Nisi True Color vs PolarPro vs Freewell | Ultimate Variable ND Filter Battle

In this week's video I share my experience in using the PolarPro filters. I share my frustrations and the results I found from comparing PolarPro vs. Nisi vs Freewell VND filters at 16 mm.
My Gear:
Sony a7iv - amzn.to/3nMcrkg
Sony 16-35mm GM - amzn.to/3yR24SN
Sony Mic - shorturl.at/ekSX5
Freewell ND Filters - amzn.to/3bmq3zL
00:00 Intro Skit
00:50 The Big 3
01:35 Why I Bought All Three
03:25 Why I Bought The Freewell's Filters
03:54 Why I Bought The Nisi Filters
04:38 Why I Will Never Use PolarPro ND Again
06:02 Nisi True Color ND Unboxing
07:46 Color Shift & Vignette Comparison
08:16 Let's Analyze the Footage!
10:30 What Are Your Thoughts?
DISCLAIMER: PolarPro is a great company and I love most of their product. Just not happy with this 2-5 ND filter and I think they could have done better considering the price. 😊

[@luisedtr07]

Have you had similar issues as well?

[@Jonny2won]

I have been having a lot of issues with the freewell 6-9 at 8-9. It looks awful

[@luisedtr07]

@@Jonny2won yup!

[@s.s.productions]

I have a HOYA vario ND 3-400 which has a disgusting green tint, acts also like an unintentional mist filter and at 20mm it produces awful vignetting in one of the diagonals of the image. I didn't notice it before on a 50 and 100mm. My reaction to seeing the nearly unsalvageable footage from the 20mm was very similar to yours. I was reminded of what Chris from peta pixel said about the CAF of the Olympus PEN_F "It's a piece of sh*t t*rd". That what I think about my HOYA VND 3-400.

[@looseaxles]

Dude. This is the best content I’ve seen in ages. Love it. Thanks for helping us creators figure out what the heck we are doing haha!

[@luisedtr07]

lol thanks man, means a lot 😅

[@restorationspineandwellnes5889]

Solid video Luis! I hope your channel takes off! Great production and info.

[@luisedtr07]

Much appreciated!

[@andrewhayward9428]

Thank you Mr. Trevino. This is very helpful to me. Your presentation is great. Thank you.

[@WGNTAidan]

I wasn't expecting the F bomb at the beginning on a camera review channel, subbed just for that

[@luisedtr07]

Lol 😂 thanks!

[@WGNTAidan]

@@luisedtr07 great comparison btw! Have just bought the full Nisi filter system for my S5ii. You can stack mist and CPL filters on top of the VND which is sick!

[@iComplainer]

If one falls for the marketing of the polar pros it's on them. reviews show the color cast in demo footage and then the reviewer will be like _these are great, so buttery, so clutch! etc etc._ the images speak for themselves.

[@HR-wd6cw]

Most filters will vignette on wide(r) angle lenses, like a 16mm. My "rule of thumb" is that I try to avoid NDs and CPLs if possible, if I'm shooting wider than about 18-20mm. Usually after about 20mm the vignette is gone (not visible). This is just something you have to be aware of when using on wide angle lenses, so usually if I find myself using my UWA, I try to crop in (zoom in) if I can to still get a "wide shot" but not one that vignettes really bad, or I don't zoom in, and just crop the corners or edges in post, OR I try to fix the vignette in post (in some cases, it's possible and not terribly hard).

[@DTUFINOPhotography]

Picking up the 77mm Nisi.

[@joaoramos32]

Awesome value. Thank you

[@patlealfilm]

Love the intro... immediate fan

[@michelenardo1221]

Hi! great video, quick question. with the freewells, did you find that like at telephoto lenghts the image loses quality or remains the same? i have some other filters and i'm looking for a solution thanks!

[@brunoserrano3156]

Hey there 👋🏻 can I record in s-log3 using a cpl filter? Or it ruin something if a use a LUT next?

[@chipcurry]

I had bad veneering with a Tiffin VND filter. Never could find out what had caused it. So I bought a non-variable ND filter. Problem in a way, but it is too difficult to put the filter on and take it back off. So I think the only solution is to get some magnetic non-variable filters. What do you think?

[@Arkadiusz4321]

Nisi is very good I think, but only in extended version with swift system, I got just the nisi and it's noy even enough to shot f2.8 at cloudy day, addictional 4 stops extenstion is a must :)

[@Oli-tu9nl]

Hey Luis, At 10:06 the right window with Nisi 1 Stop looks really greenish.. And then with 5 Stops it is normal again. Had this issue several times when shooting cars. The Windows gehts some rally bad green/yellow colors and I can't fix it in post! Do you you know why it's becoming like this? And did other guys had this issue too? Any solutions? Solved with fixed ND?

[@cadre_creative]

I'm 8 months late, but it might be helpful for others. Since every variable ND filter is basically two polarisers stacked together, sometimes that causes some funkiness on transparent objects. One way to solve this issue would be to unscrew the filter a little bit. Even though you might risk damaging the filter by dropping it, sometimes it's worth it to save the shot.

[@pingbookent]

Compare ND in "SUNLIGHT" vs no ND in "SHADE (no sunlight)" ? Color temperature is different.

[@piperski_blavor]

but the time of testing it is not the same... there is no sun on the fence :)

[@lukastemberger]

It's literally the worst environment to test in. Not sure what he's doing :P

[@sharp_focus]

You should've done the Nisi test one more time with the sun like the other 2 filters to have a better comparison. When you shot with Nisi, it was overcast. Overall, Nisi still looks the best, but having the same lihting would be more fair.

[@patlealfilm]

yea, the color temps were vastly different with the sun hitting... this would've worked well if you filmed everything you needed from each filter within 5-10 mins, with 15 second shots between different filters... but good job regardless, I'm going to look at those nisi's. The freewell k2 pros don't have as much color shift as the original freewell variable nds, but Freewell saids the optic quality is the same, but it isn't*

[@AwakeTours]

thanks a lot. had same prob with polar pro thanku

[@luisedtr07]

For sure! Glad you found it useful

[@hejlsberg]

Hey, great video! May I ask if you tested the Nisi filter on a wide angle lens and if so how did it perform in terms of any vignetting please?

[@luisedtr07]

Thanks! I tested 16mm on the video. That’s the widest I own and I thought it performed well.

[@hejlsberg]

@@luisedtr07 Thanks a lot! I thought you might have tested it with even wider lens. It was certainly good with 16mm.

[@DigiDriftZone]

How does the FreeWell V2 Magnetic compare?

[@luisedtr07]

Not sure haven’t used them

[@NoHassle911]

I have the Polar Pro, and the problem i have is that when you shoot something that's reflecting, like a monitor or in my case a car. Then you have this mega yellow glow over the whole vehicle. It seems no one is talking about that. I use the FX3 with the 24-70 G ii lens. Anybody here with the same problem?

[@wfoxlegendsr2293]

Just had an entire client shoot ruined for the exact same reason, shooting the new WRX line of Subaru's and every single piece of footage was ruined by the same ugly yellow/green color shift around the entire car. No amount of color grading could fix it. 82mm signature II 2-5 with 24,35,50,85 prime lenses. Emailed Polar Pro and they basically said it was how all VND work with reflections lmao I call BS

[@NoHassle911]

@@wfoxlegendsr2293 o god! Bin their. I also have like 4 projects like that, including the new 911 GT3RS which is all yellow. I now use a Tiffen VND. No hard stops and it works not as good as the Polar one, but the colors are just perfect. No yellow glow whatsoever. Just shot a new VW ID in the sun, and it looks great. Good luck with the footage!

[@wfoxlegendsr2293]

@@NoHassle911 Good to hear! and I appreciate it, been looking into Nisi's True color 1-5 stop VND but who knows if it will have the same issue or not

[@alvarohernandez2764]

You might be able to just rotate the dark spots away from the corners into the top or bottom. The sensor crops those parts out anyways. Maybe that's what's causing the variations in the 1st place

You can’t turn the filter more because when you attach it to the lens, you tighten it to not to fall. So yes there isn’t any space to turn more. And if you turn the filter itself you change the filter stop. So the answer is no

[@AwakeTours]

my polar pro was beautiful some times but for use outside it was muddy and green and dark and brown and not cool at all

[@brendonleerogers1794]

Well picking up some nisis now 🤑

[@luisedtr07]

hell yea man.. looking forward to their 6-9 version.

[@DigiDriftZone]

I contacted NISI and asked them what filter they recommend for a Viltrox 16mm F1.8, they said to get the 95mm one with a step up ring. This seems far too large, but I opted to go for the 82mm despite the filter thread being 77mm - it seems getting a large filter is not only good for your wallet, being able to step up all your other lenses to it, but also for image quality.

[@mrwashur1991]

I mean the reality is that these are measured in mm, I thought the same thing too when I bought a cpl for my 200-600mm which is 95mm. I pulled it out and it’s barely larger than my simmod 77mm vnd when compared side by side.

[@ActuallyGoose]

One thing I'll add is that going for a larger filter, and having a smaller thread on your lens you will have less vignetting. At least that's my experience as my largest lens tops out at 72mm and having a 95mm filter I find the quality works much better than my older (same brand just had it for way longer before I learned about step up rings)

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@ActuallyGoose Yes, exactly and even the manufacturer says to go 2 sizes up if you want to use lenses wider than 20mm.

[@kqschwarz]

I have had the same kind of problems with the PMK VND filter. The change in color cast when changing the ND is astounding. I found this problem made the filters unusable.

[@Cal_Creativefylms]

wait, but did it fit the matte box tho?

[@luisedtr07]

The Nisi did work on the Mattebox :)

[@Wednesdayswithjae]

Are you getting any vignetting with the matte box adapter plus nisi vnd on top?

[@luisedtr07]

At 16mm?.. let me know which focal range you want me to test. If I stack a mist filter and the nd I do get a vignette for sure.

[@Wednesdayswithjae]

@@luisedtr07 at 24mm. I have the same matte box and when I stack the black pro mist, the matte box adapter then the Nisi vnd I get some crazy vignetting and ghosting on the corners. I have a sigma 24-70 on my fx3. Even just using the Nisi vnd on the lens by itself at 5 stops, there’s some uneven darkness on the corners. I love how the Nisi vnd has the least color cast but I think the design to use it with other filters is very limited. I’m thinking of switching to freewell. But from your video it looks like it’s doing the same thing.

[@luisedtr07]

@@Wednesdayswithjae I’ll double check but for sure the Nisi is the best out there. That said I wanted to try the tilta mirage Matte box with the motor 1-9 vnd and see how that performed.

[@luisedtr07]

@@Wednesdayswithjae Yup. So with matte box, mist filter, and nisi nd there is a pretty bad vignette at the corners at 24mm. It's not until I get to around 28mm that the vignetting disappears. Without the mist filter though I can see a bit of a vignette but I think it's usable.

[@Wednesdayswithjae]

@@luisedtr07 Smallrig came out with the vnd matte box as well, maybe a video comparing the two?? I’m driving down to Nisi’s main office in LA to figure out if I got a bad copy or not. Maybe I need to step it up to 95mm

[@celaldoor]

thanks

[@ekphotography]

Watched 100's of videos, Hands down the NISI wins, I am just deciding whether to get their Screw on filter or their C5 Matte box system. Probably will have to get both since the Matte Box will be hard to balance on a gimbal. Peter is so over rated by the way...

[@ATvisual]

I have the same Freewell system. When putting on my Sony 1635 PZ lens, it vignettes just like the Polor Pro when I'm using 16mm to shoot.

[@luisedtr07]

I found that out after the comparison.. so sad 😭

[@JR-cp9mb]

@@luisedtr07 What is the widest it can go without the vignettes on Freewell?

[@mrwashur1991]

This is normal behavior for filters. NISI just focused on wide angle lenses. I don’t really see the need for a vnd on a ultra wide angle lens anyways. Just stop down the aperture. They don’t have a shallow depth of field anyways..

[@patlealfilm]

that's because you're shooting full wide*

[@user-jp9js9th8o]

well done... thank you! as often - some gear is sold only by marketing Blabla.. so we are getting the clear infos, unbiased and neutral. 👍👍👍

[@LegShowMagazine]

Haida 2-in-1 is a good choice against vignetting.

[@jamskof]

that vignette was coming into shot because you had image stabilisation on and the i.s. is using the very corners of the sensor in order to stabilise your shot. this is not the filter people that are at fault. you chose the filter size and lens, not them

[@SPM2206]

first you compared half in the sun and half in the shade - also you have diff filters at diff angles of polarisation - that is causing the dark spots in the corners - vari NDs are two polars working together - so u need to make sure they are at the same angle of polarisation? you would have to lose the filter a tad and make sure the angle of polarisation is the same on all 3 filters - but it shows why vari NDs are not perfect - Peter McKinnon has been good but yeah last stop is unusable - Nisi seems decent for the price

[@DigiDriftZone]

What about K&F?

[@McMurphy13]

😂

[@DigiDriftZone]

@@McMurphy13 That's a no then :)

[@vicentjack235]

so which one it better？ nisi？

[@luisedtr07]

Nisi 100%

[@naqinaqi2418]

Nisi is the best

[@mrwashur1991]

16mm sucks for filters. I can’t really say you can blame polar pro for that. I don’t like them for their price. Also I got a cpl from them and I hate it. It doesn’t screw onto my 200-600 well at all, and it’s resistance when turning just unscrews it and it falls off. It screws on in like 1/50th of a turn. Also the polarization effect is pretty weak. I bought one for $60 that cuts reflected light much better. What you’re seeing with your 16mm lenses is the “x” that can show from overturning a vnd (ones without hard stops) these filters may have hard stops but on a ultra wide lens it’s going to exaggerate the effect. Especially if the manufacturer didn’t build it with ultra wide lenses in mine. You have to remember that the vast majority of ultra wide lenses don’t even accept front filters due to their lens curvature. Just saying it probably wasn’t a large market especially since wide angle lenses can just be stopped down with their aperture since they don’t really give a shallow depth of field anyways.

[@festinalente-]

😂

[@leonardsmith82]

With the Canon R5, shooting 4Khq in clog 3, my filter is never variable. Also, I wouldn't use the mist to be honest. For me, ill do that in post. As for VND, I kind of tossed those out. I feel it's best to use the ND number for the scene with the CP. Polar pro is what I stick with. Summit kit for photos and ND/CP filters for video..

[@luisedtr07]

Yea normal NDs will definitely be the best choice.

[@HR-wd6cw]

While fixed-stop ND filters are best, if you are keeping the variation low (like 1-4 stops maybe) you can get away with a high-quality VND, although I don't personally use them. It's when you start cranking them up to 5-6-7+ stops that the VNDs (especially cheap ones) can start to fall apart from an image quality standpoint. Personally, for me, it's not worth the savings to destroy an image. If I need a certain amount of reduced light, I tend to pick the closest fixed ND filter I have, and adjust accordingly (increase ISO slightly if I have to to speed up the shutter if needed if say I need a 3-stop but only have a 4-stop with me). Not ideal but far better than VNDs IMO.

[@user-zj4eq1yi7i]

Comparing color shift using an overcast shot vs. a direct sun shot is straightup incompetent. Any young filmmakers watching these barely-amateur filmmakers giving reviews of whatever: please take anything they say/show with a grain of salt. Literally 85% of them make experienced pros cringe.

[@mylucksmiles]

Sadly it's not just filters that are not worth the money paid for using brand names. I have purchased endless tripods and camera bags.Just lately l have noticed problems with manfrotto tripod head mount. The rotary part froze In the middle of a shoot..... Luckily I was able to get the spare out...phew.Saddly KZbin once a good source of information can't be trusted as such . So you have my sympathy. Hoya has been stable as a filter provider.... But it appears that it's still the luck of the draw regardless of whatever named brands arrived in the post. I have purchased a tripod from Vanguard and it really does the job. I then purchased a camera backpack from them as well .... So I have solved those issues for now. Filters however have been more difficult . Being the UK weather can be very unpredictable so winter months badlight and contrast requires filters. Most of the time I go walkabout so I don't know what I am going to find but I can mostly return for 90 percent of the time but lighting is one of the keys to great photos. Therefore a good filter can last for years and out live some camera bodies and lenses. This is why I am constantly viewing you tude. I use Nikon ( no fan boys replies please).I like my z8..... However the things I stick on it and lug it around in are all Part of the everyday experience of photography. My purchases of new filters are the moment they leave me wondering if we should be calling out these manufacturers not praising them in the hope of sponsorships. Hope you have more luck next time👍

[@golfhubstore2745]

Dude your lightning is terrible !!!

[@luisedtr07]

Lol😂 u think so!?

[@golfhubstore2745]

@@luisedtr07 No man was being sarcastic ...thats great cinematic feel dude...

[@HonestFred]

I wouldn't say it's terrible but I would say it's a little off.