I was recently requested to review the Nisi Close Up filter by, Landscape Gear. For those who don’t know me, I am a Commercial Photographer and Fine Art Photographer capturing everything from Cakes to Elephants. I tried a few different scenarios and discovered that this filter is a cool addition to anyone’s camera bag. There have been many very technical reviews so I decided to be a little more creative with my findings but have to mention a few facts before I dive right in:

• Close-up filters generally degrade your image quality, but the Nisi Filter has double optical corrective glass, with an apochromatic design and multi-nano coating. This helps reduce compromised resolution or colour.
• The kit comes with a 72mm and 67mm step ring (but don’t be disappointed if this does not fit the thread of your lens, you can order additional rings at Landscape Gear, which sits in a 77mm screw-in casting as well as a great compact protective case
• Extremely affordable
• Weighs around 350grams half of what most dedicated macro lenses weigh.
• Your working distance will be 22-35cm from your subject, depending on your lens and sharpest around f8-f11

Here are my findings:

Crop Sensors and Kit Lenses:

As a tutor of photography myself, it is often with great disappointment that students, just starting as Photographers cannot afford to kit themselves out with a whole array of lenses, and one thing they all want is a MACRO lens. I decided to send this into the field during a Photowalk with our photography group to see what kit lenses and semi-pro cameras could produce. I was really impressed with both images captured on an 18 – 55mm kit lens as well as the 18 -135mm kit lens with a Canon 77D. The results were fantastic. Here are some results:

The Traveler or Lover of nature :

I had the opportunity to travel to the Kruger National Park, just before the lockdown. I was already overweight and generally struggle with FOMO and packing light, I would rather leave my clothes then my gear just in case I miss out on something cool in the field. I decided as I was primarily going to be shooting birds and animals, that taking this filter with me might not be a bad idea, and give me a chance to test it in the field. Because of its compact nature and weight, it’s the ideal travel accessory for your camera bag. I spent some time around our accommodation and used it on my Canon 24 – 70mm lens and used manual focusing. It gives great Bokeh and stunning DOF. This is also great for the nature-lover or hiker that prefers travelling light. Here is an image from the Kruger :

The Creative:

I have always liked pushing the boundaries in the field. I love abstract art and capturing images that promote engagement with my audience. Fine Art Photography is my passion, and creating art in-camera has become one of my favourite crafts. Here are some images captured with the filter and 24-70mm | 70mm – 200mm and decided to try it on my 100mm macro as well and loved the results.

The lover of the small world and photography:

The use of the Nisi Filter with our without a flash can produce some stunning macro images. Manually focusing I found produced the best results. This filter offers so much opportunity to practice all the different methods of capturing all things tiny and enhancing your craft. Here are some general images captured while trying out the filter:

The Cellphone creative:

And for those who have little ones or grandkids that would love to try macro photography, or just be creative with their mobile phones, I decided to just do something for fun with my Huawei P20 Pro.

This filter is a really great addition to anyone’s camera bag. This might not be a Macro lens per se, but for the price, quality and weight, it is a great start to your macro photography journey or improving your creative flair. Whether you are shooting weddings and would like to get something really creative with the wedding rings, love shooting all things tiny or create some art, this is a brilliant accessory.

I hope you enjoyed this blog as much as I enjoyed creating it.

If you would like to know more about this filter or would like to order one, I can assist you directly please feel free to drop me a mail or comment below and I will reply : melanie@melaniec.co.za

Love and Light

Melanie C