Breakthrough Photography Promises The Best Circular Polarizer

[LordofTackle]

And I've experienced the absolute opposite:
nice, friendly people, good service information, good products.
Absolutely no complains.

I can understand you, but I don't know how many had similar bad experiences with this and other companies like Canon, Nikon, Sony, LG, Mercedes, Ford, etc...
I don't know how high the percentage here is.

Hi Maximilian,

you are from Germany too, if memory serves right? May I ask where you purchased the filter? Did you buy it directly from the manufacturer? And what about customs? So far I could not find a german retailer..

Also, do you have experience with their X4 ND filters?

Thanks
Sebastian

 

[Maximilian]

And I've experienced the absolute opposite:
nice, friendly people, good service information, good products.
Absolutely no complains.

Hi Maximilian,

you are from Germany too, if memory serves right?

Correct!

May I ask where you purchased the filter? Did you buy it directly from the manufacturer? And what about customs? So far I could not find a german retailer..

Also, do you have experience with their X4 ND filters?

There is no German retailer yet! So I purchased from them directly.
I bought a CPL and a X3 ND filter (AFAIK the X4 it is just a renamed X3, but please ask them directly).
Both were well packed and without any flaw or fault. I had to wait some time as I was one of the first buyers of the CPL. But I was well informed about the delay. And every time I asked nicely I got a friendly answer.
About IQ:
I cannot tell you if they are better or worse than other high quality filters as I have no optical equipment to measure and not that much filters to compare. But I am fine with the results and the mechanical built is really good.

If you have questions about p&p and customs please ask them directly. As I took part in the kickstarter founding and had some special conditions.
You only have to go to their homepage at normal daytimes and open the chat (remember time lag).

Thanks
Sebastian

You're welcome! If you have further questions, just PM me, dann gerne auch auf Deutsch

 

[mnclayshooter]

Update: the ND 3 and 6 arrived last night.

Upon opening (very well packaged, I will add): The ND 3's coatings seem not as consistent as the ND6 on visual inspection... there's not obvious blotches/gaps or anything like that... it just "seems" to be not as densely coated, at least visually - which may make sense given that it is a lighter ND filter to begin with. I have absolutely no way to test this... just making the comment that within the same product line (X4) it seems that the ND3 coatings look different than the ND6. The ND6 looks like something I've seen attached to astronaut's helmets - very well built and looks to be capable of withstanding outer-space. I'll report back on any real-world issues encountered, but based on just visual inspection, I doubt there will be any.

This is the first high-end ND3 I've ever purchased so I'll ask - those of you who own other brands, do you notice a big difference in visual appearance of the filters (beyond the obvious density of the filter's color)? from within the same product line?

 

[JPAZ]

FWIW, I have Breakthrough 3 and 6 stop ND's and B&W 3 and 6 stop ND's (as well as CPl's and UV's). The coatings are darker with the 6 versus the 3 and, depending on the light and angle, do look a little different than one another. But, each is absolutely uniform.

JPAZ

 

[[email protected]]

Visual evidence of a filter problem

On the ND filters, my Breakthrough filters are the better ones I own. Good value, it seems.

On the circular polarizer saga, I have one last bit of information to add. Before sending in the filter for the last time, I took some pictures. If I've learned anything on this forum, it's that if you don't include a jpeg, it didn't happen.

The Images (Notes identifying the filter used can be found at bottom left, below each image):
http://adobe.ly/2aGo4Ba

The Test:
I placed my 3-year-old's green tractor toy in a window with indirect sunlight. I then shot the tractor with my Canon 1DX and the 100-400 Mark II. Later, I did the same test with the 7D Mark II with the Sigma 50mm Art, as well as with the Canon 70-200 IS L II, but since the results were pretty much the same, I didn't bother including those later images. I'd just been verifying that it wasn't some odd body or lens issue.

I stress that I doubt that the results you're about to see are representative of Breakthrough's CP filters' performance. It really couldn't be, as these results are genuinely unusable. My presumption is that there is a bad batch, but I post it because the firm has told me that ones similar to this that I sent back were totally fine when they plainly were not. It's my hope that someone will be able to see this and diagnose what is wrong with it, and to perhaps assure anyone else who'd been told the same thing that they're neither alone nor insane.

The first four images are taken with the Breakthrough X1. Both maximum and minimum polarizing effect are shown in the first two images, and then I tried to manually focus unsuccessfully, and then I narrowed the aperture to f/22 (which worked, but for the crazy ISO that it caused).

The next two images are of a $44 Hoya cheapy polarizer, both maximum and minimum effect, which look quite nice. The last two are of my pricey Marumi Exus CP, both max and min again, which I found disappointing in that I know how much more than the Hoya it cost.

Outside of these tests, I can report that the Breakthrough filter allows the camera to focus my 70-200 decently after f/8, but not anything more open.

Discussion:
- The oddest thing I found was that the poor image quality seems to be only in the more open apertures.
- I thought perhaps it was a linear polarizer, rather than a circular one, as linear polarizers have a reputation for goofing up metering, if not AF, on DSLRs. But I conducted a test (the mirror test, where viewing through the filter against a mirror makes for a opaque view) and it does appear to be a circular polarizer, or at least have a quarter wave plate, which causes that opacity.
- I wonder if it could be a goofy coating issue, although I guess I would expect a coatings issue to have a very negative effect on the image quality regardless of the aperture. Perhaps someone can enlighten me on that.

I suspect there are readers who will have seen this sort of thing before and may know what it is. -tig

PS:
I like the Marumi specifically because it only loses just shy of 1 stop of light. But comparing it to the Hoya, which is closer to 1.75 stops, it doesn't filter out nearly as much glare. I guess it's nice to have both for different situations.

 

[mnclayshooter]

I appreciate the inputs.

The ND's 3 and 6 are pretty darn nice to use... smooth as butter to thread on and off, and virtually no color cast and zero vignette on the 16-35 (which I assumed to be true as there's about 4mm of clearance before vignetting occurs with that lens from what I've read (not personally tested, although my empirical results suggest that others' tests are accurate). I can force them to flare a tiny bit, but I will say, it is just a tiny bit when shooting nearly directly into the sun (sun just slightly off-angle).

I was digging in one of my totes to find a spare rocket blower and found one of my older (very cheap - I think sold originally by Best Buy under their inhouse brand... I'd bet made by tiffen or others) CPL's.

For the sake of wrapping up my question about CPL's and the 16-35 f4 - I tried it out... I'm not seeing any vignetting, even with the thick cheap CPL. If I push to maximum polarization, I start to see the uneven polarization blobs... I don't think any filter will fix that though. I'll give it a go, especially if I'm near water, which I will be and the primary use for the CPL. I'll give it a go, and see if dropping the extra coins on a high end CPL for the UWA is worth it or not. Unless someone wants to send me one to test out!

 

[AvTvM]

Re: Visual evidence of a filter problem

The Images (Notes identifying the filter used can be found at bottom left, below each image):
http://adobe.ly/2aGo4Ba
...

The Test:
I placed my 3-year-old's green tractor toy in a window with indirect sunlight. I then shot the tractor with my Canon 1DX and the 100-400 Mark II.

Tiggy, you sure it's filter fault? Was Camera on tripod or handheld? Cannot see EXIF data/shutter speeds, but first 4 images appear like shake induced blur to me? Also: 100-400 indoors - maybe very close / too close to MHD? That would also explain why you could not manually focus on subject. Other captures where maybe just a few inches further back, within MFD.

Just asking.

 

[jaimin21]

I would caution anyone to NOT get this brand. The service was snarky, rude, condescending. I wouldn't own one if it was the only one. Caveot Emptor- buyer beware on this one.

I am not a troll either.
Sek

Professional Photographer....please see my communication with customer service:

4:30 PM (7 hours ago)
Kathy

i had purchased a X4 10 stop 82 mm ND Filter from Adorama a while ago and then i find out it its back ordered with no timeline on when the item will be available. i have reached out to Adorama at least 3-4 times with the same answer. i am a photographer and i was looking to have this filter in the last week of July.

You could have the best product in market, but if you cannot keep up the supplies then unfortunately we will be forced to give out business to other vendors.

Regards

-Jaimin
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Kathy (Breakthrough Photography)

Jul 8, 13:34 PDT

Hi Jaimin,

We have informed Adorama of the production/shipment date, but they have chosen not to share that information with you.

Please feel free to purchase any filter you like from any vendor....that is the American way, vote with your dollars.

Yours,

Kathy
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Jul 8, 13:30 PDT

And when is that date?
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Kathy (Breakthrough Photography)

Jul 8, 20:19 PDT

We will ship to Adorama the week of July 18th.

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Jul 8, 20:42 PDT

Kathy,

Would i get it faster if i order it directly from your website?

-Jaimin
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Kathy (Breakthrough Photography)

Jul 8, 20:44 PDT

Yes

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Kathy (Breakthrough Photography)

Jul 8, 20:45 PDT

"You could have the best product in market, but if you cannot keep up the supplies then unfortunately we will be forced to give out business to other vendors."

This type of communication is very negative, and we prefer not to have customers that are negative and difficult.
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Jul 8, 20:50 PDT

ok, so you are trying to tell me you have never made negative comment about a product/service? where was i being difficult? i was stating the fact....a fact of business ! especially in the field where accessories are part of someones livelihood....you cannot wait for 20-30 (in my case no timelines was given) days to receive a product


-Jaimin
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Kathy (Breakthrough Photography)

Jul 8, 20:55 PDT

We would recommend that you go with one of our competitors products.
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[AvTvM]

hehe and ouch! that's what i call great CUSTOMER SERVICE!
fabulous attitude towards clients ... soinds like Cathy was trained by the business owner himself. ;-)

here's their service policy:
1. customers are from hell!
2. we are in business to not sell our products
3. we prefer to be 'vendor from hell'

fully confirms my impressions of this non-business venture. AVOID!

 

[JPAZ]

Seems they also threw one of their vendors (Adorama) under a bus........

As a satisfied customer of both Adorama and Breakthough, this makes me very likely to never do business with Breakthrough again. Too bad.