[Review&QnA] Breakthrough Photography 77mm X4 10-Stop Fixed ND Filter for Camera Lenses, Neutral Density Professional Photography Filter, MRC16, Schott B270 Glass, Nanotec, Ultra-Slim, Weather-Sealed
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[Review&QnA] Breakthrough Photography 77mm X4 10-Stop Fixed ND Filter for Camera Lenses, Neutral Density Professional Photography Filter, MRC16, Schott B270 Glass, Nanotec, Ultra-Slim, Weather-Sealed
About this item
- WORLDS SHARPEST AND MOST COLOR NEUTRAL ND: From the moment you pick up X4 nd filter you’ll immediately feel the craftsmanship and quality. X4 77mm nd filter maintains a very well controlled and flat transmission all the way throughout the visible spectrum and into IR, delivering the worlds most color neutral results.
- MRC16 OPTICAL COATING: 16 Layer Multi-Resistance Coated to significantly reduce lens flare and ghosting while making the filter Anti-Scratch, Reduce Reflection, Water Repellent, Increase Surface Durability, Oil & Dust Resistant. All these fantastic attributes are essential for working effectively outdoors. Our proprietary MRC coating is structurally harder than the glass itself and the reduced reflections improve the efficiency since less light is lost.
- NANOTEC: In addition to state-of-the-art MRC, our optical engineers developed new nano coating layer technology, called Nanotec, from the ground up to repel dirt, water and other elements by beading rather than absorbing and smearing. Set in our workhorse and built to withstand extreme wind, salt water, dust and other abrasive conditions and elements.
- FITMENT: Our X4 10stop nd filter is compatible with all 77mm camera lenses. Your lens thread size will be printed underneath your lens cap or written somewhere on the lens barrel. Make sure you order the correct size otherwise it will not fit your lens.
- 25 YEARS SUPPORT: This lens filter is guaranteed to be free from craftsmanship defects for 25 years. When you activate your 25 Year Ironclad Guarantee online we associate your X4 serial number to you, so any future discussions on this unique filter are tracked, issues recorded and all that stuff which goes into future product design.
Reviews
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Great product!
I'm a die-hard Hoya filter fan and have been forever so this purchase has been kind of a break from tradition for me. :) I recently purchased a couple new Sony lenses and needed new ND filters and a step-up adapter for them. After several days of research, some unhappy experiences with other brands and the inability to get Hoya filters in less than 3 weeks, I decided to give Breakthrough Photography a try.
Know up front that this is a 'Kickstarter' company. In general they have the wrong attitude about starting and running a company - business in general - and that doesn't usually lead to a company that will be around long term or be able to maintain production of quality products. If you expect to be able to buy more or replacements in five years, or that they won't be produced in some backwater of China out of defective plastic and used bubblegum, that's probably unrealistic.
On the other hand, I hope they're successful and stick around. The products I've used so far are of very good quality, well thought out and well built. When they say their Neutral Density filters are neutral, they're not kidding. I know some people don't care about color cast and some even use it to good effect, and, yes, I KNOW you can get rid of it in post, but I really, REALLY hate spending more time in post just because I couldn't be bothered to purchased a decent filter.
The other thing I really like about these filters is the clarity. I can't speak for whether these are good enough for professionals, but personally I can't tell the quality between images taken on a Sony a99MK2 with Zeiss glass with or without one of these ND filters (and I've really tried).
The other thing I really like - mostly because I'm old - is the serrations on the ring. They're easier to hold on to and much easier to install and remove than filters with the tiny micro grooves that pass for serrations.
Overall I'm very happy with the product. I don't know if they're good enough to convince me to stop buying Hoya filters all together, but I certainly don't regret buying these. :)
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Excellent quality filter
Excellent quality filter. Guaranteed warranty is fir 25 yrs after you register it. Easy and simple process.. company is very personable bc they send you an email after purchasing it for feedback. No companies these days can care less bout you. I am not a pro. In matter of fact, i shot these with a T6 and 10-18 stm lens. Dont feel bc you have a entry level camera, you cant achieve great results. Buying this product will just inspire you to take your photography to the next level if you are know how iso, aperture and shutter speed work. These were my first 3 shots with this filter and cant wait to shoot again. Some tips... 1.make sure you have a tripod bc you will be shooting long exposure photos. 2.Compose your shot before putting on the filter. 3. Cover the viewfinder when taking the shot. I used my finger. A piece of cloth or black electric tape will do if your willing to get that sticky stuff on ur camera. 4. Start at iso 100, f8 and and a shutter at 1/100 of a second. 5. Dont screw the filter on too tight. Even though this filter is said to not stick on like the other cheaper brands out there, u need to be delicate with your equipment. 6. Look online at videos on how to shoot. I purchased Breakthrough's 10 stop. Many photographers said its not needed. I went all out and do not regret it. 7.Make sure you buy your biggest lenses version. Breakthrough sells step-up rings, which you can screw on to your other lenses. Im not talking about the lens mm size. If you dont know it, its usually written on front of lens. For example My 50mm lens take a 49mm filter. I have a 49, 52, 58 and 67 mm. I purchases a 67 mm filter so i can use that same filter on smaller lenses with their step-up rings. Thats all people. Happy shooting!
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
A great product that is worth the price.
I had an opportunity to use this filter a couple of day ago while out and about taking images to get use to this new ND 10 filter. I can honestly say I was very pleased with the results. I was out during late morning to early noon. The filter worked as it was described. The build quality was excellent and there was no color cast in my images. I intentionally took images in sunlight to see how the filter would perform. I was pleased with the results. I do think the filter will perform better under more subdued lighting conditions,on overcast days in early morning or late afternoon when the sun begins to set. That is my next test for this filter. Again it takes time to adjust to a new piece of equipment and each photographer has his own methods. I was very impressed by the lens coating, which was far superior to my cheaper ND filters which do leave a color cast in the image. I was hesitant at first to shell out the $163.00 for this filter. I am use to purchasing less expensive gear but that expression we have all heard, “you get what you pay for,” holds true in this instance! I would highly recommend this product hands down. I would like to offer a suggestion to the manufacturer though..design an ND filter that is mated with a polarizing filter. I see the need for this in some of my images. I see glare in some of my images which I realize is due to the lighting conditions I was testing the filter under, as well as the amount of sky I included in the image. I will work on that issue in my adjustment process to this filter.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Ideal Tool for Slow Photography
Take a chair. Don't be in a hurry. These filters are meant for long-exposure photography. I previously dabbled in long exposure photography using cheap filters for a long time. They worked OK but I wanted something more solid and Pro-like for more serious photography. After considerable research I purchased their 6 and 10-stop filters for my two most used lenses; Sigma Contemporary 100-400@67mm and Canon 24-105L@77mm. Also bought their step down ring though I haven't tested it yet because I focused on my 24-105 lens.
Test Conditions: oceanside, tree lined river, waterfall, high wind, high humidity, hazy. Early, mid morning, noon, afternoon sun then sunset. Used exposure calculator. For fun, ignored exposure calculator. Used single 6/10 stop only then stacked to equal 16-stops. As expected, ideal light conditions were sunrise, sunset and tree-lined river-side/waterfalls.
Build: solid, have good grip, goes dark, and packaged like expensive jewelry.
Results: So far, so awesome. I did not observe color cast. Vignette only occurred at 24mm as expected. Both easily corrected in post. Method: Aperture Mode, focused, turned off IS and Autofocus, cover eyepiece, switch to Bulb Mode, shoot with remote switch, sit back and wait. Used histogram, ignored histogram. Both filters worked great for my needs. Sometimes I added back my other brand UV filter and Circular Polarizer for fun. This experience was a switch from my quick and go street photography. Long exposure photography is slow photography but ideally suited for me as I age. Am looking forward to improved skills with these filters.
Recommend: (User) Small bag to hold filters, cases, lens cap, cleaning cloth and step down ring.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Perfect for outdoor portrait photography. GREAT filter, no color distortion.
I did a ton of research before I bought this filter. It is truly amazing quality with almost no color distortion and what is there can be easily fixed in post. I use this for portrait photography when I want to shoot with with a wide open aperture in daylight, especially when back lighting with the sun. You do have to spend extra time lighting your subject because everything is darker including their faces of course. It is a must to use a reflector or flash to have good lighting (I always use these but it is especially important with the filter.) I will probably only buy breakthrough filters from now on.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Quality filters, grab these ones with a few step up rings for your various lenses, don't look back!
This is a top notch filter. It feels really well manufactured, picture quality is outstanding, I don't see any color cast. I haven't done any rigorous testing, but it seems almost spot on to the rated 6 stops, where some others might be within +/-1/3 of a stop. It's also nice that Graham, the founder of Breakthrough Photography sends you an email when you purchase a product, and you can respond to it with any questions and he'll email you right back. I noticed Breakthrough sells a square filter holder (similar to Lee) for significantly cheaper, and I sent him an email asking if they had a 105mm circular polarizer holder for it in the works (late in the evening Eastern time), and he responded almost immediately! I'm a rather novice photographer, but my Breakthrough Photography 6 stop ND filter is definitely helping me up my long exposure game!
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Very good results, a little more than 10-stops though
Overall I'm pleased with the performance of this filter. I've had cheaper 10-stop ND filters that frankly had quite a bit of color cast. This one does too, but if you take a white balance reading first and then use the filter, this can correct the color so it's quite accurate (use Auto white balance during capture). The filter is a bit more than 10-stops though (I calculated about 4/10ths to 1/2 stop stop more than 10-stops based on visual comparisons in Lightroom --- so your images may be under exposed by about 1/2 stop if you use the standard ND filter calculation, so adjust based on this IMO). I won't ding the rating because of this, as very few filters are actually a true 10-stop (some are under, some are over). But overall sharpness is very good and color is good (once it's corrected using a frame with a white-balance card and you correct for the extra 1/2 stop under exposure, the colors look very accurate).
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Excellent
I bought my filter during the Kickstarter campaign. Unlike so many other projects, Breakthrough Photography delivered their product on time and as expected. I have only had a chance to use my 6-stop ND once so far. However, I came away impressed. The filter screwed on and off(!) with ease. The threads are machined very well, as are the grooves around the frame. The black coating is even, and the gold laser engraving looks sharp (both literally and figuratively).
As for picture quality, I am amazed at the corner sharpness I'm getting from this filter. I had been using mid-grade filters (~$50 each) from Hoya and Tiffen, and these are a noticeable step up (not that a $50 filter is bad, but a discerning eye can notice the reduced sharpness). I would be hard pressed to notice any degradation in real-world sharpness when using this filter. Colors remained neutral in the scene I was shooting; I can't see any color difference between my shots with and without the filter.
Overall I am very impressed. I will be adding more of these to my kit in the future.
The attached picture is a 2-frame panorama from Great Falls Park near Washington DC. The 6-stop filter let me extend the exposure to blur the water. A sharp image across the individual frame results in a stitched panorama that is sharp everywhere; I am glad that I can now do panoramas like this without worrying about a sharpness-robbing ND filter.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
Close to perfect
I tested this filter on a sunny day by photographing an old steel railroad bridge over the Connecticut river. My gear included a tripod-mounted Nikon D750, 18-35mm zoom lens, and a remote shutter release. Importantly, I took several initial shots of the subject without the filter mounted for comparison purposes. Because of the amount of available light, the exposures were a maximum of 3 sec duration, which is not a particularly stringent test of an ND filter. Examining the resulting images compared to the unfiltered ones, I would say that the results were quite good. Very little color cast, if any. Obviously I can't yet say how the filter will perform in a darker environment requiring, say, a 30-sec exposure. But so far I am pleased with the result. As an aside, the materials of the filter are top-notch, and the knurled edge makes removal of the filter much easier than in the case of a smooth edge.
★★★★★
Verified Purchase
I just received my Breakthrough X4 ND 6 filter!
I just received my Breakthrough X4 ND 6 filter! From the packaging to the filter itself everything is Top Notch! And as many other photographers have mentioned, I love the easy grip edge of the filter. This makes it so much easier to hold to apply and remove. I am very pleased with the quality of my images, I see no noticeable color shift and the filter is very sharp. I spent hours researching filters and I am very happy I went with Breakthrough.
I am a new fan of Breakthrough. I look forward to using this filter further in Iceland in a couple of weeks!
Question & Answer
Question :
How big a difference between the X2 and X3/X4 version of the 6-stopper?
Answer :
Difference between X2ND and X4ND:
Color neutrality
Glass:
X2: Critically sharp H-K9L optical glass made in Japan
X4: SCHOTT Superwhite B270 optical glass made in Germany
Frame:
X2: Aluminum 3.5mm
X4: Brass 3.1mm
Coating:
X2: MRC8
X4: MRC16
Both have ultra-slim double-threaded Traction Frame and nanotec coating.
Question :
Is this a fixed ND filter or can it be adjusted to a various stop?
Answer :
They have a variable ND filter, this one however, is fixed
Question :
How many stops is recommended for a travel film maker?
Answer :
I recommend 3 stops for all things video.
Question :
Is it possible to stack a 10 stop ND filter with a 6stop ND filter? Screw two filters together so I can have a 16 ND? Thank you
Answer :
What filter do you recomended for a canon M50 lens 15-45mm and 18-55mm for a film maker?
Question :
Why no 55mm ND filters? You sell 52mm and 58mm.
Answer :
I'm pretty sure I saw 55mm step up rings... you can get whatever step up ring you need and then just buy the larger sized filter.
Question :
Do they have any 2 stop or 1 stop filters?
Answer :
Depending on the type of filter (CPL, ND, Dark CPL, etc.), our filters come in 3-stop, 6-stop, 10-stop and 15-stop.
Question :
Currently have other brand 10 stops. I have strange dark X pattern on the photo. Does this filter do it too?
Answer :
A question is your 10 stop a circular ND 10 stop filter- where you can turn it to create certain stops? If yes there is your problem. I bought a circular ND 10 stop for my 77mm and 72mm and was getting a huge x on it also. This filter is amazing !!!!! no x at all. Love it. I know it was $$$$ but worth it great quality. Love long exposures with this.
Question :
I have two lens (15-45mm) and (18-55mm) for a film maker. what size filter do you recomended for me.
Answer :
Lens filters are sized by the diameter of the lens, not the focal distance it covers. Usually this info is printed on the edge of the front element but if you look your lens up online at a photo store, the lens diameter should be listed in the description. It might be different for each lens in which case you might need 2 or purchase a kit with an adjustable filter holder.
Question :
do you sell an 88mm uv for a 500mm nikon lens?
Answer :
Sorry, we do not offer that size at this time.
Question :
What's the weight difference between an x2 nd64 and x4 nd64? are the x4's heavier because of the brass?
Answer :
The X2 appears to be a single piece polarizing glass and once screwed on the lens does not rotate. The X4 is a circular polarizer with two sheets of polarizing glass that rotate to vary the amount of polarization according to your need. Thus it has a thicker ring and is heavier. I don't know the weight of each. Suggest you check out their website at "https://breakthrough.photography".
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