NiSi Landscape Polarizer

NiSi Landscape Polarizer

If you are a landscape photographer you probably already use a polarizing filter. But if you are new to this type of photography this article is for you! Thanks to the Chinese brand NiSi, with 10 years of experience of making filters, I have had the great opportunity to try and test their latest polarizer, NiSi Landscape polarizer, on the field.

Included in my NiSi V5 filter holder that I bought less than a year ago was a polarizing filter. However NiSi has developed an improved version enhancing saturation, vivid colours which is perfect when you do sunset or sunrise shootings, no color cast nor haze thanks to the ultimate high polarization. A difference that you will see further down on my test shots made with NiSi Landscape polarizer and without, in order to understand what impact it has on your photos. It is also important to know why a use of a polarizer is beneficial for landscape photography so I have listed some of the main benefits of a polarizing filter and why you should make it your best friend on the field! Enhance the tones during sunrise and sunset, no color cast, haze.

What is a polarizing filter?

In technical terms it is an optical filter that let certain light waves pass through while blocking others.

Some of the benefits of a polarizing filter are as followed below:

• reduce reflection (see through shallow water by excluding light reflection fr the surface)
• reduce haze
• increase saturation
• increase vivid colors

NiSi Landscape Polarizer – mounted on the NiSi adaption ring (NiSi polarizer can only be used with the NiSi holder)

NiSi Landscape Polarizer comes in a safe plastic box with foam that keeps the polarizer in place

NiSi Landscape Polarizer

The NiSi Landscape Polarizer is made by high quality optical glass and has an aluminium structure. The glass is ultra-thin ensuring you will not have any issues with vignetting (many polarizing filters can add vignetting when using them on wide-angle lenses). To create NiSi Landscape Polarizer a superior quality polarizing film from the Japanese brand Nitto (NPF) have been used providing an incredible effect of 99,9% of polarization. Thanks to the Nano Coating the filter is well protected and also water proved. NiSi Landscape Polarizer is 86mm in diameter and is only compatible with NiSi filter holders V3, V5 and V5Pro. The CPL is easily cleaned by simply using a microfiber cloth.

NiSi NC CPL to the left and NiSi PRO C-PL to the right

The trio! Landscape NiSi Polarizer and two adaptor rings, 77 mm that suits my lens and the 82mm for NiSi v5 Holder. How to assemble? Don’t panic, just follow the steps below ;-)

First you need to mount the two adaptor rings, a way to know what side: make sure you have the text “82mm Adaptor Ring” facing you and same with the other adaptor ring, then start screwing until it’s fixed.

Then turn upside down on the adaptor rings, put in the NiSi Landscape Polarizer, with the side of the text “Landscape NC CPL” facing you, start screwing it while holding the two wheels on each side, until its fixed.

The final touch,  a micro fiber cloth is handy as you probably will have some fingerprints on your polarizer while you’ve screwed it on.

Attach the ring on your lens, the text “Adaptor Ring” and wheels facing you. Now you are ready to shoot! Turn your camera into live mode and adjust the polarizer by moving the wheels on the side ;-)

NiSi Landscape Polarizer – thanks to a small wheels on each side of the adaptor ring, the polarizer filter is easily rotated

Test shots, without polarizing filter, with NiSi polarizing filter and with NiSi Landscape Polarizing filter:

In the test shots above you can see fr left: photo taken without CPL, photo with NiSi CPL Pro and NiSi Landscape Polarizer. As you can see on the photo in the center, the reflection has been largely reduced however even more on the third photo (to the right) where the colors are also more vivid.

Straight out of the camera, from left: without polarizer right: NiSi Landscape Polarizer. As you can see, thanks to the polarizer filter the reflection on the surface of the water has been reduced remarkably, there is also an increased contrast and the colors are more vivid.

Here is another test, no polarizer to the left, landscape polarizer in the center and the NiSi CPL Pro to the right. As you can see, the sky and the clouds are more defined in both photos with polarizers, and the one with landscape polarizer is more saturated.

If you did not know the use and benefits of a polarizer before, I hope you are now convinced why you should always bring it with you when you are out shooting. And if you want to use one of the best existing on the market with superior quality, I can truly recommend NiSi Landscape Polarizer (have in mind that it is only compatible with NiSi holder). One thing I have learned during my time as a photographer, never waste money on cheap products. You have probably invested in a great lens, then, only a high quality filter should have the honor to be in front of it ;-) Have fun shooting!