K&F Concept Nano-X 2-in-1 Black Mist 1/4 and Variable ND2–ND32 Filter, 49 mm

Nano-X — Black Mist filter 49 mm, softens the highlights and takes off digital sharpness.

• 28 anti-reflective layers
• Variable ND2–ND32: turning the lever cuts 1 to 5 stops of light
• Screws onto a lens with a 49 mm thread.
• The surface repels water and grease and resists scratches

Black Mist scatters the light around bright areas — street lamps take on a gentle glow, blown highlights soften and skin loses its digital hardness. Contrast in the deep shadows drops a little, so the picture looks more filmic straight out of the camera. Unlike an effect added in post, the diffusion follows the actual light in the scene.

The surface repels water and grease, so drops run off and fingerprints wipe away without smears; the coating also stands up to cleaning in the field.

The filter combines two things that otherwise have to be stacked: Black Mist 1/4 diffusion and a variable ND from ND2 to ND32. That removes one piece of glass from the light path and with it the vignetting risk of two stacked filters. The range is set with a lever on the rim, so it can be changed with an eye at the finder.