NiSI JETMAG PRO UPGRADE
I’ve been using slot-type filters for many years for my landscape photography. My kit bag has always carried a set of soft and hard ND grads, together with 3, 10 and 15 stop ND filters for long exposures which I love to shoot. To complete the set I also have a circular polariser which fits on the front of my slot holder.
Recently, my eyes were opened when I was introduced to the NiSi JetMag Pro system as an alternative to the Lee 100 filter system which I’ve been using for as long as I can remember. More recently, with the improvements in post processing, I have noticed that I have been using my ND grads less and less, favouring the non-destructive editing method of using graduated masking in Lightroom.
Which brings me on to the NiSi Jet Mag Pro system which is one of the new generations of circular magnetic filter systems.
Unlike conventional square filters that simply slide into a slotted holder, the JetMag Pro uses a magnetic attachment combined with a patented locking mechanism. You simply screw a magnetic adapter ring onto your lens, snap a filter onto the adapter and rotate the small coloured tabs a few degrees to achieve the desired effect or to lock it securely in place.
Personally, I have come to realise that the advantages are simply staggering. It’s all to easy to say that it’s a game changer….but this system really is a game changer.
The initial set up is clean and simple. I’ve added a magnetic jet mag adapter ring to the front filter thread of both my main landscape lenses - the RF 14-35 and the 24-105. I’ve also ditched the plastic Canon lens caps and replaced them both with a Jet Mag magnetic front cap. That’s the new way of how my lenses rest in my bag ready for action.
The Caddy Pro filter pouch is small and neat and carries all the kit needed, unlike my previous filter kit. Once my camera is set up, picture composed and ready to shoot, if I need an ND or a CPL, I simply reach into the pouch and snap it on to the front of my lens which is readily equipped with one of those magnetic adapter rings. CPL with an ND? No problem, these filters easily stack on top of each other. Changing filters or adding filters literally takes a second our two - no screwing or unscrewing. And the frames for the filters are exceptionally thin, making vignetting with wide-angle glass an unlikely possibility. NiSi states you can stack two filters on a full-frame 15 mm lens without visible mechanical vignetting, which is impressive for a circular magnetic system.
Another clever design feature is a white mark on the rings. Rotate the filters top match these markings, the filters are locked into position such that the force of the magnet cannot be overcome and filters cannot be accidentally knocked from the front of the lens. It’s a very well considered design feature which is very simple and discrete and works superbly.
The biggest change to my workflow is the ease and speed of use of a CPL. I’ll be honest here, I’ve been shooting landscapes for - at the time of writing - about 16 years. And my polariser up until this point has been so inconvenient to use, I’ve actually been avoiding it. The Lee 100 system doesn’t have lens caps, so each time I want to use a filter, it’s a case of screwing on the adapter ring, adding the filter holder then adding the fragile glass ND filters. The CPL is yet another step of annoyance, purely because it’s in another pouch, but an additional step to add it onto the front of the filter holder. It spins around fine to get the right level of polarisation, but forget about removing it on its own. It’s an expensive piece of glass so it’s actually quite difficult to carefully remove it from the filter holder. I’ve always had to remove the whole thing just to get the CPL off. The JetMag Pro system couldn’t be more different. This system, with its magnetic snap on, snap off system actually encourages me to think about using my CPL way more often than I ever have before.
NiSi has long been known for producing very neutral filters with minimal colour cast, sharp optical glass, waterproof nano coatings, oleophobic coatings and easy to clean. Landscape photographers would certainly value the neutral colour cast of ND filters for long exposures.
NiSi JetMag Pro filters are available as follows:
FS ND filters
Available in 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 10, 15 stops, ideal for waterfalls, seascapes, cloud movement and video.
True Colour Circular Polariser
For removing unwanted reflections from glass, water or metallic surfaces and for controlling colour saturation and reflection on wet foliage.
Black Mist filters
Available in 1/8, 1/4 for filmmakers for: softer highlights, gentle glow around light sources, smoother skin tones.
Night filter
Designed to reduce common artificial light pollution, making it useful for city nightscapes and astrophotography.
UV / UV-IR filters
Useful as protective filters or, in the UV/IR version, for cameras that require infrared blocking.
The filters are made in 67, 82 and 95 mm
A range of magnetic adapter rings lets one larger filter fit many smaller lenses. For example, an 82 mm kit can be adapted to 77 mm, 72 mm, 67 mm and smaller filter threads, reducing the need to buy duplicate filters.
The JetMag Pro uses really useful colour-coded tabs, a clever touch is that each filter type has coloured handles, making them easy to identify in your bag - Blue – ND, Gold – CPL, Purple – Night, Green – UV/IR
The system also offers magnetic front and rear lens / filter caps
For me, I consider my change to the NiSi JetMag Pro system to be a significant upgrade and considerable improvement to image quality and ergonomic convenience, not to mention a more compact filter setup for my camera bag. I look forward to using them more over the coming years for my love of long exposures and using my circular polariser more than I ever did with my previous system.
