Best filters for landscape photography

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Hello everyone, as many of you know I have been an Ambassador for Formatt-Hitech for 5 years. I left FH last March, for reasons that I'll obviously not share, and I have been looking for new filters to replace my FH kit since.

To do so, as I always do when I have to select my gear, I took the most thorough and "scientific" approach I could - so, I set off to do the most comprehensive filter review I could, and select my filters according to the results.

I contacted the biggest eight brands on the market producing glass filters, and I ended up with six brands to test. Here are my results, which I hope you'll find interesting:

https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2021/08/best-filters-for-landscape-photography.html

Enjoy the read, and if you have any questions, please feel free to ask. Best regards,

Vieri

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Thanks, Vieri.

[Rand47]

Thanks for the well thought out and executed review.   One additional parameter of interest for me, and I suspect for others, is the ease of use / workflow of the filter system “as a whole.”   Since several of the brands were reasonably close in terms of quality, how were they to use “as a system” in the field?  Did any of them stand out as the most functionally efficient, or even pleasurable to use?

Rand

[Alan Klein]

Thanks Vieri for your analysis.  Maybe you can help me.  I shoot 4x5 large format.  I have a Nikkor 90mm f4.5 lens.  It requires a 82mm filter.  However, I also have a Schneider IV center filter that mates with the Nikkor.  The center filter requires 105mm filters. Since I shoot BW and color, I use graduated ND, BW contrast like red and yellow, as well as polarizer filters.

What would you recommend for the 105mm center filter?  I can't put filters between the center filter and lens as it will cause vignetting.  They have to be  mounted on the outside of the Schneider center filter.

[Vieri Bottazzini]

Thanks, Vieri.

You are very welcome Slobodan, happy to help!

Thanks for the well thought out and executed review.   One additional parameter of interest for me, and I suspect for others, is the ease of use / workflow of the filter system “as a whole.”   Since several of the brands were reasonably close in terms of quality, how were they to use “as a system” in the field?  Did any of them stand out as the most functionally efficient, or even pleasurable to use?

Rand

Hey Rand, thank you very much, glad you found it interesting. About your question, as mentioned in the article there is another article dedicated to filter holders where I will analyse workflow and such. Coming soon!

Thanks Vieri for your analysis.  Maybe you can help me.  I shoot 4x5 large format.  I have a Nikkor 90mm f4.5 lens.  It requires a 82mm filter.  However, I also have a Schneider IV center filter that mates with the Nikkor.  The center filter requires 105mm filters. Since I shoot BW and color, I use graduated ND, BW contrast like red and yellow, as well as polarizer filters.

What would you recommend for the 105mm center filter?  I can't put filters between the center filter and lens as it will cause vignetting.  They have to be  mounted on the outside of the Schneider center filter.

Hey Alan, you are very welcome, glad to help. For your conundrum, I am afraid you would need to move up to a 150mm square filter system, no 100mm square filter system will do with a 105mm filter thread. Kase, NiSi, Wine Country Camera and Breakthrough offer 150mm systems, Kase and NiSi also offer even larger ones, in case 150mm wouldn't be enough (170mm and 180mm). Hope this helps!

Best regards,

Vieri

[sbay]

What's up with the enhanced polarizer from Nisi?

[Vieri Bottazzini]

What's up with the enhanced polarizer from Nisi?

Didn't fare too well in my review as far as colour neutrality, showing some clear blue cast. Best regards,

Vieri

[sbay]

Didn't fare too well in my review as far as colour neutrality, showing some clear blue cast. Best regards,

They market and price their enhanced polarizer as an upscale version compared to their regular polarizer which is more normal color cast. I'm not sure though what the "enhancements" get you. They have some marketing gobbledygook -- did you notice any performance differences beside the color cast?

[Vieri Bottazzini]

They market and price their enhanced polarizer as an upscale version compared to their regular polarizer which is more normal color cast. I'm not sure though what the "enhancements" get you. They have some marketing gobbledygook -- did you notice any performance differences beside the color cast?

As you can see in my article https://www.vieribottazzini.com/2021/08/best-filters-for-landscape-photography.html I only tested the Enhanced version, for neutrality and sharpness only, comaring it with other brands' polarisers only. I didn't jave a chance to compare it with the "regular" one so I couldn't say about the differences (if any) with the "regular" one. Best regards,

Vieri