- Hey, guys.
My name is Matt Johnson, whoismatt.com.
And I've always been a big advocate
of using ND filters when filmmaking to make sure
that your image is properly exposed,
even in bright sunlight.
As a wedding filmmaker, though,
this presents some difficulty.
Mostly because ND filters are extremely slow
to screw on and take off a camera.
There's nothing worse than being indoors filming a couple,
and suddenly the photographer is like, hey,
let's all go outside.
And you're like, hold on a second,
I gotta get my ND filter,
it's really bright.
Don't kiss or anything,
it's just a second.
It sucks.
This has led to many wedding filmmakers
opting to completely forego using an ND filter at all,
and instead choosing to crank their shutter speeds
to adjust exposure,
which results in jagged, overly sharp movements,
especially when recording at 24 frames per second.
Now, I'll be the first to admit, I've cheated many times
and cranked my shutter speed
whenever I really should have been using ND filters.
But I would prefer to use NDs every time.
Today, I want to share with you two tools
that you can use to properly expose your footage
as quickly as possible.
One of them I've been using for a long time,
but I don't think I've ever really talked about,
sorry for keeping secrets from you.
The other tool is a brand new piece of gear
that I recently had sent to me that is very impressive.
And before we get started, for the sake of ethics,
I want you to know that this video isn't paid
or sponsored by either of these companies.
One of them did send me their products.
The other one I've spent literally hundreds
upon hundreds of dollars buying this product over the years.
But regardless, neither of these companies
has any say in this video.
And the first time they're gonna be seeing it
is the same time that you see it
whenever I upload it to YouTube.
Let's start with the tool I've been using the longest.
This is a XUME Adapter,
spelled X, U, M, E,
and I hope I'm pronouncing that right.
This adapter solves the biggest problem when it comes
to using ND filters for most filmmakers.
The amount of time that it takes you to put on
and take off the filter.
Through the power of magnets,
the XUME Adapter takes you from this,
slowly screwing on your adapter,
hoping you don't cross thread it, to this.
All right, I'm ready to film.
That's so impressive, by the way.
First time I saw that I was like, what?
Magic.
No, it's magnets.
XUME Adapters are really simple, magnetic rings
that come in two parts.
The first part has filter threads and a magnet on it
that screw into a lens and can be left on it permanently.
The second version has a metal ring
and more filter threads that mounts to a lens filter.
Put one on your lens, one on an ND filter,
and you have virtually instant access
to ND filtration whenever you need it.
This is such a simple value proposition,
that it's made it easy to use
and recommend XUME Adapters for years.
I have a set of these on every single lens and filter
that I own.
That said though, there are a few cons and issues
that you do need to be aware of.
First, XUME Adapters aren't exactly cheap.
At $34 for a lens adapter and 14 for a filter holder,
or 55 bucks for a kit that includes a lens adapter
and two filter holders, this price can add up quickly,
especially if you have a lot of lenses and filters.
That said though, for the price,
they are very well-built,
and in the six or seven or more years
I've been using these things,
I think I've managed to break one of them.
They should last.
The second con you need to be aware of
with the XUME Adapters is the potential for lens vignetting.
Anytime you put any sort of filter modification
on your lenses,
you're risking the chance of some sort of vignetting.
And because the XUME Adapter is adding some length
to your lens
and then you're adding a filter on top of that,
there's definitely a chance you'll be seeing
some vignetting, especially with wider lenses.
Next con.
You're not gonna be able to use your regular lens cap
with XUME adapters.
Because of the way that the magnetic adapter is shaped
at the end of the lens,
I've not had any success using traditional lens caps.
Instead, XUME sells their own magnetic lens caps
that work quite well, but it's $16 per cap.
It is definitely more expensive
than any cheap generic lens cap available online.
Lastly, you need to be aware that XUME Adapters
are not a one size fits all system.
You need to make sure
that your lenses and ND filters are the same size,
otherwise you may find yourself needing to buy step-up rings
to ensure they work with all of your lenses.
Well Matt, okay.
XUME Adapters sound cool,
but they seem to have a lot of cons,
and honestly, I never really listed them out before,
but yeah, that is a lot.
I will maintain though,
that the benefits have far outweighed the cons for me.
And like I said, I've used XUME Adapters
for over six years without complaint.
That said though, what if there was another tool
that you could buy?
Something that has all of the pros of the XUME Adapters,
but none of the cons.
Would that interest you?
Introducing the RevoRing,
combination step-up filter, polarizer and ND filter.
It does it all.
My friends at H&Y sent this thing over,
and it is very impressive.
So what makes the RevoRing so special?
To start, it works just like a XUME Adapter
in that you can put it on and take it off very quickly,
but this time there's no magnets required.
Instead, you hold it up to your lens, twist,
and it's attached.
Very fast, and just like the XUME Adapters,
there's no time wasted screwing a filter on and off.
Unlike the XUME Adapters though,
which are just magnetic rings that you have to
buy an ND filter for,
the RevoRing has a very high quality,
variable ND filter built in.
This will block up to 10 stops of light,
depending on what lenses you're using.
And in my testing, my footage still looks sharp,
and I haven't seen any color cast.
Oh yeah, there's a polarizer too.
Excellent for minimizing reflection in your shots.
And both the ND filter and polarizer
can be changed independently using these little guide pins.
One big improvement these filters make
over much of the competition too,
is the added inclusion of markers on the side
that help you know the level of filtration you're getting.
You also get hard stops that'll help keep you
from getting the X pattern that variable NDs show
when they're turned up too high.
Now there are two other features of the RevoRing
that make it awesome.
First, remember how I told you that with XUME Adapters
you can't use your stock lens caps anymore?
With the RevoRing, you don't have to worry about it,
because it comes with a magnetic lens cap.
Of course, unlike XUME Adapters,
you can also remove the entire RevoRing,
just as quickly as you put it on,
and then use your regular lens caps too.
All right, I've saved the best feature
of the RevoRing for last.
For the longest time, I've been really lucky.
Most of the lenses I've used
have had the same filter thread size of 77 millimeters,
meaning that I didn't have to use a step-up ring
to make my ND filters work with other lenses.
Unfortunately, that all changed when I upgraded
to the Sony a7S III,
and subsequently began upgrading to new auto-focus lenses,
many of which have different focal lengths.
I've still got 77 millimeter filter threads,
but I also have 67, 72 and 82 millimeters now.
But here's where the magic of the RevoRing comes in.
Instead of needing to purchase new step-up rings
for all these lenses, as well as new XUME Adapters
to make sure my filters work,
oh and a new ND filter that's 82 millimeter in size.
I can save money and just get the RevoRing for $219,
and have an ND filter that works with literally any lens
that has a filter thread between 67 and 82 millimeters.
I've spent more on just a standard ND filter before.
So having all of these features for 219 bucks
is really awesome.
Also, as an added bonus,
because the RevoRing is mounting directly to the lens too,
I don't have to worry about vignetting as much either.
It's closer to the lens,
so it should vignette less than the XUME Adapters.
That will depend on your lens though.
So let's wrap this video up.
If you're a filmmaker that wants a fast way
to put on and take off ND filters,
I think both XUME Adapters and the RevoRing
are a great choice.
Which one should you buy?
I think that's going to come down to how many lenses you own
and what filter thread size they are.
If you already own an ND filter
and all of your lenses are the same filter thread size,
like mine used to be,
I think that XUME Adapters are an easy choice
that won't break the bank.
But if you have a wide variety of lenses
with a wide variety of filter thread sizes,
I think the RevoRing will work faster
and potentially be cheaper than investing in XUME Adapters
and step-up rings for all of your lenses.
It's a great all-in-one option.
I'll be sure to link down in the description
to the XUME Adapters,
some high quality ND filters that I recommend,
and the magical RevoRing.
And as a heads up, at the time of making this video,
the RevoRing is quite new
and only available for pre-order,
but it should be shipping soon.
With that, thank you so much for watching.
It would be a huge help to me
if you would consider liking this video,
and subscribing if you wanna see more videos like it
in the future.
Also, if you happen to be a wedding filmmaker like me,
you should join my Facebook group,
it's linked down in the video description.
Also, if you happen to be a wedding filmmaker,
you probably want to book more couples
and film more weddings.
To help you out with that,
I've created a free guide that's gonna walk you
through some practical steps
that you can take right now in your business
to book more couples and film more weddings.
It's a completely free gift to you, you can download it
at the link down in the video description.
Thanks so much for watching and have a great day.