K&F Concept Filter Review - Photography on the Isle of Skye
In September, K&F sent me two of their filters to review and they arrived just in time for a week-long trip to Scotland.
Where better to test out anything photography related than the mighty Isle of Skye?
Filters & Landscape Photography
I must admit I have become a little bit lazy when it comes to the use of filters for my landscape photography. Over the ten years I’ve been out photographing the landscape, I have gone through phases where I use filters and don’t. There have certainly been times lately where I look back on images and think they could have benefitted from using a CPL, or times out in the field where having the option to use an ND to experiment would have been welcome.
So when K&F asked if I’d like to test out some of their products I was keen to add a CPL & ND filter to my bag to have that option. Especially when heading to the Isle of Skye with its famous coastal locations and waterfalls.
Which Filters Would I Choose
The filters I used for this review were:
K&F XC15 77mm Circular Polarizers Filter 18 Layer Super Slim Multi-Coated CPL
K&F XV39 Variable ND8-ND128 Filter
K&F XC15 CPL Filter
If you are not sure on the general benefits of a Circular Polarizer (CPL) or Neutral Density filter (ND) then you will find a lot of information and examples on Google that I won’t repeat here. In short, I tend to use CPL filters when photographing water to reduce reflections, and sometimes on sunny hazy days to cut down on glare. I think ND filters offer a different creative avenue in landscape photography, they can be used to add a sense of movement the main example of this being to add a soft flowing effect to running water, but they can also add interesting movement to cloudy skies.
So I chose these filters to give me those creative options. I went for a super slim CPL because I would be using a wide-angle lens and wanted to avoid as much vignetting as possible due to the filter being in the frame. I chose the variable ND filter as I didn’t want to be changing filters too often (one of the things that put me off using them). The variable ND from ND8-128 is equivalent to 3-7 stops of light being blocked from the sensor. I tend to think of that in F-Stop terms to get an idea of the difference, so 3 stops would be like going from F2 to f5.6 and 7 stops like going from F2 to F22. That range is plenty of enough to have an impact on overcast days, and overcast days are what Scotland is all about.
In The Field Filter Review
My approach for this review is to try and keep it simple, how I like to try and keep my photography. I am not concerned with very fine margins, I’m more interested in the end result and not being held back by the equipment I am using.
In the case of filters that mainly means, are they easy to use and can you get the final image you hoped for? You don’t want an image with a colour cast that you can’t easily overcome in post-processing, you want minimal vignetting again that can easily be dealt with in post-processing, but it doesn’t mean you need absolute true-to-life clarity in the field. It also means having a durable set of filters, easy to thread on the lens, and well protected in a case that can be thrown around a full backpack and stays closed. I have had issues in the past with the cases not staying closed and filters falling out my pocket, once into the water and gone forever.
Time to head out on location……….
The Elgol Test
We arrived at Elgol after a long 9-hour drive and just in time for sunset. Elgol is a well-known landscape photography location, mostly due to its view across to the Black Cuillin mountain range. I love the feel of the place. Quiet, remote, exposed and definitely has the feeling of being away from it all, despite there usually being a few other photographers around. The perfect place to photograph open water as it crashes into the jagged rocks and to test out the ND filter to help smooth the motion of the waves.
Here’s my example before frame, taken at F8; 1/30th sec with no filters on the lens and no post-processing beyond levelling the frame. You can see there wasn’t much light to work with, the sun stayed distant behind the clouds.
The result after adding the K&F Variable ND Filter at ND64 setting resulting in ISO 100; F8; 6 sec exposure.
Here is the final edited image, bringing out the best of the distant sunset and helping to focus on the texture of the rocks contrasting with the smooth water. I am really pleased with the sharpness of the foreground and ultimately it’s an image that wouldn’t be possible without the ND filter to smooth the water. The edits are fairly subtle, I’m not completely sure on the crop, but I wanted to cut out some of the skies as there was nothing really happening there.
The Fairy Pools Test
Waterfalls, dramatic black mountains & overcast skies. The Fairy Pools are a popular destination for all the tourist and tripods that visit the Isle of Skye. It’s for good reason though as it’s certainly a landscape that looks like it was formed to be photographed, so where better to test out a combination of CPL & ND filter.
Even if you aren’t familiar with the Fairy Pools there is a very good chance you have seen a photo of it, if you haven’t well you are about to.
First up, the scene before any filters or edits applied. Shot at F9 1/60th second. It was an overcast day but still fairly bright with the sun threatening to, but never quite breaking through. A fantastic location and setting. I was perched on a couple of rocks in the middle of the water here, mostly making sure not to get distracted and send the tripod flying.
Now the scene un-edited but with the CPL filter applied and the ND filter threaded into the CPL filter. Always an important detail to check that your filters can be threaded into each other to allow stacking them. Shot at F11 with a 4 second exposure.
The final frame. A heavier edit on this photo to bring out some contrast and drama in the landscape despite the flat conditions. Again it’s a photo that wouldn’t be possible without the ND filter, and again the K&F filters did a great job in front of the lens.
In Conclusion
The K&F filters performed a great job for this trip. Filters for landscape photography are a tool that should allow you to bring a creative vision to reality, and these K&F filters did just that. On overcast days they allowed me to still create something with a sense of drama and movement. Editing the images I didn’t notice any issues in terms of colour cast or vignette and very happy with the final edited images.
I was also impressed by the cases and packaging they arrived in. The circular plastic cases (photo below) are sturdy and easy to open/close. The little rubber ridges in the CPL case are a great idea that means if you have a few different size filters you can swap them in and out the same case, which has been a pain in the past.
K&F CPL Filter Case
K&F Variable ND Filter Case
If you are looking to try these filters for yourself, then you can use the discount codes below and save 10%
Amazon links and code:
ND2-ND128: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07R9446HQ
CPL: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07H3R76ZW
10%OFF Code: 9X5HUGAC
K&F Concept links and code:
ND2-ND128: https://bit.ly/2Hu877r
CPL: https://bit.ly/2TCzsr3
10% OFF Code: KF10US
If you have any questions on these filters or using filters generally, then email me dan@danscape.co
All images in this series were shot on the Panasonic Lumix S1R with Canon 16-35 F4 lens.
