I recently took out the K&F Concept DJI Mini 3 Pro Nano Series Filter Set (ND, Polariser and UV). I thank them again for this collaboration. If you are interested in getting the product for yourself after reading this:
Click HERE to go directly to K&F Concept's website.
Get a 5% discount with the code: ESKF05
Who are K&F Concept?
K&F Concept (short for Kent and Faith) are a one-stop refined photography solution provider. Founded in 2011, they specialise in design, research and marketing of photographic and video equipment ranging from camera tripods, lens filters, camera bags, surveillance camera and other must have accessories for your photographic needs.
Within the set, you will find 4 ND filters, a polariser and a UV filter.
What is an ND Filter?
In simple terms, a neutral density or ND filter is a filter that is placed in front of a lens to reduce the amount of light making its way to the camera. Think of the ND filter as sunglasses for your camera - although these "sunglasses" do not change the colour of the light being captured, hence the title of neutral.
The classic use of a ND filter is to reduce the shutter speed of your camera in order to create motion blur or emphasise motion in subjects such as waterfalls, clouds, water, smoke and vehicle traffic.
The ND filter also allows photographers to shoot in bright daylight conditions with wide angle apertures without the fear of overexposing.
The ND number relates to the amount of stops (the amount of light) that is being reduced to reach the sensor of the camera. The K&F Concept Variable Lens ranges from ND32 (5 stops) to ND512 (9 stops).
"A stop is a doubling or halving of the amount of light let in when taking a photo. For example, if you hear a photographer say he's going to increase his exposure by 1 stop, he simply means he's going to capture twice as much light as on the previous shot." - www.photographymad.com
What is a Polariser Filter?
A polarising filter is an essential tool for any serious landscape photographer who want to take beautiful shots.This useful tool changes the way a camera sees and captures light, especially in terms with reflections and glare.
When placed in front of a camera, a polariser can transform a flat image into one with deep contrast and vibrancy. It darkens bright blue skies, increasing the saturation of foliage and even allows you to manage reflections or reduce glare from the surface of water.
Simply put, it reduces the amount of reflected light from entering the camera sensor and cuts out the haze which allows you to capture a clearer image. This effect is unique to polarisers as the effect can not be replicated in post processing.
What is a UV Filter?
A lot of people generally use a UV filter in order to protect their lens from drops and scratches, replacing a UV filter is much cheaper than replacing the front lens on your drone.
The other use is to reduce ultraviolet rays to restore the true colours in a shot.
Packaging
The ND filters come in a mini sandwich page with some spare propeller blades which is a nice touch, you can never have too many spare parts. The case with the filters is made of plastic but it feels really sturdy.
What's in the box?
In the box you will find a plastic case that securely holds the 6 filters in a sponge like material. You can rest easy knowing that the filters will be steady and won't move around easily when the case is in your camera bag. The clip is strong as well.
What's in the case?
In the case you'll find 6 different types of filters.
UV filter - Ultra Violet filter. For protection and reducing ultra violet rays.
CPL filter - Polarising filter. Increase contrast and saturation as well reduces glares and reflections.
ND8 filter - 3 stop ND filter. Recommended for partly cloudy days.
ND16 filter - 4 stop ND filter. Recommended for midday sun.
ND32 filter - 5 stop ND filter. Recommended for bright sunny days.
ND64 filter - 6 stop ND filter. Recommended for very bright and sunny days/really harsh lighting.
Build Quality
The filters use AGC optical glass and the filter surface contains 28 layers of optical coating which has ultra high light transmission. The coating minimises reflections, flares and helps improve image quality. It is also water, scratch and smudge resistant.
The frame is made of aerospace-grade aluminium alloy and each filter only weighs 0.8g. The frames and glass feel really solid, I have full confidence that the filters will withstand whatever I can throw at them.
Real World Tests
Initially I thought I had been sent the wrong filters as I couldn't get it on the drone, turns out I just had to clip off the original cover on the drone before you apply the filter. An oversight for a drone novice such as myself. With a quick YouTube search, I figured out what I was doing wrong and then I was good to go.
UV Filter
With the UV filter, I couldn't really see much difference with the quality or saturation in the shots.
CPL filter
I loved how the blues are affected in this shot with the CPL. Such a lovely tone.
ND8 Filter
By reducing the light by 3 stops, the colours on the castle and the sky had a really nice tone straight out of the drone with no editing needed.
ND16 Filter
The light is reduced by 4 stops in this one due to the ND16 filter. Again, a lot more contrast and the horizon is much nicer in my opinion.
ND32 Filter
The harsh afternoon light was causing the drone to pick up some reflections on the bridge but it was nothing the ND32 Filter couldn't fix. See the results below.
ND64 Filter
The ND64 was able to slow down the shutter speed to recover some of the greens in the forest and grass as well as reduce the brightness on the viaduct and stones.
Conclusion
I'm blow away by the results I was able to achieve with the help of the K&F Concept Filter set. The lens didn't lower the quality but enhanced them beautifully. The one I found most useful for my day to day photograph was the CPL Polariser. I love how it takes away reflections on glass and water and how it adds just a nice amount of saturation to your shots. This filters will live in my camera bag for a long long time. I can't recommend them enough.
Again if you are interested in purchasing the filters for yourself:
Click HERE to go directly to K&F Concept's website.
Get a 5% discount with the code: ESKF05