- Last time I did a video like this
comparing Freewell and PolarPro filters,
it was a pretty close comparison.
This time, things are very different.
(upbeat music)
Today, we're gonna be taking a look
at the PolarPro Peter McKinnon Edition II Mist Variable
ND filters versus the Freewell Mist Variable ND filters.
This is an incredibly unique set of tools,
the PolarPro version being the first filters
that I've ever heard of that combine
both a diffusion filter and a variable ND.
Freewell wasn't very far behind making their own version
after a ton of popular demand
asking them to attempt a more affordable alternative.
So the question is, did Freewell succeed
in making something that stands up to the PolarPro
at that reduced price?
And the answer is, it's complicated,
so I'm just gonna show you and let you decide.
And if you do want to hop around the video at all
to different sections, there are timestamps down below
and there are product links in the description, too
if you wanna go check them out or pick one up.
Before we dive into all the different tests
and examples that I have for you,
including both somewhat controlled studio tests,
as well as some more practical examples,
let's talk about what these filters are exactly.
Like I mentioned, these are combining
two different types of filters,
a variable neutral density filter or variable ND,
which allows you to control the exposure of your shot
and a diffusion filter,
which adds softness to the image called halation,
particularly around the highlight areas
which can soften some of the digital sharpness
and even give your images a kind of hazy or dreamy look.
Both of these brands have chosen
to call their diffusion mist which I appreciate
'cause it's much easier to say.
If you want a more in-depth look at what a variable ND does,
there's a link down in the description
to another video that I made all about it.
So when we're looking at the test for these filters
we're gonna have to focus on both aspects.
How does it perform as a variable ND filter
and how does it perform as a mist filter?
Plus both brands come in two to five stop
and six to nine stop variants.
So we'll also be comparing how each strength performs.
Okay, is everyone on the same page?
Secure the cup and let's do this.
Kicking things off with the price comparison
because that's going to be a big part of this.
The Freewell filters are $109 each or 219
if you get the pair of them.
The PolarPro filters on the other hand
come in at 249 each or 449 for the pair.
So they're quite a bit more expensive.
You'll have to decide whether they're worth it.
The Freewell filters are available in 58, 62, 67, 72,
77 or 82 millimeter thread sizes.
And the PolarPro come in 67, 77 or 82.
So you've got a few more options on the Freewell size
if you don't like to use step-up rings.
The FreeWheel filters have a small aluminum carrying case
and they're wonderful magnetic lens caps
which I love so much because who doesn't love magnets.
Now I have two main problems with these cases.
One, there's no marking on the outside
to indicate which filter is inside the case.
Every time I wanna grab one of these filters
I have to check through both of them
to get the one that I want.
It's kind of like plugging in a USB stick.
The other issue that I have is that the filter does not fit
inside the case with the lens cap on.
So the fact that they can't just always stay
with the filter if I wanna use the case,
that's a bit of a disappointment.
However, this same area is actually where
I give huge points to PolarPro the case
and the lens cap are all one extremely well
thought out unit.
You unscrew the back from the filter,
tuck it neatly onto the front so that it doesn't get lost.
And then screw your filter on and remove the lens cap
which again also has the back part attached to it.
They call this the defender 360
and not only is it a great case, it really makes putting
on and taking off the filter easy with very little chance
of accidentally touching the filter itself
and getting fingerprints on it.
And to top it all off the cases are clearly marked
which filter you have in your hands.
So you know before you open them,
I know the case obviously isn't the main event here
but having used both of these for awhile now
I can honestly say that the added functionality
of the PolarPro made a big difference
in my user experience.
Both of these filters have metal construction
and are definitely made to take a beating.
Both brands are nearly identical as far as thickness
and managed to get away with super minimal vignetting
at 16 millimeters, both filters also have hard stops
at the end of their range to try
and avoid that cross polarization X pattern
that you get with variable ND sometimes.
And when I did my test, they performed a reasonably well.
At 16 millimeters, the Freewell
two to five stop started to have some polarization creep in
from the edges at that five stop mark,
a little worse than the PolarPro did.
This effect is less noticeable at 24 millimeters.
And it's basically unnoticeable at 35 millimeters
unless you're really looking for it.
On the six to nine stop filters,
the results were very similar
as we move through the range of stops.
At 16 millimeters, six stops was pretty clean
on the PolarPro
but the Freewell had a slight darkened edge effect going on.
And as we push up to nine stops
the cross polarization creeps in more and more.
Again, from what I can see
the PolarPro performs a bit better all the way
through the range, but they both definitely have some
of that polarization going on.
When we pushed to 24 millimeters
and then 35 millimeters,
the effects get less and less noticeable again.
So overall, I'd say that the PolarPro held up
a little bit better with the effects of cross polarization
which is especially noticeable at the wider focal links.
One thing that both brands included are little notches
or haptic feedback at each stop.
This has pros and cons.
If you wanted to do a smooth exposure change
throughout the range of the filter,
that's not gonna happen.
However, it can be handy
for doing quick exposure calculations.
And it's a bit more secure since you can't really
accidentally move the filter from the notch.
When comparing the functionality of the two,
I have to say the PolarPro is much smoother
between stops and the stops have just enough of a notch
so you feel them without being hard to push past.
The Freewell has a bit more
of a metal on metal feel to it.
And I pretty regularly get stuck in one of those notches
and have to work with it a bunch to get it unstuck.
So again, this is a functionality point for PolarPro.
Going back to the test for the different stops,
I also wanted to see how accurate the different stop
markings were.
The Freewell, two to five stop filter range
from two and a third stop at the two stop marker two to five
and two third stop at the five stop marker.
Whereas the PolarPro markers were measured
out dead on to what the marker said.
The Freewell six to nine stop range from five
and two thirds to eight and two third stops.
And the PolarPro was dead on for the six
and seven stop markers and a third of a stop short the rest
of the way landing on eight and two third stops as well.
Now I'm not saying that my test is perfect by any means
but the PolarPro was a bit more accurate here.
Another big question regarding ND filters is the color cast.
You may have noticed already in some of the test shots
that both brands do have a bit of color added to them.
I white balanced using the control shot with no filter.
And then I added the Freewell
and there was a greenish yellow cast to it
both on the two to five and six to nine stop filters.
I found that the PolarPro had a bit of a blue cast
which almost looked like it could be caused
by a little bit of cross polarization
that's creeping in.
I personally thought that the PolarPro looked
a little bit closer to neutral
but it's really tough to tell with any certainty.
In practical use, you would want
to white balance once you already have the filter applied
and then you probably wouldn't have any
of these problems at all.
I was really impressed
with how they both performed in retaining sharpness.
It's a telltale sign
of cheap filters when they ruin the sharpness of an image
but both these filters were great to my eye.
But, pretty much everything that we've talked about
up until now has just been about variable ND filters.
What about the mist part?
Well, this is where these two filters actually
start to get really different
and where it starts to get more
into that personal preference.
I did a high contrast test
with some bright lights in the background
so that we could see the difference in levels of diffusion.
And this is very interesting.
The Freewells offer much more intense diffusion
than the PolarPro counterparts.
One thing that I wasn't a fan of
was the fact that the diffusion
on the FreeWheel six to nine VND, was way more intense
than that of the two to five filter.
This inconsistency makes it really difficult
to use these two filters together on a shoot
even though they're a matching set.
The PolarPro filters had a much more subtle diffusion
and it seemed to be much more consistent
between the two different levels of neutral density.
You can use these together on a shoot without any trouble.
Another thing that I like a lot is
that the PolarPro mist effect manages not to totally throw
off the contrast of the shot.
This could be partly due
to how subtle the diffusion effect is
but it's also partially
because PolarPro uses a different type
of diffusion particle than other diffusion filters
commonly use.
The goal being to give the halation effect
while maintaining the contrast of the shot.
And I think they've done that wonderfully.
This obviously comes down to personal preference
and what you need specifically
for the shot that you're trying to get.
But for my purposes,
I find that I grabbed the PolarPro more often
because of the way that they've done their mist.
I also wanted to do a bit more of a practical
bright daylight test as well
since that's where VNDs really come in handy.
I used a backlit shot
so that we could really start to see the effects
of the misting and how they might come out
if you were shooting into the sun.
All of these shots were taken an S log three
and corrected in the same way to start with
so that we can see the differences.
Looking at the control shot
with no things are nice and clean and sharp.
The two to five Freewell filter has a decent amount
of that haze effect.
And the contrast of the shot is definitely reduced.
Again, we have that greenish yellow kind of cast
but that could be easily corrected
with a white balance shift.
The two to five PolarPro has a very
subtle dreamy softening effect
but maintains the contrast much more than the Freewell.
It also has a slight cool tint that we can fix
in the same way that we did with the Freewell.
The six to nine stop Freewell is super hazy
and has that same greenest, yellow tint
and the six to nine stop PolarPro matches the mist amount
from its partner almost perfectly.
And it might even have a little bit less
of that cool effect.
Comparing again, now that we've adjusted
the white balance for all of them
including the control shot with no filter
we can see the effects of the diffusion more clearly
without so much of that color shift.
And it really emphasizes the intensity
of the Freewell filters diffusion.
So then which one is better?
Like I said, it's kind of complicated because the diffusion
on each of these filters is so different that it becomes
at least partially an artistic choice.
That said, in my experience,
the functionality of the PolarPro
is superior and that makes using them a nicer experience.
The defender 360 case is a big win for sure.
Even though I do love magnets
and the Freewell magnetic lens caps,
the image quality tests also
seem to favor PolarPro for accuracy
and less of those common variable,
neutral density artifacts.
And of course, that's not to say that the Freewells
were bad by any means.
We have to remember that you can get a pair
of the Freewells for less money than buying one
of the PolarPro filters.
So if budget is a factor that's gonna play a big part.
In the end, I would personally rather save up to
take the PolarPro Peter McKinnon filters
but leave a comment down below and let me know
how you would choose and on your way down there,
make sure to hit that like and subscribe button
and hit that bell notification.
So you don't miss out on future reviews and tutorials.
Thank you so much for watching
and I'll see you next time.
Secure the cup.
It's a little cold, but can I just do this all day?
You guys want to just watch me drink coffee?
Weird Slurpee noises.