Tiffen 58VND 58mm Variable Neutral Density Camera Lens Filter, Black

Obviously without any stops you're going to get the dreaded black X so that's why I say this may be a bit outdated. The hard stop should be required in all filters that require it, in my opinion!Although saying that, it's a nice filter that doesn't do too much to the sharpness, at least nothing that can't be pulled back later in post.There is a colour cast but if you know what you're doing with curves then you should be able to pull that out and use a mask. Would be nice if it wasn't there in general but I'll keep stating it, it's feeling outdated so it can kind of get a pass on that point. At least it get's a hall pass for now.

Tiffen produce excellent lens filters. When you pay a premium price for a quality product your expectation is that it will arrive in a condition befitting of its value. Not so with this order. The filter glass was greasy and appeared to have suffered some mildew. Perhaps storage conditions in the Amazon warehouse were to blame. I'm disappointed with this purchase experience. I can't fault the product but the condition in which it arrived was unacceptable.

Wasn't sure what to expect from this little fella. I'm happy enough with it, some slight distortion on the very higher end and a loss of sharpness up there also but for the price it's to be expected.

Overall Conclusion:I have tried the Hoya and the Tiffen filter on my Sigma 30mm 1.4/Sony a6500 combination. I returned the Hoya and I am very happy with the Tiffen filter. It is not perfect, but provides a good solution for video. Lens caps do work by the way. (Note: I am using the Tiffen 67mm version on my Sigma 16mm 1.4 lens with no problem. So, the below applies to this combination as well.)How to Use:Just screw the filter to the front of your lens. The filter has two elements - you turn the front element to set the required strength. Please note that there is only one scale which always move to the wrong side when screwing on the filter. This means that I always have to turn the camera upside down when I want to check or adjust the strength. It's quite annoying, but acceptable due to the lack of proper alternatives.Please note that you can actually use a lens cap on this filter. There is a very shallow thread at the front of the filter I received from Amazon.co.uk. This means a lens cap does not fit 100% securely (due to the shallow thread), but it does hold on okay. I have not dropped the cap or lost it in the camera bag. I always leave the filter on my lens. I use the Eggsnow Lens Cap (62mm) which I bought on Amazon.co.uk for GBP 4.99 (pack of 2).Effectiveness:I went on a trip to Australia and this filter was essential to use the correct shutter speed while filming on my Sony a6500 in bright sunlight. I am able to use the filter up to the last dot for video and the second last dot for pictures without experiencing any x-effect - much better compared to the Hoya (please see my other review for the Hoya filter). Sharpness remains great and I did not notice any wear blue tint or any other colour problems which other reviewers noted here on Amazon or on YouTube.However, the filter is not perfect. I sometimes notice white balance issues when taking pictures. The camera will adjust after a while, but it seems to take longer than it would without the filter. It does give a slight colour cast towards the warmer side which I believe you need to accept when buying a variable ND filter at this price point.Quality & Price:My first filter which I ordered from Amazon.co.uk came with a small scratch on the glass. I order again and the new one was good. For the price, I did expect more. However, the actual filter seems to be of good quality and I have not had any problems. I noticed hat the front element does make crunching sounds when new. However, this got less and less under use and has now disappeared.If this review was helpful, please let me know by clicking the button below.

Very good. I bought the 77mm version for 4k video use. Bottom line: you lose a hair of sharpness, and there is a colour shift - tends to warm the image, but this is correctable if necessary. However, it seems to retain its resolution right across the frame, unlike cheapo NDs that can blur or vignette unpleasantly beyond the center.So, this is a good performer and a SIGNIFICANT step up in image quality from the temptingly cheap £10-ish variable NDs widely available. I have a handful of those too and have made direct comparison tests with the Tiffen. Result - colour shift issues are less relevant than resolution, and this is where the Tiffen wins over cheaper alternatives. Believe me, at demanding 4K and UHD resolutions, any imperfections in the glass will kick in. The Tiffen earns its dough at this point. The cliche "you get what you pay for" also kicks in. It's not as sharp as the naked lens, but it's acceptably close. By comparison, images from the cheap NDs simply looked out of focus, even though they weren't!I dare say that you could get better than the Tiffen, eg the Heliopan variable ND is reputedly about the best you can buy. But, at the time of writing, it costs 130% more. If you do a lot of critical outdoor work then go for that perhaps. Otherwise, if you're a relatively infrequent outdoor shooter like myself, this Tiffen is perfectly useable at the very least, and holds its own. At £99 (as of June 2016) it's probably priced about right.Forget the cheapos for even halfway serious work. They're fine for practice and VERY CASUAL work and are cheap enough to buy on a whim. Beyond that, your frugality may come back to bite you.Good luck, folks.

I Already have several ND, B+W at different intensity range but is sometimes a pain when videoing and you have to take one off and put another as light changing during the shoot. In that decided to get this Tiffen filter and test it out if any good.first have to say I dont intend using it for photography shoot cause iam very happy using my fixed ND filters and getting better results,This is my first time buying Tiffen filter and have to say the quality is as most agree is awesome ,there is a color cast as with other type of ND filters and suffers a bit from vignetting with wider angle lens but correctable in the software ,what i dont like is its wider diameter which unable one to use lens hood or attach a *lens cap(*Pinch Lens Cap seems to hold on lightly though)final question,Am I pleased with my purchase???? A bit too early to answer that but after using it for a while I will write an update to let you know Meanwhile I give this a 4 star ****-------------------------------------------