Breakthrough Photography Launches World's First Tempered GND & ND Filters

Canon Rumors Guy

Canon EOS 40D
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www.canonrumors.com
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<strong>SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA</strong> – May 1st, 2017 – Breakthrough Photography unveiled a new line of filters which includes the X4 GND and X4 ND Square – the world’s first tempered GND and Square ND filters – which is available for <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breakthrough/dark-cpl-and-x4-gnd">pre-order on Kickstarter by clicking here</a>.</p>
<p>The new line of filters consists of six new products: Dark CPL, X4 GND (100mm & 150mm), X4 ND Square (100mm & 150mm) and a 100mm holder called the X100 Holder. Breakthrough Photography also claims the X4 GND and X4 ND Square filters to be the world’s sharpest and most color neutral.</p>
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<p>“With the professional outdoor photographer in mind, we’re excited to introduce the world’s first tempered glass GND and square ND filter system, available in both 100mm and 150mm formats. We also guarantee these filters to be the world’s sharpest and most color neutral GND and square ND filters.” said founder and photographer Graham Clark.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/40eee260dd95940cc77aa9f6c9ae78a5_original_grande.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29320" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/40eee260dd95940cc77aa9f6c9ae78a5_original_grande.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="334" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>Dark CPL</strong></h3>
<p>Breakthrough Photography is introducing a ND and CPL combination filter, which they call a ‘Dark CPL’. “Stacking ND and CPL filters is a common scenario for outdoor photographers. But the primary drawback of doing this is vignetting at 16mm on a full-frame setup. By combining our <a href="http://amzn.to/2pbMg6O">X4 ND</a> and X4 CPL into one filter – which we call a Dark CPL – we’ve eliminated vignetting down to 16mm on a full-frame setup.”</p>
<p>The X4 ND Filter is the highest rated HD on the market, check it out at <a href="http://amzn.to/2pbMg6O">Amazon</a> & <a href="https://bhpho.to/2p8RrDA">B&H Photo</a></p>
<p>The Dark CPL is compatible with the following camera and lens systems: Leica®, Carl Zeiss® lenses, Schneider Xenon®, Canon® Cinema and L lenses, Nikon®, Sony®, Fuji® and others.</p>
<p>Dark CPL thread sizes: 46, 49, 52, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82, 86, 95 and 105mm</p>
<p><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SS-_2017-05-03_at_11.52.28_PM_large.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29321" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SS-_2017-05-03_at_11.52.28_PM_large.jpg" alt="" width="480" height="432" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>X4 GND</strong></h3>
<p>Singh-Ray’s line of American-made GND filters have been the industry leader for decades, delivering unparalleled color neutrality. Singh-Ray’s use of high quality CR-39 optical resin also provided unparalleled resolving power.</p>
<p>The X4 GND introduces a new era of durability and resolving power by using SCHOTT B270® optical glass, made in Germany, and it’s the world’s first tempered glass GND. The result is an incredibly durable filter glass that doesn’t break even when dropped onto hard surfaces.</p>
<p>“For years I’ve been a happy user of Singh-Ray’s great line of GND filters. I loved the performance, but the durability of resin filters in general is not so great for meeting the demands of outdoor photographers. And then there’s this problem of image quality and distortion once the surface of the resin GND has been scratched or warped.” said Clark. “After we introduced the X4 ND, I made it our number one goal to reinvent the GND. We encountered numerous manufacturing and engineering problems along the way, but we finally did it, and the X4 GND is the result of all that hard work.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SS-_2017-05-03_at_11.54.24_PM_grande.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29322" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SS-_2017-05-03_at_11.54.24_PM_grande.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="285" /></a></p>
<p> </p>
<h3><strong>X4 ND Square</strong></h3>
<p>Breakthrough Photography is also introducing a new neutral density filter in 100mm and 150mm square formats, called the X4 ND Square.</p>
<p>“Since the introduction of the X4 ND, photographers have continually asked us if we could make it available in 100mm and 150mm square formats.” said Clark. “We’re excited to announce the X4 ND Square, which shares the same technology as our X4 ND circular filters, making the X4 ND Square the world’s sharpest and most color neutral square ND filter. And like the X4 GND, they’re also tempered.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SS-_2017-05-03_at_11.55.12_PM_grande.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-29323" src="http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/SS-_2017-05-03_at_11.55.12_PM_grande.jpg" alt="" width="600" height="302" /></a></p>
<h3><strong>X100 HOLDER</strong></h3>
<p>Breakthrough Photography is also releasing a new universal 100mm filter holder, called the X100 Holder, which they claim eliminates vignetting down to 16mm on a full-frame setup, and it features an innovative snap-lock mechanism for securely connecting 100mm holders to the camera lens.</p>
<p>X100 Holder Features:</p>
<ul>
<li>No vignetting down to 16mm on a full-frame setup</li>
<li>Innovative Snap-Lock mechanism makes attaching holder quick and secure</li>
<li>One handed operation for attaching and detaching</li>
<li>Traction on exterior of holder makes it easier to grip</li>
<li>CNC machined with aircraft grade alumium provides smooth rotation</li>
<li>Only $49 for X100 Holder, $7 for each adapter ring</li>
</ul>
<p>“A new 100mm filter system just wouldn’t be complete without a great universal holder, and we found a real lack of thoughtfully designed holders on the market, so we decided to try our hand at redesigning the traditional holder. It took well over 50 prototypes to get to the final product.” said Clark. “There were a few features I wanted in a holder that I thought other outdoor photographers might appreciate. The first being the ability to quickly attach/detach with one hand. That led to the second feature, a reliable snap-lock mechanism at the top of the holder, which makes a confident ‘click’ when attaching to the adapter ring. The third was to eliminate vignetting at 16mm on a full-frame setup even with 3 levels installed. I’ve always been disappointed with filter holder and adapter ring prices being so high despite the quality being low, so we decided to go the other way and price our new universal X100 Holder right at only $49, and only $7 for each aluminum adapter ring, $17 for brass. And since it’s universal, it will even work with your existing 100mm filters.”</p>
<p>Each X100 Holder is manufactured from aircraft grade aluminum and features two levels installed, and includes a third level which can be easily installed by the photographer. The front of the X100 Holder also has traction, similar to the traction frame on Breakthrough’s X4 ND filter.</p>
<p><strong>SINGH-RAY AND LEE GND 100% BUYBACK</strong></p>
<p>With the launch of the X100 Filter System, Breakthrough Photography is also starting a new buyback program where they will buy any Singh-Ray or Lee GND filter purchased within the last 15 years from an approved retailer, and provide the photographer with 100% of the value paid on the GNDs in the form of a gift card, which never expires. Valid until May 1st, 2018.</p>
<p><a href="https://breakthrough.photography/pages/100-gnd-buyback-for-singh-ray-and-lee">Click here</a> for more details on the buyback.</p>
<h3><strong>Pricing & Av ailability</strong></h3>
<p>The new filter lineup is available for pre-order on Kickstarter at up to $50 off each filter. Breakthrough Photography has set a projected ship date of July, 2017.</p>
<p>Dark CPL will be available in 3, 6 and 10-stop densities, and will be available in the following thread sizes: 49mm, 52mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, 86mm, 95mm and 105mm.</p>
<p>The X4 GND will be available in the 100x150mm and 150x170mm formats in the following densities:</p>
<ul>
<li>X4 GND 2-stop Soft & Hard: $179 each</li>
<li>X4 GND 3-stop Soft & Hard: $189 each</li>
<li>X4 GND 3-stop Soft & Hard Reverse: $199 each</li>
</ul>
<p>X4 GND in 150x170mm:</p>
<ul>
<li>X4 GND 2-stop Soft & Hard: $239 each</li>
<li>X4 GND 3-stop Soft & Hard: $249 each</li>
<li>X4 GND 3-stop Soft & Hard Reverse: $259 each</li>
</ul>
<p>X4 ND Square will be available in the 100mm and 150mm square formats in the following following densities:</p>
<ul>
<li>X4 ND Square 100mm 1, 2, 3-stop:  $179</li>
<li>X4 ND Square 100mm 4, 5, 6-stop:  $189</li>
<li>X4 ND Square 100mm 7, 8, 9, 10-stop:  $199</li>
<li>X4 ND Square 100mm 15-stop: $229</li>
</ul>
<p>X4 ND in 150mm square:</p>
<ul>
<li>X4 ND 150mm 1, 2, 3-stop: $239 each</li>
<li>X4 ND 150mm 4, 5, 6-stop: $249 each</li>
<li>X4 ND 150mm 7, 8, 9, 10-stop: $259</li>
<li>X4 ND 150mm 15-stop: $279</li>
</ul>
<p>The Universal X100 Filter Holder will be available in 100mm for $49.</p>
<p>X100 Adapter Rings:</p>
<ul>
<li>Aluminum: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 60mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm and 86mm for $7 each.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Brass: 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 60mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm and 86mm for $17 each.</li>
</ul>
<p><strong><a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/breakthrough/dark-cpl-and-x4-gnd">Visit Breakthrough Photography</a></strong></p>
<h3><strong>Product Images</strong></h3>

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<span id="pty_trigger"></span>
 

scottkinfw

Wildlife photography is my passion
CR Pro
This company disrespects customers, especially Graham. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise on this site.

Graham, go ahead and accuse me of being a troll, one of your fav insults.

And no Graham, I won't go away. I am just one of many who you have mistreated.

sek
 
Upvote 0

Maximilian

The dark side - I've been there
CR Pro
Nov 7, 2013
5,688
8,588
Germany
scottkinfw said:
This company disrespects customers, especially Graham. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise on this site.

Graham, go ahead and accuse me of being a troll, one of your fav insults.

And no Graham, I won't go away. I am just one of many who you have mistreated.

sek
Just to counter this - probably real - experience and opinion.
I was in contact with stuff and Graham several times and always treated friendly and with respect.
I am also pleased with the filters I bought from them (CPL, ND) so far.

So Scott, YMMV, but it is not the only experience with Breakthrough Photography.
 
Upvote 0
P

Pookie

Guest
Maximilian said:
scottkinfw said:
This company disrespects customers, especially Graham. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise on this site.

Graham, go ahead and accuse me of being a troll, one of your fav insults.

And no Graham, I won't go away. I am just one of many who you have mistreated.

sek
Just to counter this - probably real - experience and opinion.
I was in contact with stuff and Graham several times and always treated friendly and with respect.
I am also pleased with the filters I bought from them (CPL, ND) so far.

So Scott, YMMV, but it is not the only experience with Breakthrough Photography.

When they came out here a few of the people from my studio bought in, had filters with really weird quality control issues regarding coatings on their filters. They took forever to respond and by the 2nd email Graham was just as "pleasant" as he is here. I live here in the bay area of California and always try and buy local if they are a good alternative... like buying and supporting Peak's great products.

They may have some good products but the attitude of Graham and his tall tales are ridiculous. There are numerous places to get great filters, I wouldn't spend a dime with Breakthrough at this point.
 
Upvote 0
Mar 14, 2012
2,455
332
I hesitated on trying out Breakthrough products after seeing several people in this community have difficulties with the company but TDP had a positive review of its product. I finally bought a 6 stop ND via one of the NYC stores (easier return policy), and more recently got a 3 stop ND directly from the company because it was not listed in the NYC store's website. The 3 stop was on back-order and after a few emails, I got an estimated ship date which was > 1 month after the order date but I had ordered it knowing it was on back-order and was ok with it. It arrived within a week of that date. So far, so good...
 
Upvote 0

Hector1970

CR Pro
Mar 22, 2012
1,554
1,162
Very expensive. I've found Formatt Hitech Firecrest neutral density filters the best in terms of cast. Ive spent lots on Lee Filters too. The biggest problem is robustness. Scratching in the polymer and breaks on the glass ones. I've broken two big stoppers, two little stopper, a 16 stop Formatt Hitech and a 2.4 Formatt Hitech. I've almost cried each time. Is it possible to make these with harder to break glass.
 
Upvote 0
Pookie said:
Maximilian said:
scottkinfw said:
This company disrespects customers, especially Graham. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise on this site.

Graham, go ahead and accuse me of being a troll, one of your fav insults.

And no Graham, I won't go away. I am just one of many who you have mistreated.

sek
Just to counter this - probably real - experience and opinion.
I was in contact with stuff and Graham several times and always treated friendly and with respect.
I am also pleased with the filters I bought from them (CPL, ND) so far.

So Scott, YMMV, but it is not the only experience with Breakthrough Photography.

When they came out here a few of the people from my studio bought in, had filters with really weird quality control issues regarding coatings on their filters. They took forever to respond and by the 2nd email Graham was just as "pleasant" as he is here. I live here in the bay area of California and always try and buy local if they are a good alternative... like buying and supporting Peak's great products.

They may have some good products but the attitude of Graham and his tall tales are ridiculous. There are numerous places to get great filters, I wouldn't spend a dime with Breakthrough at this point.

I may be completely naive since I have never used Kickstarter before but shouldn't "300 DAY RISK FREE MONEY BACK GUARANTEE" mentioned in the campaign cover that?
 
Upvote 0
Hector1970 said:
Very expensive. I've found Formatt Hitech Firecrest neutral density filters the best in terms of cast. Ive spent lots on Lee Filters too. The biggest problem is robustness. Scratching in the polymer and breaks on the glass ones. I've broken two big stoppers, two little stopper, a 16 stop Formatt Hitech and a 2.4 Formatt Hitech. I've almost cried each time. Is it possible to make these with harder to break glass.

Well, Formatt Hitech seems to be another company which does not invest into quality control and customer relations. Just check few comments on Amazon and BHPhoto. I read enough to simply skip them even though their filters seem very good on the paper.
 
Upvote 0
Feb 15, 2015
667
10
Maximilian said:
scottkinfw said:
This company disrespects customers, especially Graham. They shouldn't be allowed to advertise on this site.

Graham, go ahead and accuse me of being a troll, one of your fav insults.

And no Graham, I won't go away. I am just one of many who you have mistreated.

sek
Just to counter this - probably real - experience and opinion.
I was in contact with stuff and Graham several times and always treated friendly and with respect.
I am also pleased with the filters I bought from them (CPL, ND) so far.

So Scott, YMMV, but it is not the only experience with Breakthrough Photography.
Bought several times from them, very happy. Had one small order mishap, was quickly resolved, and threw in an extra lens cap free of charge. Excellent customer service. I don't know what the problem is with a 300 day money back guarantee, particularly on filters!

Scott: Could it be, that if the customer is rude, that the people at company are not excited of dealing with you? In German we say "as one shouts in the forest, that's the way it rings back" (wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus).

Was looking for glass ND grads, which thus far nobody produces. Have two sets of Lees, and they have pretty bad color casts. Re price, nobody is forced to buy anything. Enjoy your freedom of choice.
 
Upvote 0

ahsanford

Particular Member
Aug 16, 2012
8,620
1,651
See all these complaints about the various filters out there, it always made me wonder B+W (rock solid for on-lens filtering) never made 100x100 or 100x150 filters.

So I searched, and they do. I can't believe I never thought to look. See attached. Standard 100mm dimensions for use with a standard 100mm setup. Glass, and not 'B+W pricey' at all.

It seems very very limited in scope, but has anyone used these?

- A
 

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??? Gosh I have a few filters of theirs and I have never had any issues and I use them daily for video. I'm kinda shocked with the comments above. 100% opposite of what I have experienced and whenever I had questions they responded immediately. Perhaps there were real complaints and they have responded with better service now...?
Anyhow when I received mine I tested them to my Hoya Pro1 MC NDx8, Pro1 MC NDx32, Marumi DHG Super C PL and I must say they have replaced all of them. Color, Vignetting, and more true density. I couldn't quite see sharpness difference but just the color and vignette diff was enough for me.
Happy customer here... ;D ;D ;D
 
Upvote 0
FWIW, I've been using Breakthrough Photography filters since their initial Kickstarter and have been very pleased with the quality and performance of each filter. I've also had several e-mails with Graham discussing my thoughts on the filters. He's always been very professional and prompt. Before I began using the Breakthrough Photography filters, I was using the Lee filter system, to include the Big Stopper, and was getting frustrated with the color cast. That problem went away when I started using the Breakthrough Photography filters. I understand that others may have had a different experience but, I've been impressed with both Graham and his products.
 
Upvote 0
ahsanford said:
See all these complaints about the various filters out there, it always made me wonder B+W (rock solid for on-lens filtering) never made 100x100 or 100x150 filters.

So I searched, and they do. I can't believe I never thought to look. See attached. Standard 100mm dimensions for use with a standard 100mm setup. Glass, and not 'B+W pricey' at all.

It seems very very limited in scope, but has anyone used these?

- A

That is something very new - I found some announcement from end of March. My local favorite local shop has few of those square NDs for pre-order.
 
Upvote 0
Feb 28, 2013
1,615
280
70
Canon Rumors seems to have a "relationship" with Breakthrough Photography" but not its competitors!

Breakthrough made some claims about polarizers needing to be at the front of any filter stack and I knew this was rubbish so I conducted rigorous tests and asked a respected optical engineer / designer who designs for Leica, Cookes and he discredited this statement also (front or back makes no difference, its about the quality of filters and the multiplier of filters).

Nisi make glass filters using Schott glass as do others, that's no big deal. Lee Filters make cinematography glass NDs that are hard coated and truly neutral (tested independently) and these are now available as 100mm & 150mm filters x 2mm (Cinematography is 4mm).

Consumers or independent testers should be the judge not the companies that sell products that have a vested interest and bad mouthing your competitors as Breakthrough do in public is frankly juvenile and would count me out of buying their products.
 
Upvote 0

ahsanford

Particular Member
Aug 16, 2012
8,620
1,651
M_S said:
I wonder: How do you adjust the polarizer effect with the 10 stop combi pol filter????

Good question. Some say LiveView is still possible with a 10 stop in place (depending on your ambient light levels), but I usually nail things down in LiveView M mode without the ND in place and then add it afterwards (and make the 1000x time correction when I expose under Bulb).

I suppose they (or you, after buying it) could mark the 'clocking' of the two CPL rings -- like put a white dots on the outside of the rings that coincides with max and min polarizing effect so that you wouldn't need to rely on seeing the frame to know what level of polarization it's set for.

...but yes, most people want to see the image effect as they are turning it. :D

- A
 
Upvote 0

ahsanford

Particular Member
Aug 16, 2012
8,620
1,651
Ladislav said:
ahsanford said:
See all these complaints about the various filters out there, it always made me wonder B+W (rock solid for on-lens filtering) never made 100x100 or 100x150 filters.

So I searched, and they do. I can't believe I never thought to look. See attached. Standard 100mm dimensions for use with a standard 100mm setup. Glass, and not 'B+W pricey' at all.

It seems very very limited in scope, but has anyone used these?

- A

That is something very new - I found some announcement from end of March. My local favorite local shop has few of those square NDs for pre-order.

Ah, that's why I hadn't heard of it, not because I am a knucklehead and waited until 2017 to search for it. ::) (You just made me feel better, thx.)

1-stop and 2-stop soft grads only. No hard grads and nothing stronger than 2 stops. No sale... yet. I'd like to see reviews on those, though.

- A
 
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ahsanford

Particular Member
Aug 16, 2012
8,620
1,651
LesC said:
Seems to me the polariser should either fit the front of the holder (like Lee) or fit inside the holder like Firecrest or WCC holders). Fitting the polariser to the lens first & then adding the holder seems a bit odd?

Odd indeed:
http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=32456.0

Read from start to finish for our prior conversations with Graham last week when word of this first dropped. It's painful to read, because it looks like they might have a solid product. But until their claims are substantiated, the questions will keep rolling in.

- A
 
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