Last year I bought the NiSi V6 Advanced Filter Kit. Along with filter holder and main adapter, it comes with the following filters:

• “Landscape” circular polarizer
• 3-stop neutral density filter
• 6-stop neutral density filter
• 10-stop neutral density filter
• 3-stop graduated neutral density filter
• 3-stop reverse neutral density filter
• Natural Night filter (to reduce light pollution in night photography)

The kit also includes stepping rings to adapt the main adapter to different lenses, a bulb air blower, and lens cleaner.

NiSi Nano Coated IR Neutral Density Filters are considered to be industry standard. And their price reflect that standard. Made from high definition optical glass, they feature double sided Nano Coating technology. The “IR” (infra-red) part of the equation reduces colour-shift towards red.

Optical glass filters are superior to resin filters in almost every respect, especially when it comes to light transmission and image quality … and isn’t that what we’re usually trying to achieve with our photography?

<rant>There are photographers (and people with opinions on social media) who, vehemently opposed to protective filters, demand to know “Why would you buy an expensive lens only to slap a cheap filter on it?”

Well, you don’t.

Whether we’re talking a “skylight” filter, used to protect the front element of a lens, or the filters we’re examining here, the idea is to use an expensive, high quality filter.  The anti-filter brigade, presumably, never use ND or polarizing filters either. </rant>

Since I have 2 Nikon Z6 cameras — as backup and second camera for video — I also need 2 filter systems. Why?

If, say, we choose a frame rate of 24-frames-per-second  (to mimic traditional “cinematic” look with motion blur of fast-moving objects), and we follow the 360 degree rule to double our shutter speed = 1/48th sec. (or nearest option), and we want to maintain a relatively wide aperture setting on the lens to isolate subjects, then we need to limit the amount of light entering the lens by other means, to avoid overexposure.

That means if I want to record two camera angles in bright sun, it follows that I need two neutral density filter systems.

Last week, I ordered a second NiSi filter holder, 4-stop ND filter, and main 82mm adapter. I didn’t spring for a second polarizer. I have a good quality Nikon CPL, so, I wondered, how it might stack up against the Nisi?

“Stack up” is the right way to look at it, since adapting the 77mm thread to the Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.8S lens’s 62mm filter thread, then back to the Nisi adapter’s 82mm thread required 2 step-rings. It’s a contraption I’ll likely avoid.

As the video illustrates, the Nikon filter likely does not filter out infra-red, at least not to the degree that the NiSi filter does. Hence, the red cast we see with that filter in place and another reason to leave the Nikon in the bag, unless I’m prepared to tackle significant colour correction in post production.