http://www.digitalcameraworld.com OCTOBER 2019 DIGITAL CAMERA^127Mini Test
Formatt Hitech
Firecrest Ultra 100mm
Hard Edge Grads
£212/$229
http://www.formatt-hitech.com
T
he unique feature of Firecrest Ultra
filters is that they have the tinted
coating in the centre of the filter,
sandwiched between two sheets of 1mm glass.
This is to enhance the scratch-resistance of the
filter, and it enables the glass to be lapped and
polished so it’s perfectly flat and clear. An added
benefit of having two bonded sheets of glass
rather than a single pane is greater rigidity.
This manufacturing process certainly pays
dividends when it comes to optical quality. Our
testing showed flawless image sharpness, density
accuracy and colour neutrality. The only downside
of sandwiching the filter coating inside the filter is
there’s no hydrophobic coating on the outside, so
water droplets don’t bead away – not great if
you’re shooting a seascape.
Firecrest Ultra ND grads are available in soft,
hard or reverse transitions, with the hard-edge
grads offered in 2- and 3-stop densities. While
other non-Ultra Firecrest filters can be had
in smaller size options, the Ultra range only
comes in 100 x 150mm guise, but this is
the ideal size for most users.
PROS Optically flawless; reverse-transition
option; good-quality holder available
CONS No water/oil resistance; only 2- or
3-stop density options; relatively pricey
Verdict
Lee 100mm
Neutral-Density
Grads – Hard
£84/$113
http://www.leefilters.comU
nusually in this group, Lee’s ND grads
are made from polycarbonate resin
rather than glass. Lee claims this makes
it easier to dye the tinted portion, resulting in a
more even density across the filter and greater
precision in controlling the transition line. Resin
is also said to have lower intrinsic reflectivity, so
there’s no need to apply an anti-reflective coating.
If there is any disadvantage with using resin
rather than glass when it comes to image quality,
we couldn’t find it. Lee’s grads maintain perfect
image sharpness and colour neutrality, although
our 2- and 4-stop sample filters produced visibly
different exposure brightness, despite adjusting
shutter speed appropriately for each filter. The
filters have a hydrophobic coating, although water
doesn’t bead away as well as on the Benro filters.
Where most manufacturers simply offer soft
or hard tint transitions, Lee’s grads come in soft,
medium, hard and extra-hard variants. The latter
is useful for a scene like a seascape, where the
horizon is perfectly straight and defined. Six
densities ranging from one to four stops are
available, and there’s a reverse ND range too.PROS Reasonably priced; excellent optical
quality; lots of transition optionsCONS Poor water and oil resistance;
Lee’s filter holder isn’t the bestVerdict
Marumi 100 x 150mm
Magnetic Hard
Graduated ND Filters
£200/$220
http://www.kenro.co.ukM
arumi’s filters stand out in this group
thanks to their magnetic filter frames.
When they’re combined with Marumi’s
Magnetic Filter Holder M100, the filters simply
press onto the holder and detach just as easily,
yet still hold securely when in use. The magnets
also make it a cinch to by slide the filter up and
down the holder to precisely align the ND’s
transition line to suit your composition. It’s
a very neat system.
The frame surrounds premium Schott B270
glass, coated on both sides for scratch, water,
oil and reflection resistance. We tested ND4
(two-stop) and ND16 (four-stop) hard grad filters,
with respectable results. Although the darker
ND came up slightly lighter than spec, other
aspects of image quality like sharpness and
colour neutrality were flawless. Marumi’s
water-repelling coating is also brilliant, beading
droplets as effectively as the Benro filter on test.
The Magnetic Filter System is exclusively
100mm wide, and you can choose from ND
grads with soft, hard or reverse transitions.
All come in 2-, 3- or 4-stop densities.PROS Top-notch optical and coating quality;
clever and useful magnetic attachmentCONS Relatively pricey; density
accuracy not quite as advertisedVerdict
Five things to
look out for1
We’re testing 100mm-
wide rectangular ND
grads, as they’re large
enough to tailor to
most compositions.2
A good neutral-density
filter shouldn’t
introduce noticeable
colour casts to the
final image.3
Too low a density and
bright sections may still
burn out, but restrict
too much light and
skies look heavy.4
Some filters are now
made from optical-
grade plastic, making
them lighter and more
shatter-resistant.5
Buying a filter system
opens up possibilities
for adding additional
filters like polarisers
or colour grads.