Aurora Aperture Introduces World’s First Variable GND Filter Family

[Canon Rumors Guy]

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<p><strong>Irvine, California, January 15th, 2018</strong> – Aurora Aperture Inc., a Southern California company specialized in photography filters, today has introduced the world’s first variable graduated neutral density (GND) filter family, the Aurora PowerGXND.</p>
<p>The PowerGXND family is an hard transition GND filter with a continuous range up to 5 stops (ND 0 – 1.5). GND filters are widely used in photography and videography for balancing a high contrast scene for proper exposure.</p>
<p>“The Aurora PowerGXND family is the world’s first variable GND filter,” said Jeff Chen, founder and CEO of Aurora Aperture Inc. “offering a wide range of light balancing capability for both photographers and videographers. Until now users need to carry multiple fixed stop GND filters with light reduction values of one, two, and three stop with no fractional stop value. With our variable GND filters, all you need is one filter and just rotate the filter until you see the desired result, it is truly that easy.”</p>
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<p>The Aurora PowerGXND filter is based on the innovative Aurora PowerXND variable ND filter introduced in 2016. While keeping the original thin frame profile, a new hard stop feature is added to limit the filter rotation within the minimum and maximum settings. Another new feature is a direct reading scale so users can quickly dial the filter to a stop value easily.</p>
<p>Designed in California by Aurora Aperture, the Aurora PowerND filters are made from Schott B 270® i Ultra-White Glass. Filter surfaces are applied with PFPE hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings to repel water, soil, and dirt. With these multi-layer nano coatings, the Aurora PowerGNXD filters are capable of answering the demands of 4k videos and modern high density sensors.</p>
<p>There are three sizes available, S (62mm), M (82mm), and L (105mm) to cover lens filter thread size from 37mm to 82mm. Adaption plates and square filter systems (75mm, 100mm, and 130mm) are available for using the variable GND filters on different lenses.</p>
<p>Availability and Pricing</p>
<p>The Aurora PowerND family will be available through Kickstarter starting in January</p>
<p>2018. Dealers and general availability will start in May 2018. List price starts from US$149 to $329, depending on filter sizes.</p>
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[neuroanatomist]

Nice idea, but still suffers from the bane of round/screw-in GNDs – the division falls in the middle of the image, and that's almost never where I want the horizon.

 

[ahsanford]

Nice idea, but still suffers from the bane of round/screw-in GNDs – the division falls in the middle of the image, and that's almost never where I want the horizon.

Play that video again: at 1:12 they have a slidey oversized and move it around setup. Up and down movement is possible.

- A

 

[bereninga]

Wow, this is a very smart idea. Looks less bulky than the traditional GND filter set would be. I don't own one, but I would imagine this to be more portable.

 

[Nelu]

Based on my experience with hard edge filters, I only see this useful for seascapes and wide open spaces, like in the prairies.
Anything with mountain peaks or buildings will look unnatural, just like in the posted video...

 

[neuroanatomist]

Nice idea, but still suffers from the bane of round/screw-in GNDs – the division falls in the middle of the image, and that's almost never where I want the horizon.

Play that video again: at 1:12 they have a slidey oversized and move it around setup. Up and down movement is possible.

- A

Thanks for the correction!

 

[JoseB]

How does it behave with a polarizer, used in the landscape photography?

 

[KeithBreazeal]

Based on my experience with hard edge filters, I only see this useful for seascapes and wide open spaces, like in the prairies.
Anything with mountain peaks or buildings will look unnatural, just like in the posted video...

Agree. If a graduated transition is possible, I'd jump on this in a heartbeat. Way too hard of a cutoff for my use.
If you follow the 1/3 or 2/3 horizon rule, you would need a much larger diameter filter than the lens thread.

 

[ahsanford]

Like about this idea:

• It's compact and wouldn't be too futzy to use handheld. This idea would allow handheld grad work without a 4x4 / 4x6 holder on the lens. This could be very nice for hiking landscapes and packing a minimal kit to do it.
  
• If color cast and weird things associated with a variable ND is well managed, this *could* be much faster than changing out grads for differing strengths.
• Could be a benefit for weathersealing depending on how it is designed. Some ND grad setups like my Lee typically are mounted in this order: naked lens front element --> adaptor ring --> holder --> Grads/NDs --> 105 CPL. In that setup, the lens front element is in weather jeopardy, especially before you mount the holder and CPL. With this idea -- if you don't use the adaptor thingie and mount the true diameter on the lens, you theoretically have a closed system from the elements.

Don't like about this idea:

• Like it or not, a soft grad option is needed (mountains, city skylines, etc.), but I'm not sure how a variable ND and a soft grad transition can peaceably coexist.
• Small / medium / large diameters and adapters being needed, so if you do want a bone simple midline-positioned variable ND grad, there's a good chance your lens is SOL and the S / M / L sizing will mandate a clunky adaptor ring thingie. I suppose I could just 82mm step ring my 77mm glass, I guess...
  
• Quick 'drive-by' handheld landscapes are likely problematic. The adaptor ring thingie can't possibly allow a quick draw / shoot / pack away setup like a CPL'd lens might, as the adaptor ring will undoubtedly be bigger diameter than the lens barrel, so you could damage it in your bag. Also, if you use a Peak Design Capture clip (like I do while hiking), the adaptor ring thingie is also a no go for the same reason.

Realities/unknowns of this idea:

• This will not retire the use of slot-in ND grads on a holder by any means for a host of reasons. This is not a comprehensive do-everything/anything-you like landscape solution. So this idea is (IMHO) only for the on-the-go shooter who wants a decent but not optimal grad solution.
  
  
• Stacking this with an on-lens CPL could be problematic for maintaining horizion orientation vs. CPL strength, vignetting on UWA, etc.

I've half a mind to get one of these if it came in the 77mm diameter (with no adaptor thingie required) for my 16-35 f/4L IS or 24-70 f/4L IS. Yes, being handcuffed to the midline would horribly limit compositions, but it could be very handy on scorching skies during mid-day hikes.

- A

 

[Don Haines]

Nice idea, but still suffers from the bane of round/screw-in GNDs – the division falls in the middle of the image, and that's almost never where I want the horizon.

Play that video again: at 1:12 they have a slidey oversized and move it around setup. Up and down movement is possible.

- A

Yes, I like that! This is quite tempting....... if only it was a soft graduation........

 

[ahsanford]

Nice idea, but still suffers from the bane of round/screw-in GNDs – the division falls in the middle of the image, and that's almost never where I want the horizon.

Play that video again: at 1:12 they have a slidey oversized and move it around setup. Up and down movement is possible.

- A

Yes, I like that! This is quite tempting.......

Maybe. The minute I'm putting something larger that the hood size / outer barrel diameter of the lens on the lens, this thing starts to look like a holder to me. No quick draw / shoot / put away option is there, so what is this buying me over my normal holder setup? It's smaller, sure, but it's also decidedly less powerful/comprehensive a setup. UWA vignetting, amount of grad traverse without corner darkening, stacked CPL use, etc. are nontrivial wildcards here.

Interested, but I'm not buying this. I'll wait for reviews to point out problems or possibly flag cool things this product might be capable of that I am missing.

- A

 

[jeffa4444]

For me this is like trying to solve a problem that doesn't exist.