use.
For that reason we can safely say that when it comes to ease of use, there’s no filter system close to the H&Y.
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