K&F CONCEPT Variable ND Filter ND2-32

For any videographer, a good Variable Neutral Density (VND) filter is one of the most essential tools you can own. It allows you to maintain a cinematic shutter speed in bright daylight while shooting at a wide aperture. K&F CONCEPT sent me their 82mm Nano-X True Colour Variable ND Filter (ND2-32), and it has quickly become a permanent fixture on my main lens.

The purpose of a VND is to reduce the amount of light entering the lens, essentially acting like sunglasses for your camera. This K&F CONCEPT filter offers 1 to 5 stops of light reduction, promising to do so without the dreaded colour cast that plagues many other filters. Here's how it performed.

Features

This filter is packed with premium features that make it stand out. These are the ones that matter most to me:

True Colour Technology
Versatile 1-5 Stop Range
Excellent Build Quality & Coatings
User-Friendly Design

TRUE COLOUR TECHNOLOGY

One of the biggest problems with many variable ND filters is that they introduce a noticeable colour cast—often a yellow or magenta tint—to your footage, which can be a headache to fix in post-production. K&F CONCEPT's "True Colour" technology uses a coating on the glass specifically to prevent this. It aims to reproduce the natural colours of your scene with high fidelity.

VERSATILE 1-5 STOP RANGE

This filter provides a light reduction range of ND2 to ND32, which translates to 1 to 5 stops. For me, this is the perfect sweet spot for versatility. It covers everything from a slightly overcast day to bright, direct sunlight. I can easily go from shooting indoors to outdoors without ever needing to remove the filter. This range allows me to keep my shutter speed locked at 1/50th of a second for smooth, cinematic motion blur in almost any daytime situation. Plus, there is no "X-effect" or dark cross pattern, even at the maximum setting.

EXCELLENT BUILD QUALITY & COATINGS

The filter is made from high-quality Japanese optical glass and features 28 layers of nano-coating on both sides. This makes it waterproof, oil-resistant, and scratch-resistant, which is fantastic for shooting outdoors where conditions can be unpredictable. The coatings also do a great job of reducing reflections and flare. The frame itself is made of metal and has a CNC trapezoidal pattern, which provides a really good grip for screwing it on and off your lens.

USER-FRIENDLY DESIGN

A small but brilliant feature is the orange adjustment handle. This little lever makes it incredibly easy to smoothly change the density while you're filming. You can make subtle adjustments on the fly without fumbling with the filter ring, which is a huge advantage for run-and-gun videography. The filter also comes with a nice padded pouch for safe storage and transport.

A NOTE ON COLOUR

While K&F CONCEPT markets this as a "True Colour" filter, and it is exceptionally good for its price, I did notice a very slight green colour cast at stronger densities. However, I want to be clear: this is extremely minor. It's a world away from the strong, ugly colour shifts I've seen on other filters. The slight green tint is very consistent and is incredibly easy to correct with a simple white balance tweak in post-production. It's not a dealbreaker by any means and the overall colour fidelity is impressive.

CONCLUSION

The K&F CONCEPT Nano-X Variable ND filter is an outstanding piece of gear that offers incredible value. The 1-5 stop range is extremely versatile and covers the needs of most videographers shooting in daylight. The build quality is top-notch, and thoughtful features like the adjustment handle and high-quality coatings make it a joy to use.

While there's a very slight, easily correctable green tint, the colour performance is excellent overall and far surpasses other filters in this price range. If you're a filmmaker or hybrid shooter looking for a high-quality, reliable, and user-friendly VND filter without breaking the bank, I can wholeheartedly recommend this one.

K&F CONCEPT 82mm Nano-X True Colour Variable ND Filter (ND2-32):

Amazon: https://bit.ly/3Tva6Kz (use promo code DEJORAN10 for 5% off)

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