subscribe 0330 333 1113 I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk I 7 March 2020 43
Therearesomenewproducts
thatareworthyof recognition
forhowwellthey’redesigned
andthePolarProSummit
LandscapeKitis definitelyone
of them.Withaluminiumframes
builtaroundeachfilterfor
fingerprint-freeinstallation,an
ultra-lightweightcore,superb
low-profile circularpolariserand
hassle-freeset-up,it’soneof
themostrefinedfiltersystems
we’veevertested.Theonlyreal
downsidestoit arethatyou
can’tuseexistingfilters,there
aren’tcurrentlyanymediumor
hardgraduatedNDfiltersand
it’sexpensive(around£535for
theLandscapekit)evenbefore
youfactorin shipping(£38),
dutiesandtaxesontop.If the
pricedoesn’tputyouoffand
you’reaftera long-lastingfilter
systemforyourlandscapework
that’llprovideexcellentservice,
PolarPro’sSummitFilterSystem
shouldbeonyourradarand
comeshighlyrecommended.Ve r d i c t
The Summit Core with the circular
polariser and rubber hood attachedSunrise at Bodiam Castle captured
using the ND64 and ND4-GR filters
supplied with the Landscape Kit
Canon EOS 5D Mark III, Canon EF 17-40mm f4 L
USM, 20sec at f/16, ISO 100the adapter lock. After screwing a
thread plate (better known as an
adapter ring) onto the front of the
lens, the adapter lip at the bottom
of the core engages and secures
via the adapter lock.
The great thing about the
adapter lock is that it can be
loosened to safely rotate the core
and your fi lters to the desired angle
before it’s tightened, while still
giving you the option to remove
the core instantly from the thread
plate by lifting the top section of
the lock upwards.In use
The kit comes with a thorough
installation guide and for anyone
who has used a professional fi lter
system before it only takes a
matter of minutes before you’re
fully accustomed to it. The main
thing to remember is that theneutral density (ND) slot is the one
closest to the lens, with the
gradient slot positioned ahead of
it. Try sliding a graduated fi lter into
the ND slot and you’ll quickly
realise it only goes so far. Dot
indicators located on the side of
the core help to distinguish which
is which and by keeping the
gradient lock tightened you’re
never at risk of slotting an ND fi lter
into the gradient slot by accident.
My real-world experience of
using the system outdoors on a
landscape shoot in freezing cold
winter conditions with winter
gloves revealed what a superb
system it is to use. The ND64
(6-stop) fi lter helped create long
exposures and iron out ripples on
water to enhance a refl ection and
I was impressed by both how
smoothly the fi lter frame drops
into the core and how easy it is to
pull out again while maintaining a
light-tight seal. No issues with light
leaks were experienced and colour
was faithfully represented with no
hint of any colour cast. The
ND4-GR fi lter was used in
Graduated filters have an end stop so there’s no risk of them ever falling out combination with the ND64 fi lter
and with its lifting tab being on the
opposite side it meant there was
no confl ict when removing one
fi lter before the other. Another
good thing about the Summit
Graduated ND fi lters is that they
have an end stop, which prevents
them being pushed all the way
through the fi lter slot and falling
out the other side. I found that you
can use the system with lenses as
wide as 16mm on a full-frame
camera without dark corners
appearing at the edge and this
was with the ND64 and ND4-GR
fi lters loaded and the
malleable rubber hood fi tted.Recommended