Nisi V7 Filter system with True Colour CPL and the Variable ND Filter
Review by Suzannah Mary Photography of the V7 Filter Holder system
At last I have a filter holder system! I have been looking to get a filter system for sometime. As some as you know, I am a photographer who likes to focus on being in the field rather than reviewing kit. However there are some things which are essential which will hugely improve your photography and open up doors you previously wouldn't be able to open if you didn’t have the right gear. For the last two years I have been shooting predominantly without a CPL and wasn’t using any of my filters as I had broke them all (along with my CPL). NISI got in touch and sent me their latest V7 100m Filter System to review and here is my verdict. It is a photography game changer.
Why am I doing this article?
Trust me, the before and after photos speak for themselves. But in addition to this NISI have sent me this equipment to review and feature in my Youtube videos which is a paid promotion. It may seem this article is bias as its a paid review, however I would only have products on my channel and website which I stand by and feel are good quality, useful and relevant. Trust me I have had other review requests and I have turned them down as I didn’t feel their products were of a certain standard or were not relevant or useful to others. NISI reached out after seeing one of my recent videos and saw I was missing some vital kit. After my video release in December, a few people recommended some filter brands to me and I was between four leading companies. NISI was one of the companies I was looking to invest with, to my surprise they got in touch the week after seeing my video and offered to work with me. It felt like fate!
My favourite features:
The holder:
The filter holder allows the use of up to three square filters and a circular polarising filter at the same time without any vignetting at 15mm on full frame (bonus!) I quite like that you can hold so many filters in one holder, my previous holder was limiting as I could only hold a limited amount of filters and to add more you had to add an attachment which made it rather difficult to use. I am a firm believer that if things are easy, it can make your attitude towards something more positive. If the kit does what you need it to with minimal effort then you are more likely to use it. This also holds true to photography in general as it is a creative interest, the less barriers you have with your kit the more likely you are to use it.
The cover:
I love the NISI CPL cover that comes with the CPL. This makes moving between locations so much easier and chops down kit preparation time hugely. I can pack down my camera and leave the polariser on with the protector cap and then move to the next location. Usually this is never far from the last so having a cover I can easily add and remove certainly helps with the flow of my photography set up.
The True Colour CPL:
The True Color NC CPL offers two main advantages compared to other polarisers, this is from their website for those of you who like the facts:
Unique polarising film, with declared polarisation of 99.5%
Prevents the yellow color cast introduced from most CPLs (others often have a blue cast)
External Nano Coating (NC) treatment, water-repellent and oleophobic for simple and precise cleaning
Whats my verdict? The colour saturation is another level, what you see in the landscape is exactly what you get on the camera. The CPL removes glare and reflections, in my recent video below you can see the before and after of how a CPL can transform your images, especially with forest photography. I now look back at my recent work and wish I could retake them with this CPL! If there is one thing I do regret is not getting one of these sooner. Here is an example of what I mean below, the images speak volumes.
Forest Photography with the NISI V7 Filter System
To finish, if you haven’t got a filter holder system or your are looking to invest in a new kit which has amazing true colour polarisation then the new V7 is the kit to invest in. I wish I had done this much earlier and certainly have a lot of making up to do due to the lack of a good CPL filter kit over the last few years but I am super grateful that I have the opportunity to grow going forwards and hopefully take some wonderful photos using this system. Below is one of the videos I have made on my Youtube channel which features the use of the new NISI V7 filter system. Thanks for reading and happy shooting.
The NISI Variable ND Filter
NISI have kindly also sent me their True Colour ND-VARIO 1-5 stops. This ND filter makes photography so much easier on the go. It means that you don’t have to chop and change with filter holders or different bits of glass as it has everything in one. It even comes with a helpful cover to put over the front so you can keep the ND filter on your lease whilst moving between locations.
So what is it used for?
This ND filter is used for in the field control of your exposure so you can do more long exposure photography with ease. It reduces your stops so you have greater exposure flexibility. I find this is the perfect tool for seascape photography where you are looking to achieve that dreamy ethereal photograph.
The specifications?
Reduce exposure 1 to 5 Stops
True Color film added to the optical glass for high color fidelity without the “X effect”
High-ultra Clarity optical glass, with Nano coating and it’s water repellent
Anti-reflective
99% colour accuracy
If your looking for something to help make photography in those cold dark months more exciting, try some new kit and experiment with long exposure where you don’t need to have epic sun light. You can instead create some dreamy intimate photography of the seaside using equipment which allows you to control your exposure with ease. Below is the video for how the above photograph was taken and a more in depth review of me using both items in a small seaside town called Lynton, ‘Valley of The Rocks’.