Gobe NDX 46mm Variable ND Lens Filter (1Peak)

I ordered this 77mm Variable ND (along with the 77mm CPL) from Amazon US, shipped to Japan where I live, & got it in 10 days, which is faster than average. The company is great with communication regarding tracking your package, & it arrived neatly packaged & in perfect condition. I've only had a chance to take it out once, so I'll update this review if anything changes, but here are my thoughts so far: PROS: Easy to attach / remove (the CPL is a bit harder to take off), nice, even tones, does what it's supposed to. The quality of the glass & the performance are great considering the cost. The construction feels solid. CONS: When used at darker settings you can start to get the X pattern (when the two pieces of overlapping glass in the filter don't line up perfectly they can create a kind of shadowy X in the middle of your shot.) This is pretty common among Variable ND filters, especially at wider angles with darker settings. I'm using it on a Canon 6D with a 24-70 L lens, & it was more noticeable in the 24-35mm range when set in or just before the "Max" setting. It's not totally unexpected from a variable filter, though, so I can't fault it too much. It kind of comes with the territory, so it's not really a problem. OVERALL: I recommend this lens if you're looking for a low cost, high quality Variable ND filter. The key word here is VARIABLE, meaning you're looking for convenience. If you want a filter that avoids the X pattern & maybe performs a bit more consistently, I'd recommend some regular ND filters, which can be stacked if needed. I'm considering buying the ND 1000 (from Gobe, I really like this company) but I still plan on getting a lot of use from this variable one. As an added bonus, Gobe plants 5 trees for each purchase, which makes me happy.

I'll start by saying that I have never experimented with an ND filter before. I am an amateur photographer at best and use a Nikon D5600. I fitted this filter on my 70-300mm and went to a local waterfall to try my hand at long exposure. The attached pictures are just 2 of my attempts. They're not the greatest (like I said, I am just learning), and it took a little bit of experimenting in order to find just the right aperture and adjustment on the filter to get a good exposure. I probably have 5 bad shots for every 1 good one. My editing isn't quite professional either so take my images with a grain of salt. With all of that being said, this filter is great. Once I figured out settings that worked well (f/9, 2.5s, ISO 100) I was able to get the effect I was looking for. The only issue that I experienced was that the graduated scale on the outer ring to line up the stops for the filter weren't enough. I am sure I could have closed my aperture down more and gotten less light into the exposure without exceeding the filter's "settings" but I realized I could just darken the filter beyond what the ring showed. Also, with it fully darkened I didn't notice (or just missed it) any of the "X" that many other ND filters produce on the images when they are stopped down. This filter came well packaged (I think there were at least 3 wrappers on it) in a nice tin case with a foam pad. The all-metal construction is solid and the glass is clear and great quality. There was also a lens wipe with it and a card that directs you to their website to input a code for them to plant your trees (this also, handily, registers your product with them). I plan to purchase a few fixed ND filters from Gobe as well as some adapters so that I can use them on all my lenses. Definitely would reccomend this to anyone looking to try their hand with an ND filter without spending the money on a premium filter just yet.

This product works well but it spins freely in both directions. I would prefer if it had a hard stop at the min and max settings like some other filters. I recently bought another on of these from their new company name and it clicks between min/max, which I prefer. But this one does a good job and even works decently well on my Sony 20mm 1.8 prime. You won't be able to use the full range with a wider lens like that, but I'm still able to get 4-5 stops of light darker with the 20mm, which is good enough in many situations. This company impressed me with quality for the price and I will be looking at them first for any new filters I need. Plus I like that they are planting trees for every purchase so I won't hesitate to recommend them for any filters you need!

可変NDでこのお値段のものはなかなかないのではないでしょうか。動画を撮る際に使用するために購入しました。 ページの備考欄にも記載があったとは思いますが、 広角で使う場合は要注意です。NDの効果がまばらになることがあります。 私の場合Sigma Art 24-105mmの広角24mm側を使用した際にはNDの効果がX字にかかりました。 それを承知の上で買ったので特に問題はありませんでしたが、広角レンズで使いたい方は要注意です。

This filter is great value for the quality and build. Works well between MIN and just before the MAX settings. Add 1 stop exp. comp. to get best results at around the MAX settings. Past MAX you get 'X' cross effect. Definitely recommend to anyone looking for variable ND filter. Plus you get to help the planet and plant some trees. Its a win-win :-)

📷 Necesitábamos un filtro ND para el objetivo 16-50mm que viene en el pack de la Sony Alpha ZV-E10L para grabar en manual con las mejores configuraciones y que no sobreexpusiera y navegando por Amazon, encontramos este Gobe variable a muy buen precio y muy completo 👍🏻 Por unos 25€ tienes filtros que oscurecen la imagen del ND2 hasta el ND400, de sobra. 👍🏻 Su funcionamientos es tan simple con ir girando el aro hasta que se oscurezca lo suficiente para que los valores de imagen sean los que buscas 👍🏻 Viene con un estuche y una bolsita para guardar, cuando no esté puesto. 👍🏻 Me parece buen precio para todo lo que ofrece y la calidad que tiene 👎🏻 Como punto negativo, al ponerlo, la tapa del objetivo ya no vale con lo que tienes que comprar otra tapa o quitarlo y ponerlo cuando lo uses. En resumen, igual para un profesional, no es ideal pero si eres amateur como yo, estos filtros ND en 1 es super aconsejable.

En general es muy buen producto por el costo. Los materiales son de buena calidad y se agradece bastante que venga con una lata para protegerlo cuando no está en uso. También incluye una micro fibra. Funciona bien para grabar video en exteriores, incluso en días muy soleados. La dureza del mecanismo que ajusta el paso de luz es bastante cómoda, muy suave y con la firmeza necesaria para evitar desajustes involuntarios. El único defecto que le veo es que agrega un tinte rosado muy tenue a lo que se capture con él. No es nada muy notorio, pero es importante tenerlo en cuenta, sobre todo porque no es fácil deshacerse de ese tinte en postproducción. En realidad es un defecto muy común en filtros ND. Tengo filtros de otras marcas que agregan un tinte similar pero más pronunciado, incluso siendo de marcas mucho más caras, así que por el precio, no es realmente un problema. He leído algunas reseñas en las que se habla de una X que aparece en ciertas circunstancias al usar el filtro, pero creo que eso sucede cuando no se hace un uso correcto de los marcadores que indican hasta dónde mover la rosca para incrementar o reducir el paso de luz. Si se usa correctamente, esto no debería ser un problema.

I got this ND-filter today. It looked fine at first, but when holding it up to a light it looks super dirty around the edges. Even after attempting cleaning on both sides of the filter using the supplied cloth these stains can’t be removed. It appears to be on the inside of the glass? The arrow is set between the MIN and MAX on the slider so it’s not caused by it being too far in one direction. Must be a manufacturing error?