Introduction
K&F Concept was founded in 2011 and strives to offer a good balance between quality and price. The company specializes in the design, research, manufacturing, and marketing of photographic accessories. At the present time, the company is selling products in multiple countries, as an official retailer and through Amazon.
Official product link:
https://www.kentfaith.com/lens-filters/SKU.1808
Packaging and accessories
The Square Filter System Pro is packaged in a cardboard box. The design of this packaging uses a black and orange color combination with a front panel opening. The front side has a diagram of the components of the filter kit. The diagram has a glossy texture which contrasts with the matte texture of the background.
The back side of the box has the warranty information and the model number of the product.
The protection offered by this packaging is great, with a soft foam tray installed inside the box. This foam tray will protect the filter kit and the included leather pouch from impacts and scratches.
Accessories
The product comes with the following accessories:
– 1x User manual
– 1x Filter holder
– 1x 95mm CPL
– 1x ND1000
– 1x Soft GND8
– 4x Adapter Rings (67mm/72mm/77mm/82mm)
– 1x Leather Filter Bag
Specifications
Series: X-PRO series
Model: SKU.1808
Color: Black
Materials: Aluminum, Glass
Function: Light Reduction Effect/Remove Glare
Mounting system: Dedicated Holder
Filter materials: Japanese AGC Glass
Multi-Coating: 28 layers
Waterproof: Yes
Scratch Resistant: Yes
Filters included:
– ND1000 filter (10-Stop),
– Soft GND8 Filter,
– 95mm CPL filter.
Warranty: 1 years
Features:
– Install and remove the filter quickly;
– Import Japanese AGC Glass;
– Filter Holder;
– 28 multi-layer coatings with double side polishing technology;
Visual inspection
The X-PRO series filter kit includes a total of three filters and four different ring adapters for the camera lens thread. The included filters are: 95mm CPL filter (round), ND1000 filter (10-Stop), Soft GND8 Filter. The last two filters are both square and can be used at the same time as the CPL round filter.
The CPL filter (or circular polarizer/linear filter) has a size of 95mm and will install at the back of the filter holder. This filter blocks the polarized light and thus, all reflections that are visible.
The ND or Neutral-density filters will reduce the amount of light that enters the lens and hits the camera sensor. The level of light being blocked by the filter is described as “F-Stops”, the higher the “F-Stop” number, the more light the filter blocks. The filter included in this kit is an ND1000, which means that it will block 10 F-Stops of light. This type of filter is ideal for long exposure photos.
The last filter included in this kit is a Soft GND8 filter. This filter is an ND filter but only half of its surface has the ND functionality. These types of filters are great to use for landscape photography as it can block certain overexposed parts of the image without darkening the entire frame. For example, using this filter, you can darken the sky while keeping the rest of the photo at the desired exposure.
The included four adapter rings are regular step up and step-down filter rings. These will adapt one thread size for another and allow the usage of different filters on different camera lenses. The sizes included with this filter kit are: 67mm/72mm/77mm/82mm.
Testing
Installing the CPL filter inside the holder is simple. You open the holder, place the filter in its slot, then close the holder over the filter.
The orange wheel installed on the side of holder is in direct contact with the CPL filter. This way, you can rotate the CPL filter smoothly and without shaking the camera or the lens.
Below we have identical photo subjects with and without the filters installed. Each filter has a different effect.
Without CPL Filter
With CPL Filter
Soft GND8 Transition
Final thoughts
The Square Filter System Pro is available in different versions, each with different filters included in the package. Fortunately, each filter and the filter holder are available as individual products. The filter kit used in this review can be bought for 270 USD.
With such a price tag, the filter kit is not cheap, however, it does deliver a lot of value when you look closer at it. The leather pouch is well made and can withstand a lot of usage. The same can be said for the filter holder which is made from solid metal. The filters are good quality as they are part of the same range of filters as the rest of the K&F filters.
The best feature of this filter kit is the convenience it offers. With the filter holder, you can use up to three different filters at the same time, one of them being a rotating polarizer filter. This can lead up to some great photos and videos.
The only drawback of this kit is the inclusion of adapter rings that are not that small. In fact, the smallest ring will fit on a 67mm filter thread on a lens. However, 67mm is not small enough for many lenses, especially for 50mm and 135mm lenses, vintage and modern. K&F should include adapters that will work with 52 or at least 57mm lens threads to make the user experience better.
In conclusion, the K&F Square Filter System Pro is as great filter kit that is not cheap, but offers a good value when looking at the included products. The filter can easily be expanded to contain all the filters you want. In addition, the performance of the filters is good and the build quality is great.
