NiSi Filters
Beyond Imagination
Read more about my switch to this professional filter line
Why NiSi filters?
In 2019 I was a guest at the office of the Dutch importer of NiSi; Transcontinenta. That appointment was all about photo bags from Think Tank and Mindshift. Although the NiSi filters were prominently displayed on the table, I paid no attention to them at the time. I was very satisfied with the Sirui filter set that I was using at that time and of which I was an ambassador at the time. The Sirui filters passed every test on the Hoya test bench with flying colors and I was satisfied with the set I had.
Product line
However, in the months that followed, I continued to keep an eye on NiSi's filters. This is how I discovered that NiSi's line is much broader than Sirui's offering. In addition, NiSi's philosophy is also better suited to the demanding photographer. NiSi focuses on the further development of its filters and has so far launched more than 100 different types of filters and holders. NiSi continues to innovate and set trends within this specific application area.
To date, around 10 new products are introduced each year. In addition, NiSi collaborates with some of the world's best professional photographers. This enables NiSi to further optimize its products based on feedback from professionals. Sharing the experiences and feedback of these photographers is the ideal way to guarantee optimum quality of the filters.
The systems
NiSi offers a suitable solution for every type of lens and most filter sizes. There are even for special lenses, such as my Pentax 15-30/2.8 dedicated filter holders.
Where I previously used 3 different manufacturers, I can now go to 1 manufacturer to complete my 75mm, 100mm and 150mm filter system. (There is even a 180mm system).
The trade-off
As a photographer, you go through certain phases during your development and try out new techniques or other situations. Partly to broaden your portfolio, but also to deliver better quality. Within the Sirui system I encountered limitations in the product line. NiSi offers the perfect solution for this.
My regular basic set consists of a 100mm filter holder, a polarizing filter, 6 stops ND filter and a 3 stops hard GND because of the many seascapes that I photograph. Since I may encounter many different situations during my travels, my travel set is a bit more extensive; NiSi offers solutions for this in its line of soft and medium gradation filters, but the landscape polarization filter is also wonderful to work with. I regularly advise my workshop participants about the purchase of filter systems and I believe that there should also be good career opportunities for them if their wishes change in the future. NiSi currently offers that guarantee and there is a solution for every wish a photographer may have regarding filters. Do you have a question about the NiSi filters or are you considering purchasing a set? Don't hesitate to contact me.
NiSi filters in practice
On paper, the choice for the NiSi filters made sense for me, but how do you like working with them? In March, April and May 2020 I would travel through Africa for 10 weeks and the filters would be extensively tested in the most diverse situations. Corona threw a spanner in the works and after 4 weeks I was back in the Netherlands. Fortunately, in the last week, when we traveled through southwestern Namibia, there were a number of situations where I was able to work a lot with the filters.
After our stay in Central Kalahari Game Reserve we traveled through the area around Kolmanskop, rich in iconic and photogenic Quiver trees. The NiSi filters are made of optical glass, the same glass that our lenses are made of, so the sharpness is good. As expected, the images I took with the medium format Pentax 645Z showed no loss of quality whatsoever.
Mounting the NiSi V6 filter holder is easy and the thread of this holder rotates effortlessly in your lens. In my case the DFA 645Z 28-45mm with a diameter of 82mm. But the holder comes complete with 67, 72 and 77mm adapter rings. The inner ring of the holder fits the supplied NiSi Landscape CPL or CPL PRO filter, which is easy to turn with two wheels. The filters are attached to the holder via a “left-then-right” click system. This works very quickly, easily and extremely safely. The sharpness remains excellent even when using multiple filters at the same time.
The newly developed landscape polarization filter was a revelation for me, the color contrast and saturation received a clearly noticeable boost compared to the filters I was used to.
Features of the NiSi Landscape Polarization Filter
- Reduced reflections
- Enhanced natural colors in the landscape
- Slim-line and easy to place and adjust in the filter holder
- This rotating filter changes the direction of polarization steplessly, which leads to different images
- Extends the shutter speed by just over 1 stop, which is less than most other A-brands
This updated NiSi Landscape CPL filter has a higher polarizing power than standard polarizing filters and can achieve an almost complete polarization of 99.95%. This is possible by using a Nitto polarizing layer. This means that the color saturation and contrast are higher in nature photography.
The next stop was the breathtaking scenery of Sossusvlei. During previous visits to this area I was not spoiled with spectacular cloudy skies. That was more than compensated for in the three days I was there. What a splendor of colors I was presented with! During these sessions I try to focus on one location where I think the chance of a nice image is the highest. This is where I shoot my images during the golden hour. Driving around like a madman to photograph as much as possible causes me anxiety, which does not benefit the result. I have used the NiSi medium gradation filter in particular a lot in these situations. In combination with the gentle slopes, this worked very well.
The area around Swakopmund was very suitable for long(er) shutter speeds and I did some work there on the coast with the 10-stop ND filter. A color cast can occur with these heavy ND filters, especially with Resin (plastic) filters. NiSi's filters also passed this test with flying colors, I wouldn't have expected anything different after my previous experiences.
NiSi Ambassador
As a reader you probably already felt it coming, from the beginning of this year I can officially call myself an ambassador of NiSi Filters Benelux. I am proud, but especially happy that I can become part of this enthusiastic club of professionals and look forward to being able to advise and inspire you in the future.
For me, being an ambassador mainly means good constructive cooperation with the manufacturer and the importer in order to contribute to a product that continues to renew and improve itself. Of course, being an ambassador has advantages for me personally, but these advantages will never stand in the way of an honest opinion or the sharing of possibly less good experiences.
