Admission.

Photo filters are one of the most popular and most frequently purchased accessories among photographers, especially landscape painters. Polarizing, gray, half or effect filters are present in almost every backpack or bag of an experienced photographer. Despite the fact that currently produced cameras offer more and more possibilities and record ever higher tonal ranges, they still have their limitations. In landscape photography, it is still very difficult to register the correct, balanced exposure in conditions where part of the frame is much brighter than the rest. A typical example of such a situation is a landscape with a bright sky and a much darker foreground, for example remaining in the shadow. The most classic way to master a scene with such a wide tonal range is to use half gray filters. In addition, in landscape photography very useful are also polarizing filters that eliminate reflections, add contrast and saturation, and full gray extending the exposure. Of course, you can also use various post-production techniques, such as DRI, HDR or BRAKETING, and thus "replace" filters at the stage of photo processing. Nevertheless, the effective application of processing techniques requires additional knowledge, skills, time and experience, and the results are not always satisfactory and such as with the use of filters.
Over the last few years, I have tested several systems from different manufacturers under real conditions - from "no name" filters, Cokin, Hi-Tech, Lee, NiSi and Benro, and it would seem that everything has already been invented and in fact the systems differ between themselves nuances. The market, however, does not like emptiness and producers are constantly competing in new, interesting and functional solutions that facilitate work with filters. Recently, I have received a completely new product from Kase, i.e. the fully magnetic Kase Armor system in the Entry Kit 100mm. How did it perform in real conditions and what does the new Kase product offer?

I invite you to read ...

Kase Armor

The new Kase Armor filter system, which has recently been available on the market, is on the one hand a well-known and available for some time now solution, based on a magnetic system. However, the Armor system goes a step further, because it is a solution that combines the possibility of using both square and round magnetic filters, and most importantly, a magnetic holder is also a holder that allows you to attach the filters. Thanks to this, the entire set of holder + round filter + half filter can be installed in a few seconds. There is no cumbersome screwing, locking, inserting individual elements - you just put it on and you can use the filters. In my opinion, such a solution encourages the use of filters, because it is simply even easier, pleasant, fast and most importantly - very safe. It is worth referring to the name of the system, i.e. Armor / Armor - the solution is based on special magnetic, which is important, metal frames, which are attached to 100x1500 or 100x100 filters. Thanks to this, we provide protection of the corners and the entire filter, at the same time we get the full functionality of magnetic filters. Currently, there is a 100mm system available on the market in various equipment configurations, which easily works with full frame lenses from 14 mm (without a convex lens, eg Nikkor 14-30mm f / 4) up without vignetting. The Kase Armor system allows the simultaneous use of a polarizing filter, a circular gray filter and two half or effect filters in special magnetic frames. which we attach to filters 100x1500 or 100x100. Thanks to this, we provide protection of the corners and the entire filter, at the same time we get the full functionality of magnetic filters. Currently, there is a 100mm system available on the market in various equipment configurations, which easily works with full frame lenses from 14 mm (without a convex lens, eg Nikkor 14-30mm f / 4) up without vignetting. The Kase Armor system allows the simultaneous use of a polarizing filter, a circular gray filter and two half or effect filters in special magnetic frames. which we attach to filters 100x1500 or 100x100. Thanks to this, we provide protection of the corners and the entire filter, at the same time we get the full functionality of magnetic filters. Currently, there is a 100mm system available on the market in various equipment configurations, which easily works with full frame lenses from 14 mm (without a convex lens, eg Nikkor 14-30mm f / 4) up without vignetting. The Kase Armor system allows the simultaneous use of a polarizing filter, a circular gray filter and two half or effect filters in special magnetic frames. which easily works with full frame lenses from 14 mm (without a convex lens, eg Nikkor 14-30mm f / 4) up without vignetting. The Kase Armor system allows the simultaneous use of a polarizing filter, a circular gray filter and two half or effect filters in special magnetic frames. which easily works with full frame lenses from 14 mm (without a convex lens, eg Nikkor 14-30mm f / 4) up without vignetting. The Kase Armor system allows the simultaneous use of a polarizing filter, a circular gray filter and two half or effect filters in special magnetic frames.

Personally, I use the Kase Armor Entry Kit which includes:

• magnetic holder enabling the filters to be mounted in the 100mm system

• two magnetic clamping rings: 77-95 mm and 82-95 mm

• two reductions for the mounting ring: 67-77mm and 72-82mm

• 95mm magnetic circular polarizing filter - Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser

• Magnetic Circular Gray Filter ND64 95mm - Kase Armor Circular ND64

• half filter with a soft passage 0.9 150x100mm - Kase Wolverine Soft Graduated Filter

• magnetic filter frame - Armor 150x100mmx2mm

• plastic lens cover

• filter cleaning cloth

• screwdriver

• case

Complete Kase Armor Entry Kit 100mm
Retaining ring - polarizing filter - holder - gray filter - half filter

Kase Holder

Kase in the Armor 100mm system, as I mentioned before, used a fully magnetic aluminum holder. In my opinion, it is a revolutionary solution that allows you to mount the holder with filters on the lens very quickly and easily. The making of the holder is perfect, all elements are perfectly matched, have legible markings, and the key elements are marked with red paint. The holder is durable, and thanks to the use of aluminum, it is also light. It has been designed to allow the simultaneous use of as many as two round filters mounted on both sides of the holder, i.e. one at the front, the other at the back and two plate filters in the format 150x100mm or 100x100mm placed in special frames. How does it work in practice?

We screw a mounting ring on the lens, which we can have permanently mounted on the lens. Then we simply bring the holder closer to the ring, and it automatically clicks into place, while automatically securing itself with a special locking mechanism. It is an extremely fast, convenient and very safe solution. You practically do not have to control anything and you put the holder on, and he is already there. The magnetic system is very strong, there is no possibility that, for example, a strong wind or even hitting the hand will cause the holder to fall. A strong magnet + a security system in the form of a lock that must be unlocked to remove the holder makes the connection very strong and safe. To facilitate the use of magnetic round filters, the holder on both sides has been equipped with special grooves, allowing for easy removal of filters. This is a very important element, because the magnets are really strong and create a strong connection with the mounted filters. The holder also has a rack that allows you to rotate the polarizing filter mounted on the inside of the holder. Thanks to this simple solution, we can change the intensity of the polarizing filter without having to turn the holder or disassemble the entire set of holder + filters. Importantly, the filter rotates very smoothly, and setting the polarity in a precise way is very simple. Despite the fact that the connection of the holderm plate filters is very strong, on the other side of the holder there is an additional protection for the mounted plate filters. It is a mechanism that additionally protects rectangular filters, pressing the plates to the holder. Holder Kase has an innovative, very interesting and functional system for moving filters in the holder. As standard, the filter slides in special slots located along the entire length of the holder. This is often very tedious and in many cases requires the use of a lot of force. The cash register, thanks to the use of special magnetic frames, could resign from slots located along the entire length of the holder, the slot is only 1 cm long and is actually used to make the filter "click" into the right place by itself. You don't need to use force to move the half-filter up and down. The filter moves smoothly with a very slight resistance, at the same time it is a completely safe and strong connection. Due to the fact that the filters are mounted in special frames, we can move the filters without touching the glass surface. Additionally, they gain protection,

When using the filters, we do not have to touch their surface - we just grab the frame, not the filter itself. This makes the filters easier to keep clean, it also helps to avoid fingerprints on the filters and prevents other dirt from forming. The holder is a key element of the set, and in my opinion, the use of a magnetic mount is a bull's eye. Having mounting rings permanently attached to the lenses, I really need a few seconds to mount the holder and filters. Honestly, I didn't think it could be so fast and secure to mount the entire kit. The Kase Armor kit encourages frequent use of filters, and the speed of assembly and disassembly means that you will definitely not miss the fantastic shots!

Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser polarizing filter

A bit of theory - a polarizing filter transmits light with a specific polarization, e.g. linear or circular, in a selected direction, absorbing some of the scattered light from the atmosphere. In a friendlier way, this polarization effect is best seen in landscape photography, particularly in the sky. The blue of the sky becomes darker, the clouds are more contrasting while remaining white. The second, very desirable effect that can be obtained is the leveling or complete elimination of reflections arising on water and any glass surfaces reflecting light. An additional, very desirable effect is also the enhancement of the saturation of colors and contrast on elements that do not allow visible light to pass through. A very important factor influencing the obtained results when using a polarizing filter is the position of the lens towards the sun. The effect of the filter is strongest when the sun is at an angle of 90 degrees to the photographed scene, for the other angles the effect of the filter is weaker. In addition, the advantage of a circular polarizing filter is the ability to adjust the filter operation by appropriate "twisting" it, ie increasing or decreasing the polarization. Importantly, the effect of the filter can be observed directly in the viewfinder and, if necessary, correct it before taking the photo. It is worth remembering that the filter, depending on the polarization set, absorbs some of the light, so the exposure time will be slightly longer, i.e. from 1EV to 2EV for the remaining angles, the filter effect is weaker. In addition, the advantage of a circular polarizing filter is the ability to adjust the filter operation by appropriate "twisting" it, ie increasing or decreasing the polarization. Importantly, the effect of the filter can be observed directly in the viewfinder and, if necessary, correct it before taking the photo. It is worth remembering that the filter, depending on the polarization set, absorbs some of the light, so the exposure time will be slightly longer, i.e. from 1EV to 2EV for the remaining angles, the filter effect is weaker. In addition, the advantage of a circular polarizing filter is the ability to adjust the filter operation by appropriate "twisting" it, ie increasing or decreasing the polarization. Importantly, the effect of the filter can be observed directly in the viewfinder and, if necessary, correct it before taking the photo. It is worth remembering that the filter, depending on the polarization set, absorbs some of the light, so the exposure time will be slightly longer, i.e. from 1EV to 2EV the effect of the filter can be observed directly in the viewfinder and, if necessary, correct it before taking the photo. It is worth remembering that the filter, depending on the polarization set, absorbs some of the light, so the exposure time will be slightly longer, i.e. from 1EV to 2EV the effect of the filter can be observed directly in the viewfinder and, if necessary, correct it before taking the photo. It is worth remembering that the filter, depending on the polarization set, absorbs some of the light, so the exposure time will be slightly longer, i.e. from 1EV to 2EV

The Kase Armor Entry Kit comes with a 95mm Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser magnetic circular polarizing filter. As the name suggests, it is a magnetic filter, has no thread, therefore it is compatible with a holder or Kase magnetic adapters. Thanks to this, the weight and thickness of the filter have been reduced, which, combined with the holderm and additional filters, makes the whole set free from vignetting and is more compact.

The Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser filter has the following features:

• magnetic fast, precise and safe assembly

• Pro HD tempered glass

• Nano coatings

• scratch resistance

• easy to clean

• it repels water and dust

• complete lack of discoloration

Gray filter - Kase Armor Circular ND64

A bit of theory - the principle of the gray filter is very simple, it reduces the amount of light transmitted through the lens that reaches the photosensitive element of the camera (matrix, negative) without interfering with the colors and appearance of the photo. The use of a filter allows you to extend the exposure, which gives you the opportunity to obtain interesting, creative, and sometimes even surprising effects. Thanks to the use of a gray filter and the extension of the exposure time, we can record, for example, the movement of clouds in the sky, emphasize the dynamics of flowing water, obtain a shallow depth of field or photograph a solar eclipse. The use of a gray filter will add dynamics and make the photos catch the viewer's eyes, the water will have a delicate, velvety, eye-pleasing structure. The most important parameter of gray filters is their density, which is denoted by the symbol ND. Density tells you how much light a filter can cut off. The higher the ND value, the denser the filter is and the more light it absorbs.

The Kase Armor Entry Kit comes with a gray 95mm Kase Magnetic Circular ND64 magnetic circular filter. Similarly to the polarization filter, the gray filter is magnetic, has exactly the same design and features identical, i.e. it has no thread and is compatible with a holder or Kase magnetic adapters.

The gray Kase Magnetic Circular ND64 filter has the following features:

• magnetic fast, precise and safe assembly

• the round structure completely eliminates the so-called light leaks

• completely neutral

• no discoloration

• no loss of sharpness

• Pro HD tempered glass

• Nano coatings

• scratch resistance

• easy to clean

• it repels water and dust

Half-gray filters - Kase Wolverine Soft Graduated 0.9 - 150x100mm

A bit of theory - the principle of the half-gray filter is almost identical to that of the full-gray filter. The difference is that the half filter, as the name suggests, reduces on half of its surface the amount of light transmitted through the lens that reaches the photosensitive element of the camera (matrix, negative) without interfering with the color scheme. Thanks to the use of a half-gray filter, we can easily balance an exposure with a large tonal range. Put simply, the half-filter can be used wherever there are large differences between the light and dark parts of the photographed scene. A typical application is for landscapes with a bright sky and a much darker foreground / mi. Without the filter, correctly registering the scene will result in overexposing the lights / sky, be an underexposure of the foreground / shadows. Thanks to the use of a half filter, we are able to easily balance the difference between the dark and light parts of the photographed scene, while preventing the light from being burned out and the dark parts of the photos being exposed. Unlike full gray filters, half filters have two important parameters, i.e. the density and the type of gradation, i.e. transition. Similar to ND filters, the density tells you how much light a filter can cut off, and the gradation indicates what kind of transition there is between the non-transmissive surface and the natural part of the filter. while preventing the light and dark parts from being burned out. Unlike full gray filters, half filters have two important parameters, i.e. the density and the type of gradation, i.e. transition. Similar to ND filters, the density tells you how much light a filter can cut off, and the gradation indicates what kind of transition there is between the non-transmissive surface and the natural part of the filter. while preventing the light and dark parts from being burned out. Unlike full gray filters, half filters have two important parameters, i.e. the density and the type of gradation, i.e. transition. Similar to ND filters, the density tells you how much light a filter can cut off, and the gradation indicates what kind of transition there is between the non-transmissive surface and the natural part of the filter.

Kase Wolverine Soft Graduated 0.9 - 150x100mm gray half filter has the following features:

• magnetic fast, precise and safe assembly in a dedicated frame

• completely neutral

• no discoloration

• no loss of sharpness

• Pro HD tempered glass

• Nano coatings

• scratch resistance

• easy to clean

• it repels water and dust

Case

The Kase Armor Entry Kit together with the holderm, filters and accessories also includes a dedicated cover. It is very well made, the interior is reinforced and at the same time finished with a soft and delicate material that protects the contents. The cover has as many as six compartments: three for 100x150mm filters in Armor magnetic frames, two for round Armor 95mm magnetic filters or 100x100mm filters, and one larger, which houses the Armor system holder. The cover is fastened with Velcro, has a detachable shoulder strap and a special handle for mounting on the tripod leg. In addition, the compartments have special transparent tabs on which we can mark which filter is in the more compact compartment, which greatly facilitates the organization and quick access to the appropriate filter.

Summary

Over the last several years, I have had the pleasure of using filters from almost all leading manufacturers on the market. Different systems and different solutions are almost always based on the same principles. These solutions simply work and it would seem that nothing innovative is simply impossible to come up with. By introducing the magnetic holder system and the combination of magnetic round filters with rectangular filters placed in frames, Kase took another step forward. Many manufacturers offer magnetic filters, but it is Kase that gives the user the entire system based on magnetic solutions. The speed, precision and safety of the assembly of individual elements of the set means that you do not have to worry about missing any shots, and the use of filters is pure pleasure.

The magnetic system works perfectly in real conditions, it is very safe and very fast. The quality of the filters themselves is great, they do not introduce any coloring, they do not change the color of the photographed scene, even when combining several together. The colors are natural, the image is sharp, contrasting, there is no loss of quality, there is also no problem with vignetting. Thanks to the metal frame, the filters gain additional protection against damage or nicks, and the Pro HD tempered glass technology and Nano coatings make the filters hard to scratch and very easy to keep clean. I am impressed with how easy and quick I can use Kase filters, I don't have to screw or unscrew anything. I just pull the complete kit out of the bag I put it on the adapter and the same one clicks into place. The whole process takes literally seconds and I'm ready to shoot. Magnetic filters integrate with the holder exactly where they belong, you don't need to control anything, screw in, insert or put on anything. Kase, giving the user the Armor set, makes shooting even more enjoyable, and the photographer eagerly reaches for the filters.

A few sample photos taken with the filters of the Kase Armor Landcape Kit

Kase Armor - Kase Armor Circular ND64

Kase Armor - Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser + Wolverine Soft Graduated 0.9

Kase Armor - Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser + Wolverine Soft Graduated 0.9 + Circular ND64

Kase Armor - Kase Magnetic Circular Polariser

Kase Armor - Kase Armor Circular ND64