Thank you for that great review! The approach to have everything right in camera resonates a lot … I moved away from the Lee system two years ago (resin filters and the filter holder was not that convincing) and got myself the Rollei F:X Pro system, which offers similar functionality to Wine Country (Polarizer can be operated via gear, filter material is glass etc.), though the mechanical construct of the Wine Country looks far superior. The Rollei looks „flimsy“ compared to that - on the other hand the package is „smaller“ which is good for mobility. I like the glass holder design - that is something I have not seen before. Very well thought through, and definitely a system I will consider if my Rollei breaks …
Andreas, thanks for sharing your experience with filter systems. I've had my share of them, but the combination of WC glass, construction and precision has won me over. Yes, the tradeoff is carrying filters and the frame, but one gets used to that.
I purchased one of the early Wine Country Filter systems (maybe 10 or more years ago). I agree that it is incredibly well-engineered, and the quality of the glass is excellent. Given, though, the dynamic range of modern digital cameras and the ability, in extreme cases, to exposure stack images, I went away from the GND filters. Once no longer tied to GNDs, I found the WC system (as well as all others using rectangular filters) to be unnecessarily bulky and take too much time to set up in fast-moving light. There are several magnetic systems where I just keep the adapter ring on the lens, and I'm immediately able to pop color-coded filters (for strength of ND filters) on and off in a second. For those who desire to use GNDs, though, I completely agree that this is a system to seriously look at.
I had a ton of fun designing that system. Historically, using filter holders was a gigantic pain in the ass. I designed the system to support the workflow of the user. For example, the ND filter can be extracted between exposures so that the shooter can adjust critical focus without disturbing the polarizer or the grads. And we did tactile studies on the knob for the polarizer. The knob from the V1 system emulates the fuel filler knob on a Porsche Le Mans racing car from the 1960s. And we use exotic plastics for the clutch plates and buttons that are self lubricating so that it goes in and out smoothly. And we use a polarizer that is thick enough to be polished via lapping and polishing, so that there are no surface distortion waves. Plus the vaults block incident light from entering the filters on edge.
Tons of little details that make great hidden in plain sight
Thank you for that great review! The approach to have everything right in camera resonates a lot … I moved away from the Lee system two years ago (resin filters and the filter holder was not that convincing) and got myself the Rollei F:X Pro system, which offers similar functionality to Wine Country (Polarizer can be operated via gear, filter material is glass etc.), though the mechanical construct of the Wine Country looks far superior. The Rollei looks „flimsy“ compared to that - on the other hand the package is „smaller“ which is good for mobility. I like the glass holder design - that is something I have not seen before. Very well thought through, and definitely a system I will consider if my Rollei breaks …
Andreas, thanks for sharing your experience with filter systems. I've had my share of them, but the combination of WC glass, construction and precision has won me over. Yes, the tradeoff is carrying filters and the frame, but one gets used to that.
Which system do you recommend for the GFX and the FUJIFILM GF 30mm f/5.6 T/S Lens? Assuming the 150mm system?
I purchased one of the early Wine Country Filter systems (maybe 10 or more years ago). I agree that it is incredibly well-engineered, and the quality of the glass is excellent. Given, though, the dynamic range of modern digital cameras and the ability, in extreme cases, to exposure stack images, I went away from the GND filters. Once no longer tied to GNDs, I found the WC system (as well as all others using rectangular filters) to be unnecessarily bulky and take too much time to set up in fast-moving light. There are several magnetic systems where I just keep the adapter ring on the lens, and I'm immediately able to pop color-coded filters (for strength of ND filters) on and off in a second. For those who desire to use GNDs, though, I completely agree that this is a system to seriously look at.
I had a ton of fun designing that system. Historically, using filter holders was a gigantic pain in the ass. I designed the system to support the workflow of the user. For example, the ND filter can be extracted between exposures so that the shooter can adjust critical focus without disturbing the polarizer or the grads. And we did tactile studies on the knob for the polarizer. The knob from the V1 system emulates the fuel filler knob on a Porsche Le Mans racing car from the 1960s. And we use exotic plastics for the clutch plates and buttons that are self lubricating so that it goes in and out smoothly. And we use a polarizer that is thick enough to be polished via lapping and polishing, so that there are no surface distortion waves. Plus the vaults block incident light from entering the filters on edge.
Tons of little details that make great hidden in plain sight
Thanks Les.