KASEIS ATTEMPTINGTO TAKETHE
fr eedomof its sturdy,superboptical
qualitydrop-inNDsandbringit to the
sc rew-in world – with magnets.
Near-identical to traditional screw-in
filters, these have one key difference – their
magnetism! After attaching the adapter
ring – available in 77mm and 82mm sizes- to the front of a lens, the rest of the filters
simply click into place. It removes the risk
of accidentally refocusing by knocking
the focus ring – a common problem when
using screw-in filters.
The kit itself comes with 3, 6 and
10-stop ND filters, a circular polarising filter
and a magnetic lens cap to keep optics
clean. These are made from the same
colour neutral, toughened Pro HD Optical
Glass as other Kase filters, and so they’re
scratch resistant, as well as being water
anddust repellent.They’reincredibly
lig htweight,andthinnerthantheaverage
fil ter– sincetheydon’trequirea screw
th read – while still feeling sturdy in use.
In terms of performance, Kase has
climbed to the top of our ND list for its
excellent optical clarity and neutral colour
performance, and happily, these are no
exception. We found each filter performed
to the highest quality. If there was one
negative to be found, it would be having to
sa crifice ND grads, which would’ve come
in handy to negate the directional sun light
on our shoot.
The kit cost may seem a hefty outlay
for beginners, but for the quality these
filters offer and produce, we’d consider it
a worthy investment. kasefilters.comKase Wolverine
Magnetic Filters
Pro Kit £280
FILTERS
bove & left Kase’s magnetic filters are easy
use and virtually colour neutral.PRACTICALPHOTOGRAPHY.COM 137
MINI TESTS
SanDisk Extreme
PRO SSD £145Master of memory
SanDisk’s
portable SSD
comes in three
st orage sizes- 500GB, 1TB
and 2TB. We’re
re viewing the
500 GB model,
which weighs
le ss than a
bar of soap,
yet manages
re ad speeds
up to 1050MB/s
using USB-C,the
proprietary NVMetechnology.It
has a forgedaluminiumbodyand
silicone casing to offer impact,
water and dust resistance in
accordance with an IP55 rating - a must for pro photographers
on the go. westerndigital.com
RucPac Hardcase
Backpack
Conversion £70
When fitted, these
straps can
be usedto
tu rn a hard
suitcaseinto
a backpack,
as long as
th e casehas
appropriately
placed
handles.
The system
is quickand
easy to attach,
securingthetop
loop throughthe
case’s handlebeforeattachingit
to the Velcro underside. There
are two further buckle straps for
extra security, and two shoulder
straps, which do a great job
of distributing the weight
comfortably and evenly. If you
use hard cases on location, or
spend time travelling, this will
allow you to turn a suitcase into
a camera bag. rucpac.comLENS
Thisf/1.8optichitsquitethehome-runforthe
sy stem.It keepsto thelightweightpremise
oftheNikonZ, andoffersbreathtaking
sharpness.Theconstructionis gearedmoretowards
portability – featuring 12 elements in eight groups,
wi th two ED (Extra-low Dispersion) elements and
Nano Crystal Coating, it weighs a very reasonable470g.
Although you may expect an f/1.4 to be more
desirable, Nikon’s construction definitely delivers
pr emium results. The image quality is exceptionallysharp,
ev en wide open, with centre and corners impressing
in equal measure. Distortion, flare and ghostingarevery
well controlled, as is chromatic aberration, which is almost
impossible to detect. The nine rounded diaphragm blades
create creamy bokeh in the out-of-focus areas, and make
subject separation a piece of cake. This lens achieves
true excellence in every shot.
nikon.co.ukAbove Nikon’s
latest Z lens is
an essential
optic every Z
mount user
should own.Nikon Z 85mmf/1.8 S £709 HIG H LY
R ATED