Why you may belief TechRadar
We spend hours testing each services or products we assessment, so that you may be certain you are shopping for the most effective. Find out more about how we test.
NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL: two-minute assessment
In the case of sq. filter holders, they’re absolutely all the identical, aren’t they? By way of fundamental design, they’re, however construct high quality, performance and worth are one other matter. For me, the NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL is among the greatest skilled 100mm filter holders accessible, with a formidable efficiency that belies its enticing worth.
100mm filter holders are sometimes used with lenses as vast as 15mm full-frame (or 10mm for APS-C). For lenses wider than this, you’ll want to maneuver as much as a cumbersome and painfully costly 150mm sq. filter system.
150mm filters are additionally so massive that they merely look ridiculous, and I’ve chuckled watching different photographers on location with me wrestle with their window pane-sized filters. However I digress.
The benefit of the Nisi V7 equipment, like many 100mm filter holders, is that you need to use as much as three sq. filters without delay alongside a polarising filter. So, that’s ND graduated filters, ND filters, colour correction filters and particular results filters. Are three slots overkill? Undoubtedly not – I usually require all three slots when capturing in difficult lighting situations whereas controlling publicity occasions.
One factor that I like concerning the NiSi V7 equipment is that you just get 4 adaptor rings, which suggests you need to use the holder with 4 filter thread sizes immediately. These embrace 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, plus the primary ring which has an 82mm thread. This covers the overwhelming majority of panorama pictures lenses, plus you can even purchase adaptor rings for different sizes individually for those who want them. For instance, I personal a 62mm ring that enables me to make use of sq. filters with my macro lens.
Picture 1 of 3
The V7 filter holder isn’t actually appropriate for smaller lenses with smaller filter threads, say within the 39mm to 67mm vary. For instance, I personal some small Fujifilm prime lenses, plus some Micro 4 Thirds lenses, for which the NiSi M75 II with True Shade NC CPL is a greater match. The draw back with this smaller holder solely is that it solely has two filter slots alongside the rear-mounted polarizing filter, relatively than three.
Construct high quality of the V7 equipment is superb and the general design within reason compact. The holder is a CNC-machined single block of matte black coated aeronautical aluminum, with three plastic filter holder slots screwed onto the entrance. The polarizing filter screws into the primary ring, locking in place at round a 10-degree flip, whereas the holder clips onto the primary ring and may be locked in place to keep away from detachment of the 2 components.
The primary ring can also be an 82mm adaptor ring, and is hooked up to the smaller adaptor rings when a smaller thread than 82mm is required. Virtually talking, these are greatest hooked up to the lens earlier than the holder is hooked up. The polarizer may be rotated utilizing a few small dials on the rear of the primary ring. You may also use any 100mm sq. filters with this holder.
The benefit of the rear positioning of the polarizing filter is that the filter holder doesn’t vignette with lenses as vast as 15mm. NiSi even says that the Nikon Z 14-30mm f/4S doesn’t vignette at 14mm, though I have not tried that lens with the holder. The rival LEE Filters LEE100 Polarizer mounts on the entrance, thereby making a vignette with extremely wide-angle lenses – which means Nisi has the benefit on this regard.
In contrast to low-cost polarizers, the equipped True Shade NC CPL additionally produces clear photographs with no colour casts at totally different rotations, which is precisely what you need.
Picture 1 of 4
In my expertise, some filter holders can be too tight, making it laborious to fit filters out and in, to the purpose that this will danger unintended injury.
The V7, fortunately, offers simply the correct quantity of resistance that filters are safe, however they’re simple sufficient to fit out and in of the holder when it’s hooked up to the entrance of your lenses.
The draw back to a system like this, nevertheless, is {that a} set of filters and the holder take up house in your equipment bag and might weigh greater than different forms of filters.
As magnetic and stackable filters are rising in recognition, you might be questioning what place there’s for bigger, heavier and dearer sq. filters. The straightforward reply is ND grads. With sq. filters, you may get every part as proper as doable in-camera, together with the sky publicity.
With magnetic filters, the worth you pay isn’t any ND grads, so whilst you get a polariser, NDs and different forms of filters relying on the equipment, it’s important to shoot HDR to keep up sky element. That naturally means it’s important to take extra pictures and spend extra time on the laptop modifying. For me, sq. filters stay the optimum choice for panorama pictures.
NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL: key specs
|
Filter slots |
Three |
|
Adaptor rings |
67, 72, 77, 82mm |
|
Polarizing filter |
True Shade NC CPL |
|
Case included |
Sure |
|
Lens cap |
Sure |
NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL worth and availability
The NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL prices $259 / £199 / AU$389, which is an unimaginable worth contemplating what’s included within the equipment: a Filter Holder for 3 100mm filters and a CPL, an 82mm foremost ring with polarizing adjustment, a True Shade NC CPL (detachable), three adapter rings (67/72/77), a mushy case and a V7 Lens Cap.
To supply a degree of reference, the LEE Filters LEE100 Polarizer filter alone prices as a lot because the NiSi V7 equipment.
There are V7 kits accessible that additionally embrace a number of filters and supply wonderful worth for cash in comparison with buying individually. The NiSi Starter Equipment – V7 – 100mm Filters prices $499 / £345 / AU$849 and consists of a lot of the above, a couple of further equipment, a 3-stop medium GND and a 10-stop ND filter.
When you already personal 100mm filters and would merely like a brand new filter holder, the NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL is ideal for you. When you’re getting began with 100mm filters, I’d suggest the NiSi Starter Equipment – V7 – 100mm Filters or one of many different kits that include filters, as a result of you’ll lower your expenses and have a number of filters to make use of from the get-go.
NiSi sq. filters themselves are costly. They’re optically implausible and made from high-quality optical glass, however anticipate to pay within the area of $245 / £95 /AU$279 per filter. The glass used is a lot better than conventional resin sq. filters in some ways, however they do price extra.
Ought to I purchase the NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL?
Purchase it if…
Do not buy it if…
How I examined the NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL
- Lengthy-term take a look at
- Examined with quite a lot of lenses
- Used for panorama, cityscape and astrophotography
I’ve examined the NiSi V7 with True Shade NC CPL over a few years, with a variety of various NiSi filters in numerous combos, for topics together with panorama, cityscape and astrophotography.
As my go-to filter holder, I’ve additionally used it with a variety of lenses, together with zooms and primes, ranging between 16mm and 200mm on a full-frame digital camera.
With almost 30 years of photographic expertise and 17 years working as a pictures journalist, I’ve used lots of the cameras and lenses which were launched in that point. As a working photographer, I purpose to check cameras, lenses and equipment from a photographer’s viewpoint.
First reviewed July 2025