NiSi V7 True Color CPL

NiSi is known for its excellent image quality; quality in both true-to-life color reproduction and image capture while maintaining optimum sharpness. In addition, one of the reasons that I personally work with NiSi is the continuous search for ways to improve their products.
After the V5 and V6 holders I worked with, it is now the turn of version 7. The NiSi V7 True Color CPL was presented on October 1, 2021!

As a NiSi Benelux ambassador, I already had access to the improved V7 holder and the new True Color polarization filter. Of course I set off as soon as possible towards my “local patch”; the coast of South Holland

NiSi V7 True Color – Assembly

Where NiSi previously worked with screw thread, the introduction of the bayonet closure is perhaps the most eye-catching improvement. You place the filter in the holder and tighten the filter with a short turn. The removal is also done in the blink of an eye. Sometimes you don't need a polarizing effect in your image and because it's so easy to install and remove, you can just keep shooting without being distracted by fiddling with a thread.

NiSi has also thought about magnetic solutions, but they are (fortunately) still of the opinion that a mechanical connection is still the best solution. Internal tests showed that magnetic connections were more difficult to loosen and that the ease of use of these bayonet fittings was considerably greater.

According to my own experiences, the ease of use has indeed improved considerably and I hope that the other polarization filters will also be equipped with this bayonet system in due course. My current polarizing filter, the NiSi Landscape CPL has a “Nitto” polarizing layer that allows the polarizing power to reach 99,95%. This results in higher color saturation and better contrasts. Given my previous experiences with this filter, the Landscape polarization filter will certainly keep a place in my bag, but how nice would it be if you could quickly use an alternative polarization filter in certain situations? This way, as a photographer, you can use the right tool at the right time.

In the video you can see how easy it is to install and remove the filter.

My first impressions with the NiSi True Color CPL are very positive, especially since it does indeed appear that your images are reproduced very faithfully. I know that sometimes I'm a voice in the desert and that “Instagram filters” with high saturation and thick contrasts are fashion… but how nice it is to have at least a true-to-life version of reality at home!

NiSi V7 True Color – Confirmation

A further mechanical improvement of the V7 holder is the introduction of a “multi-screw”. By pulling out the screw, you pull up the copper wheel. This allows you to easily attach or remove the filter holder to your adapter ring. The second screw ensures that your filter holder is fixed and that it cannot accidentally turn or come loose. We saw this system earlier in the S6 holder and has now also found its way into the V7 holder.

NiSi True Color CPL – Polarization filter

The membrane for this polarizing filter has been specially developed for NiSi in Japan and is exclusively available for NiSi. The purpose of this polarization filter is a true-to-life reproduction in which the filter allows all colors to pass through as faithfully as possible, but adds nothing. What you see is what you get.

Testing a polarization filter in the field is no easy task, certainly not in a dynamic environment such as the coast of the Netherlands. Not only does the light change from second to second due to changes in the cloud cover and position of the waves, the polarizing effect of the filter also changes every few degrees. As good and evil as I could, I was able to make some comparison.

The images below come straight from the camera, a Pentax 645Z medium format camera with a large dynamic range and true-to-life color reproduction, and have not been edited. In the first example you can see that the filter indeed has no influence on the color temperature and color balance.

This second example compares the NiSi True Color CPL with the NiSi landscape CPL.
The image on the left shows the colors as I remember them. The right image looks a bit warmer and has a bit more saturation. This effect can be enhanced by polarizing the filter a bit more.

I made a studio comparison in controlled conditions at home. For this, the Pentax 645Z was used in the neutral setting for true-to-life reproduction. The white balance is set to 5500 Kelvin, the white balance of the LED lamps is also set to 5500 Kelvin. Furthermore, there were no other light sources in the studio.