H&Y has announced a new MRC CPL RevoRing that can be used with its Clip-on ND Filters. The RevoRing which was initially announced back in early 2021, uses a unique design that allows it to be attached to lenses with different-sized filter threads.
RevoRing MRC CPL
So what is the RevorRing MRC CPL? Well, essentially it is a CPL (circular polarizer) filter with an adjustable adapter ring that has retractable blades that allows it to fit on lenses with different thread sizes.
Anybody who has ever used adapter rings for stills lenses will know the pain of carrying around and swapping over adapter rings. I always seem to be missing the adapter ring that I am looking for and then I buy another one only to find that I left it in a draw and forgot where it was.
H&Y set out to solve this very issue back in 2021. Their goal was to come up with an easy-to-use, practical and affordable solution.
Now there is a caveat. You can’t simply have an adjustable adapter ring that covers 46mm up to 82mm. H&Y has made three different versions available and those are:
- 46-62mm
- 58-77mm
- 67-82mm
The RevoRing uses German Schott Glass that has 9 layers of anti-fingerprint and waterproof nano-coating. The actual adapter ring is made out of architectural-grade aluminum.
So how does it work? In theory, the RevoRing should be pretty straightforward to use, but it can be a little fiddly to install. You need to grab the inside ring and turn and hold it while attaching it to your lens. Because the locking mechanism needs to be strong enough to grip your lens, you have to hold the inside ring open until you want to clamp it onto a lens.
As this is a CPL filter you need to position your fingers in a way so that you can turn the inside ring without turning the front ring which is used for adjusting the amount of polarization.
If you are wearing gloves this can be difficult to do. I also found that to put the filter on and take it off you really need to use two hands. This means you have to have the camera sitting on a tripod or on a flat surface.
Magnetic HD MRC Filters
The Magnetic HD MRC Filters is a series of different types of filters, including ND and Black Mist that magnetically attaches to the front of a RevoRing MRC CPL Filter or RevoRing VND+ CPL Filter.
By attaching a fixed strength of ND to the front of a RevoRing MRC CPL Filter you adjust the amount of light coming in as well as control reflections.
If you attach a Black Mist filter then you can soften your image as well as control reflections using the CPL.
How does the RevoRing MRC CPL Filter Perform?
The CPL filter works as advertised. Above you can see a quick test where I am adjusting the CPL strength. Shooting a TV or monitor is a very easy way of demonstrating and showing how a CPL works.
Does the RevoRing MRC CPL Filter & Magnetic HD MRC ND Filter create a color cast?
I did a test where I compared a straight image with no filters being used against the RevoRing MRC CPL Filter and the MRC CPL Filter with the Magnetic HD MRC ND8 Filter. I did an initial white balance with no filters being used and then I didn’t alter the white balance in any way for the tests.
What I found is that the RevoRing MRC CPL Filter does introduce a slight color cast which is fairly common with most CPL filters. The combination of the CPL filter and the ND8 filter did start to skew the image slightly towards green.
My recommendation when using any type of filter is to always white balance your camera when that filter is attached.
What does the Black Mist 1/4 Filter Look Like?
The Black Mist filter, like any type of diffusion style filter, is going to soften up your image. I was curious to see just how much it softened the image so I did a comparison test with the filter being used and then with the Black Mist 1/4 filter being used.
You certainly do lose quite a lot of sharpness and you also introduce quite a lot of halation and reduce contrast. Again, because I had to use the Black Mist filter with the CPL there is going to be a slight color shift.
Price & Availability
- H&Y RevoRing MRC CPL Filter 46-62mm $129 USD
- H&Y RevoRing MRC CPL Filter 58-77mm $139 USD
- H&Y RevoRing MRC CPL Filter 67-82mm $139 USD
- H&Y Magnetic Clip-on Filter 67-82mm (Grades: ND4, ND8, ND16, ND400) & $109 USD
- H&Y Magnetic Clip-on Filter 58-77mm (Grades: ND4, ND8, ND16, ND400) $119 USD
- H&Y Magnetic Clip-on Filter 46-62mm (Grades: ND4, ND8, ND16, ND400) $119 USD
