NiSi V6 Filter Holder Review

A few months back i was able to put the NiSi M75 filter system through its paces.   That little gem of a filter system, for lens up to and including 67mm in size, maintains the very high image quality available from many of today’s modern lenses.  I reviewed the M75 system here.

X-H1.  XF16-55mm at 21mm.  1/75th at f8.  ISO 200.  Medium Graduated Neutral Density Filter 8 and Landscape Polarizer.

This time i'm reviewing the newly released NiSi V6 system.  The V6 is a little larger than the M75 and is designed for lenses with filter sizes up to and including 82mm. Compared to the slide in filter size of 75mm of the M75 the V6 offers 100mm filters allowing larger lenses to be used. This larger size is perfect for my Fujinon red badge XF zooms such as the XF16-55mm, the XF50-140mmm and the 100-400mm which make up my most of my landscape kit.  The XF10-24mm is also perfectly compatible with this system but beware using the polarizer with any super wide angle lens you will be privy to uneven polarization.  This is not a fault of the filter system, but is encompassing to all circular polarizers.

If you own the new Fujinon XF8-16mm f2.8 you’ll want to have a look at NiSi’s S5 holder system.

X-H1 with XF50-140mm.  1/250th at f8.  ISO 200.  Landscape Polarizer.

In the V6 Filter Holder Kit one will find the filter pouch, three adaptor rings for 67, 72 and 77mm lenses, a circular polarizer, the 82mm main adaptor and the filter tray, all shown below.

The pouch included with the kit is a really nice touch.  It is made of high quality material that will stand the test of time.  The inside is well laid out and lined with plush material.  The bottom of the pouch resembles an accordion that expands if necessary.

Accordion style expandable bottom.

A very frozen ocean surrounds the town of Trout River in Gros Morne National Park! 

X-H1 with XF16-55mm at 35mm.  60 seconds at F4.  ISO 200.  Landscape Polarizer with stacked 6 and 10 stop Neutral Density filters.  

The polarizer is an ultra thin work of art.  Compared to some of my previous polarizers this one is only a 1/4 to 1/3 as thick.  It has geared teeth surrounding the filter and mesh with a gear on the adaptor ring that allows the polarizer to be turned smoothly in either direction.  Have you every spun your polarizer clockwise and unscrewed it from your lens?  Those days are now gone!  At 86mm it promises no vignetting even with three slide in filters inserted in the filter tray!

Landscape Polarizer Details

Optical quality of the polarizer, like everything i've tried from NiSi is excellent.  I've yet to use a better polarizer.  Icing on the cake is that beautiful blue iridescent coating that shows itself in certain light!

Iridescent blue coating.

Polarizer details.

Polarizer gear system.

When i first handled the V6 i was worried that the polarizer gears would be more difficult to turn as they are now recessed behind the perimeter of the filter tray, unlike the M75 that has its gears sticking above the filter tray.  In practice turning the gear is nowhere near as tough to spin as i had imagined.  There isn't much to get a finger on but it does spin with little resistance and the teeth on the gear are well knurled so turning the polarizer wasn't hard, even with thin winter gloves on.

Shellbird Island and the Humber River

X-H1 with XF10-24mm.  15 seconds at f16.  ISO 200.  6 Stop Neutral Density Filter.

The road to Rocky Harbour!

X-T2 with XF100-400.  1/320th at f7.1.  Landscape Polarizer and Medium Graduated Neutral Density Filter 8.

For my testing i had three filters besides the Landscape Polarizer.  They were the six stop neutral density, the ten stop neutral density, and the medium soft edge neutral density graduated filter.  As with past experiences with NiSi i've come to discover that there are no issues with stacking filters, even on top of the polarizer!  Many of the images i shot i used the three slide in filters as well as the polarizer.  With Auto White Balance i got results that were skewed to magenta, however when imported into editing software the colour cast was easily and entirely removable, which wasn't the case for some filter systems i've used previously.  The filter tray has been redesigned to allow easy insertion of the filters.   The only other issue i had with the V6 filter holder is how the filters can jump track when they are about halfway inserted.  I reported the same issue with the M75 system.  When i tested the M75 i had several images that were complete junk.  I realized it was due to me having the filters inserted off track.  Once i realized my mistake i was conscience of the issue and i didn't make the mistake again.  The same is true of the V6.  Pay attention when you insert the filters into the tray and you won't have any issues.

Gros Morne National Park's Iconic Red Chairs.

X-T2 with XF50-140mm. 1/1250th at f2.8.  ISO 200.   Landscape Polarizer and Medium Graduated Neutral Density Filter 8.

A wider view of the red chairs and scenery at Green Point, Gros Morne National Park.

X-T2 with 16-55mm at 16mm.  1/250th at F8. ISO 200.  Landscape Polarizer.

At the end of March i shot a wedding with access only by helicopter or travel over 62 kilometres of rough terrain on snowmobile!  I ended up using two landscape polarizers as we had mixed lighting at times but during the ceremony we had full sun.  There was a ton of fill light bouncing off the snow so i used a polarizer on each camera and lens combo so i could add some punch and deepen the blues in the image.  I thought it would be a pain using them as i regularly switch from landscape to portrait orientation but the geared polarizers made things really quick and simple!

Bride and Groom at Western Brook Gorge.  Gros Morne National Park.  

X-T2 with XF50-140 at 60mm.  1/1600th at f2.8.   ISO 200.  Landscape Polarizer.

The 100mm System Filter Pouch Plus is made of the same materials as its little brother but is even nicer for several reasons.

100mm System Filter Pouch Plus

First, it takes far more filters. There are five main slots capable of holding the rectangular graduated neutral density filters.  The main slots are also large enough to hold the filter tray and lens cap. Within each of these main slots is a secondary slot that can hold square filters. 

Each slot is extremely well padded with soft, plush material.  Call me crazy but I put the pouch and its contents to the ultimate torture test.  I packed the pouch filled with filters and the filter tray in the rear storage compartment of my snowmobile and rode sixty five kilometres over open bumpy country. Anything with lenses will be annihilated if not sufficiently protected and held firmly in place.  If one filter touched another it would be ruined in no time.  I've destroyed goggles, sunglasses and a host of other items in the past by not packing them well.  The filter pouch did an incredible job with no chaffing and nothing broken!  I can say with confidence that you can rely on this case to protect your investment with 100% confidence, unless it happens to fall out of an airplane or maybe gets stepped on by an elephant!  I'm sure there are a few exceptions!

There is a velcro strip inside the flap of the pouch so it can fold down on itself so it won't be in the way when you shoot.  On the back of the pouch there is a loop of velcro that fits quite securely around a tripod leg or bag/sling strap.  Unlike the pouch that comes with the V6 system this one has a detachable/adjustable shoulder strap which is a very nice touch!

Loaded Pouch Plus!

The new lens cap is a great idea.  I'm rough on my gear, plain and simple.  I shoot for a living.  Photo first, gear second, so these things just make great sense for someone like me or for someone who is really particular over the condition of their gear. My lens cap has already taken a good rub! I like this very much. It's simple. The fit is good and it has a positive snap on and off.

V6 Lens Cap

I've put some of my thoughts into a video about shooting with the V6 filter system in cold weather.  

Overall i'm extremely impressed with the build quality and the results the NiSi V6 system offers me!  We are all so obsessed with resolution via modern high megapixel bodies and lenses that resolve very fine details.  It makes sense to use a high quality filter system so we don't diminish our results.  Plus a customizable system allows creative freedom.  The V6 system fits the bill perfectly!