62mm Black Diffusion Filter 1/4 Black-Mist Soft Glow Diffuser Lens Filters

K&F contacted me to test the new Black Mist filter.
It is a filter designed for videos and to give a "vintage" touch to the final result.
In short: beautiful result even for photography. It is a useful filter for portraits or for landscape or storytelling reportage. You do not lose sharpness and you get a much less "shot" light that also expands in the shaded area.
It is a filter to be used in photography with large apertures and which "tells" an atmosphere.

But let's start from the beginning.
Packaging / handling: In addition to the plastic box, the filter is inserted in a very resistant and protective snap-on case. The filter is screw-type (rightly because it was created for videomakers and in any case up to a diameter of 82). I would have preferred a cardboard box. But the case that you can see in the photo (the round one) is very useful and sturdy. The filter is resistant and fits well to all the lenses to which I have mounted it.

Technical review:
It has no dominant details, so it leaves the colors similar to the photo taken without a filter. Great!
It does not lose light, there is no need to increase the ISO when it is mounted. Great!
The sharpness in the details (and here comes the beauty) remains almost unchanged. You DO NOT lose sharpness in the areas in focus even if I would not use it in ultra-defined landscape photography, but for a storytelling, outdoor or portrait set absolutely yes.
Autofocus is unaffected by the filter, at least not on the Nikon D750 with fixed lenses.

Usage / Effect: it is a filter that gives a “glow” effect to photos, very particular especially for videos and for portraits in harsh light or backlight.
The highlights are dimmed but without becoming dull, moreover the light "enters" the shadows, giving a very soft "glow" effect. Great for portraits or to give a more dreamy atmosphere, it removes clarity from the image in high contrast areas.

In the photos you can see a couple of unfiltered / filtered comparisons, two portrait photos set and what comes to you.

Result in short: it is a filter that you do not think can enter your kit, but when it does it has such a particular result that you would try it in any situation. A must try!

I've used this filter a couple of times for my creative photography and videography in a couple of instances and i can tell you K&F Concept nailed it again.

I can't post images of content i was paid for due to contractual reasons, but this is definitely a professional grade filter.

I noticed no image resolution degradation, no white balance issues, no vignetting or distortion when the filter was on.

It arrived on a rather large protecting case that i discarded right away and it was unwieldy, hard and larger than it needed to be, but i own a K&F filter pouch (shown on pictures, not included with the filter) that i use.

Despite not liking the carrying case, this is a GREAT Black Mist filter, it feels premium on your hands, mounting was smooth, it feels sturdy and while i did NOT test scratch resistance i trust K&F Concept products.

Great value for a premium filter, i would recommend it to anyone who is in the market for one.

I start by saying that this filter will remain forever on my Canon 24-70 and that I am satisfied and amazed by the effect it gives to my photographs.
The filter comes in a hard case that already differentiates it from low-end filters: it is comfortable to use and has a non-slip part with different notches for multiple filter sizes. The construction is excellent and can be seen immediately from the layer applied to the surface which is a professional tool.
If you are a photography geek like me, to give an effect similar to diffusion / glow, you have already tried things like petroleum jelly on the lens, stockings pulled on a filter or various films. Here this filter is anything but. It has a sneaky effect and does NOT degrade the image. The edges remain sharp while the colors seem to fade slightly inside the photo, restoring the quality that was had with the use of film: really nice! I bought it for photography in broad daylight, but surely one of its best applications is with lights at night where you can appreciate more this diffusion of color and brightness. Despite being an overused term, this filter lends an organic feel to digital photographic pulp. I would like to point out that it does not have a blatantly and vulgarly widespread effect, but visible without attracting attention. Highly recommended for videos too!

Nice filter. Definitely comes handy in certain situations. Great for sharp lenses especially with no character. This adds some mood to it. It’s nice to have, looks well made and o love that I can apply to a lens and still be able to use the lens cover over the filter when not in use. I use it on my Sony 18-105 f/4 and the sigma 18-35 f/1.8 and am quite happy with the result. In my images the last image is the one without the filter, hopefully you can get an idea what it does.

I’ll be honest up front, I ordered this mistaking it for an ND filter, I’ve decided to keep this though as I really like the effect it produces.

I’ve been getting into landscape photography and wanted an Nd filter but ordered this by mistake, after having a play and wanting to eventually push into portrait I decided to give it a try.

The results are surprising good, it adds a nice glow to bright light sources that give the images some warmth.

The filter is presented in a lovely case with rubber wedges inside that hold the filter in place so it doesn’t slip around.

I can see me using this for product photography and portraits and so far have really enjoyed it

Pros
- nice glow
- gives images a warmer feel
- excellent storage case

Cons
- none ( although keep in mind you may need to adjust exposure times slightly due to very minimal tint )