The great companies involved...

Formatt Hitech 10% off.

Pixpa website building platform 25% and an extra 20% off.

Skylum Luminar 4  €10.- or $10.- off worldwide.

Vanguard USA 15% off.

Novo tripods 10% off.

A few more companies will be joining me shortly also in the coming months.

Formatt Hitech Ambassador

Formatt Hitech Firecrest Filters.

The Firecrest range of filters are the only filters I personally use. They are without doubt the best filters on the market and their service is second to none also.

I am a Featured Artist, Photography Educator and Brand Ambassador for Formatt Hitech, our close working relationship continues to grow and develop with some fantastic new products on the way shortly.

Please check my discount code page here for the code and any special offers before you buy your filters.

If you have any questions then please feel free to ask, I am only too happy to help.

Pixpa website building platform.

I personally use Pixpa for two of my photography website and I will be moving all three there shortly, their platform is so easy to use and yet it at the same time you can add code and javascript to pages if you feel up to it also.

I started as a client with Pixpa and after using it for a few weeks I got chatting to them and now I am an ambassador for their products.

I have a complete blog post here on my experiences with Zenfolio, Squarespace, Wix, Wordpress and a few more including Pixpa of course.

I have also a discount code page for Pixpa where you can get the latest discount code and I also show you how to save even more money with their service click here to view it.

If you have any questions then again please feel free to ask.

Skylum Luminar 4

Luminar 4 is a great photography editing bit of software on it's own but pairing it up with Lightroom or Photoshop as a plugin in is just amazing.

That's personally how I use it and as I said above it is a great app even on its own and with €10.- or $10.- off the price its even better value than ever.

To find out more about it have a read of my blog post where I compare it to Lightroom and don't forget to check out my discount code page here, where I explain how to get the extra discounts.

If you already have Luminar 4 did you know there is a free update now to Luminar 4.3 click here to find out what's new in it.

If you have a question then as always please feel free to ask.

Vanguard USA

I can offer you 15% off all Vanguard products including tripods and awesome camera bags via their online store in the USA.

To get the latest offers and discount code please check out my discount code page here.

Novo Tripods and accessories

I am currently using a Novo tripod and I am falling in love with it more and more every day.

I use the Explora T20 and I can honestly say it's a beast of a tripod.

My review of it will be up shortly but to find out more about it and to get the discount code for their range of products then please click here.

Thanks again and if you have any questions on the above then please feel free to ask me here.

Luminar 4 review and discount code

Luminar 4 is a great bit of photography editing software and the good news is I can give you a discount to save you €10.- or $10.- on purchasing it, simply click here to get the discount.

What I love about Luminar 4 is you can buy it outright and it's really good value considering the features it has. You not renting it on a monthly basis so this is perfect for anyone on a budget or not wanting to rent Adobe products like Lightroom and Photoshop.

So Why is Luminar 4 better than most of the other editing software out there?

It's easy to use and incredibly powerful and best of all it has a cataloging feature just like Lightroom.

For the sake of transparency I should say that you get a €10.- or $10.- discount for ordering via my link but I also get a slight commision if you order Luminar 4 via one of my links. This small commission helps me write reviews like this and find more discounts for you.

Luminar 4 also has a catalogue facility which means like Lightroom you can create different catalogues for different genres of photography like Family, Landscape, Aerial photography etc....

Or to grade your images by one star all the way up to 5 star.

Portraiture and Landscape photography editing

Luminar 4 is great for not only editing your landscape photography images but also your portraiture photographs so it really is a great all rounder. You can smoothen skin and adjust to name just a few little tricks it can perform for you.

Yes you can replace skies and superimpose birds, planes and the moon as well as other things in seconds but I think most of us will love its ability to quickly edit our images above all else. 

I will be updating this page shortly with a far more detailed review and description of the Luminar 4 system, with a short video also. So please check back soon for a more detailed description on Luminar 4

If you are interested in purchasing Luminar 4, I can save you a bit of money by clicking here on Luminar 4 to save you €10.- or $10.- on your purchase.

Alternatively click below to download your free trial.

My dedicated Luminar 4 website page is here where I have a more in-depth review of its features and why I think this is an amazing bit of editing software.

Luminar 4.Trial download

I am delighted to announce I am now working with Pixpa and I can offer you 20% off their website building platform with my Pixpa discount code.

I only promote products I would use myself and personally believe in. If you would like to become one of my partners then please contact me here I would love to talk to you about it.

Pixpa

Pixpa are the all-in-one website building platform specifically for photographers and creatives.

I am super happy to be an ambassador for their web design platform as it means I can offer you 20% off with this Pixpa discount code

Kieran20

Simply enter the discount code at checkout to get 20% off your first year's price.

Incidentally it's 25% cheaper on average to subscribe for a year and then you can also get 20% off with this promo code.

You also get a free 2-week trial and a free domain name for the first 12 months click here to start your trial. 

Why Pixpa?

Well their platform is hassle free ,their chat service is second to none and they don't charge commission on their e-commerce galleries.

So, yes I get a slight commission for promoting Pixpa but I have paid for their website and moved to their platform and was using it before I was made an ambassador for their service. 

So is my review accurate? Hell yes it is, I have trusted my business to this platform and that's something I take incredibly seriously. 

To give you an idea of the research I have done... It all started when I came across Pixpa one day while reading about website design and decided to give it a try for 2 weeks on the free 2 week trial period. I had a good play with it back in November 2019, then as I got really busy at work and I had to put it to the side and forgot about it for a few months. I approached them and asked for another trial period and I got it. This time I used it a lot and loved it. 

Which brought me to purchasing it for a year... After setting up my two new website and spending over a month on and off playing with it I had a question about galleries (my stupid mistake) so I had a conversation with Pixpa staff which led to another long conversation and me being made an ambassador for their service on the 16th of March 2020. 

The advantage to all this for you is you get a nice clean website platform that works incredibly well and you get 20% off with my Pixpa discount code also so it's a real win win for everyone.

So what does Pixpa do?

 Well, with Pixpa you can create a professional website with your portfolio, online store, client galleries and blog. It is a very easy, drag-and-drop website builder which needs no coding knowledge to set-up. 

You simply build the website and pay a yearly or monthly fee and that's it, my advice here is to go for the yearly rate as it's a lot cheaper. You even get a free custom domain with annual subscriptions.

I built the two websites below on Pixpa and while they are not finished I am very happy with the system and love the design flexibility. I have also tried Squarespace and I currently have my commercial and portraiture website on Zenfolio (this one) which I hope to move shortly. Wordpress, of course, is the next option but I just don't have the weeks to figure it out and get it working. 

So if you are looking for a fast clean website builder that performs well and looks great then I highly recommend Pixpa.

You can see my two new websites below. They are not completely finished yet but then again when is a website ever finished?

www.landscapephotographyireland.com

www.propertyphotographyireland.com

Don't forget    Kieran20   to get 20% off and it's a win-win for both you and me.

When you see their prices start at less than €70.- a year and you get a custom domain name also that's incredible value. Take 20% off that with my Pixpa discount code and it so good you should no longer be reading this and heading straight to their website now :-)

Pixpa website building platform 20% off. 

Vanguard USA 15% off.

Formatt Hitech 10% off.

Thanks again for helping me and my photography journey by reading this blog.

See you out there,

Kieran.

Kieran Hayes 

Kieran Hayes Photography

Pixpa Discount code

Website review and discount code

My review of the Pixpa website building platform and my discount code to help you build your own website.

16th of June 2020

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2020/6/pixpa-discount-code-and-website-building-system-review

5.0

39

20% off

Formatt Hitech Firecrest Nightscape filter

85mm & 100mm Light pollution Filter.

Formatt Hitech Nightscape filter pouch and filter with stars as a backdropThis is a product photograph of the Firecrest Nightscape filter with the pouch it comes in.

I have an up to date review of the Nightscape filter on my new Landscape Photography website please click here to read it.

This is my first thoughts review of the Formatt Hitech Firecrest Nightscape light pollution filter which is available in 85mm and 100mm.

It's like magic, pop it on and the pollution is gone.

I will be posting updates as my experiences with the filter progress.

The shots posted here have been provided by Formatt Hitech, I have used the filter twice now just in test conditions to make sure it really does work well. I will be posting my own photographs taken with the filter shortly once I get out in the right conditions.

Nightscape filter from Formatt Hitech This is a photograph of the nightscape filter on it's own. This filter reduces light pollution in Astro photography.

So first things first Formatt Hitech supplied me with this filter so I could review it they have also provided me with a discount code for 10% off of their products with code HAYES10 via their website and for the sake of transparency I should also say I get a slight kickback from sales made.

Ok, so what does this filter do for you?

The simple answer is it removes light pollution normally an orange coloured light in photographs. No, it doesn't just remove the colour Orange but rather the frequency of sodium street lighting. There are probably tons of technical reviews and better explanations of how this filter actually works but I find the images below are more than enough proof for me.

Does it work?

Hell yes, see the photographs below to see how well it does its job. Forget the composition and and just look at the complete elimination of light pollution. Yes some may say that the left image is warmer but the sky is not normally warm at night and this gives you a very false photograph. The after image gives you a accurate portrayal of our skies. 

Before and after the nightscape filter is appliedThis photograph shows two shots comparing the before and after shots with and without the nightscape filter.

Before and AfterTwophotographs showing the before and after effects of the nightscape filter.

Should you buy it?

Well if you are a night photography fan, so either an Astro or cityscape photographer then yes it should be already be in your bag, so why are you still reading this? Click here for the Formatt Hitech night filter and buy it today and get 10% off with code HAYES10 too as my little gift to you. 

This filter fits beautifully in the Formatt Hitech Firecrest 100mm filter holder which I have reviewed here.

A few points to note though. This filter is a coated filter so you need to be careful not to scratch the coating (same as most filters). All the rest of the Formatt Hitech Firecrest range of filters are bonded filters and the nd coating is sandwiched between two plates of bonded optical glass so scratching them is a lot more difficult.

Would this filter go in my bag?

The simple answer is yes, is it in my top 5 favourite filters? Well no it's not but then again I am not a Nightscape shooter, if I were this would always be in my bag.

For a bit more about my Landscape & Seascape photography and a few tips and tricks please click here

Firecrest Nightscape filterA photograph showing the cleaning cloth, filter pouch and nightscape filter.

Formatt Hitech Firecrest Nightscape filter review

9th January 2020

Formatt Hitech Firecrest Nightscape Filter

My first thoughts of the Formatt Hitech Nightscape filter and if it is worth it or does it even work?

Kieran Hayes

5.0 Star

38 ratings

Kieran Hayes Photography

Formatt Hitech

£116.10

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2020/1/formatt-hitech-firecrest-nightscape-filter

My review of the Colby Brown signature edition landscape photography kit from Formatt Hitech.

Colby Brown Signature edition Landscape kitWhat inside the Colby Brown Signature edition Landscape kit and why buy it.

I have an updated review of the Colby Brown filter kit up on my new landscape photography website, please click here to read it.

As a Brand Ambassador and Featured Artist and for transparency I should add that Formatt Hitech gives me a budget every year for filters for my workshops and I get a slight commission from sales.

I should also add I was using their filters already and purchased them with my own hard-earned money before I was asked to be an Ambassador. I was also asked by two other companies but refused politely.
 

The great news is an Ambassador I can offer you an additional 10% off selected Formatt Hitech products with discount code HAYES10, simply enter it at checkout on the Formatt Hitech website.

This kit is perfect for someone looking for a reverse graduated filter and also looking to do shorter long exposure images, the kit has two graduated filters and is great at balancing out your exposures.

So if you are a sunrise or sunset shooter then you will enjoy this kit.

So what's in the kit?

You get all of the below...

• Firecrest 100mm ND 1.8

• Firecrest 100x150mm ND Soft Edge Grad 0.6 (2 stop) 

• Firecrest 100x150mm ND Reverse Grad 0.6 (2 stop)

• Firecrest 100mm Filter Kit

  • 100mm Filter Holder

  • Soft Touch Outer Case

  • 82-82mm Rotating Adaptor Ring

  • 67-82mm Step Ring

  • 72-82mm Step Ring

  • 77-82mm Step Ring

  • Firecrest 82mm Ultraslim polariser

• Filter pouches

• Exclusive Colby Brown booklet

See my video below on the Firecrest 100mm filter holder that's included in this kit and why I believe it's the best 100mm filter holder out there.

Getting back to the kit...

So first things first I have to say the quality of the product is second to none. Beautifully presented and delivered to your door worldwide for a great price. 

Would I buy the kit personally? Well, probably not as it doesn't suit my particular style of photography. In saying that it could be absolutely perfect for yours. If it is then it really is a complete bargain. My personal go-to kit is the Elia Locardi kit click here to learn more about it.

You get the complete kit for £449.99 + £5.- delivery.

With the extra 10% it's only £409.99

A Firecrest reverse grad on its own is £225.-

The filter holder is £156.91

The six-stop pro nd filter is £98.99

The 2 stop graduated filter is £135.99

Making the price if bought separately £616.89

So buying the kit and using the discount code saves you a staggering £206.89 

Now priced at £449.99 +£5.- shipping at £454.99 it's good value for money but if you enter discount code HAYES10 at checkout you get 10% off so it's just £410.- delivered to your door.

Colby Brown filter kit boxThe box of the Colby Brown filter kit. This box holds the filters, filter holder, cpl etc...

Going back to the products themselves.

The Firecrest filter holder.

Is a beautiful bit of kit, with the extra light shield adaptors you can actually stack ND filters. Yes, you can use a 4 & 10 stop filter together at the same time making it a 14 stop filter. How fantastic is that?

Again the extra light shields help protect your filters from sea spray and light rain, for a real in-depth review of the Firecrest filter holder click here where I go into a lot more detail.

Colby brown filter kit contentsThis is a flat lay of the Colby Brown filter kit and it's contents.

Firecrest Pro filters

The Firecrest Pro series of filters are colour neutral, incredibly hard-wearing and the sharpest filters I have ever used (just like the Ultra's).

So what's the hard-wearing part about? 

A filter is a filter, right?

Well, that's wrong... The way the Firecrest filters are made they actually sandwich the ND coating in between two slivers of glass. Yes, the filters are made of two thin sheets of glass and not one.

This has two advantages.

Firstly the ND coating can't be scratched as it's protected by glass on both sides and secondly due to the construction of the bonded glass it makes the filters more resilient to damage than a standard filter.

Again I have an in-depth review of the Firecrest Pro filters here

Ultra Kit

The same applies for the Ultra kit but there is a difference between the pro's and Ultra's Click here for my in-depth review of the Ultra filters.

What other filters would I buy?

I would add the 10 stop or 3.0 ND Firecrest Pro filter.

If I were looking for a great all-round starter kit then I would go for the Elia Locardi kit as it has the same filter holder, a 4 stop and 10 stop nd filter and a 3 stop graduated filter. So yes there is no Reverse grad filter in the kit but you can always buy that afterwards. I have a blog post up on the Elia Locardi kit here.

For a bit more about my Landscape & Seascape photography and a few tips and tricks please click here

If you have any filter related questions then feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] or click here 

Thanks for taking the time to read my review and enjoy those filters, you won't regret it.

Formatt Hitech Colby Brown signature edition filter kit review

4th January 2020

Elia Locardi

Kieran Hayes

5.0 Star

19 ratings

Kieran Hayes Photography

Formatt Hitech

£409.99

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2020/1/colby-brown-signature-edition-filter-kit

Formatt Hitech Black Friday discount code is HAYES20.

This sale is now over but you can still get 10% off with Code HAYES10

The best available discount code worldwide.

Black Friday Formatt Hitech Discount code 2019Black Friday discount code for Formatt Hitech filters

HAYES20 gives you 20% discount off all Formatt Hitech products.

Simply add the discount code when you are checking out, the code simply goes in the discount box.

Click here for their worldwide website   

or   

Click here for the USA website.

If you would like to stay up to date with the latest offers from Fotmatt Hitech then please sign up to my newsletter below.

The kit I recommended is The Elia Locardi Filter kit there are a wide range of kits available with some great savings for buying in kit form. Click here to see the kits available.

This sale is now over but you can still get 10% off with code HAYES10

HAYES20

is currently the best discount code worldwide. 

Formatt Hitech is offering some amazing deals.

With 20% off all products

Use code  HAYES20 at checkout to get 20% off.

As Sterling is weak now and with these great deals and the great kits available at Formatt Hitech I highly recommend buying the Elia Locardi 100mm Pro filter kit or the Ultra kit if your budget stretches that far.

Normally by buying this as a kit, you save £80.- but now with 20% off and a weak pound versus Euro its an offer no to be missed.

It really is an absolute steal at the moment, I can't emphasise that enough.

So click here and buy it quickly

In the USA? then Click here for the US site.

Elia Locardi Formatt Hitech filter kitBox and packaging of the Elia Locardi Formatt Hitech Firecrest Pro 100mm filter kit.

Elia Locardi 100mm Formatt Hitech filter kit review, Pro and Ultra versions.
 

I have an update to this review over on my new landscape photography website just click here to read it.

Additional 10% off all Formatt Hitech products with discount code HAYES10, simply enter it at checkout on the Formatt Hitech website.

Buy this kit for only £364.49

As a photographer, I regularly run Landscape and Seascape photography workshops in beautiful Ireland. Where I can guarantee these filters are pushed completely to their limits.

I am always asked on these workshops which filters would you buy?

I have been a fan of the Formatt Hitech filters for many years now and some of you will probably know I am a brand ambassador and Featured Artist for their products. It has been a complete honour for me to be partnered with such an amazing and passionate company for over two years now.

So getting back to the question, which filters should you buy? My default answer is the Elia Locardi 100mm Firecrest Pro or Ultra filter kit.

At £364.49 for the Pro Kit after the discount code HAYES10 is applied, it's incredibly good value for money.

They are such good value for money that I recently got two kits for myself.

As a Brand Ambassador and for transparency I should add that Formatt Hitech gives me a budget every year for filters for my workshops. I should also add I was using their filters already and purchased them with my own hard-earned money before I was asked to be an Ambassador. I was also asked by two other companies but refused politely.

Buying all the pieces separately would cost you £490.88 + £5.00 shipping £495.88 after 10% discount is £446.79

So you save £81.80 and you also get a free filter wallet in the deal.

Why buy this kit?

Well, that's simple, it comes with everything you need in a starting set.

Just look at what you get.

Contents

Elia Locardi Ultra and Pro filter kit contentsThis is the contents of the Elia Locardi Formatt Hitech 100mm Ultra and Pro filter kit.
 

1.-Firecrest 100mm filter holder.

1.- Firecrest ND1.2 (4 stops) Great for shorter long exposure photographs.

1.-Firecrest ND3.0 (10 stops) Ideal for Normal long exposure photographs.

1.-Firecrest ND Soft Edge Grad 0.9 (3 stop Graduated filter) A great graduated filter to help balance most images.

1.-Circular polarising filter.

3.- Adaptor rings incl.. 67mm, 72mm and 77mm adaptor threads and the holder has an 82mm thread built-in.

1.- Filter holder wallet

Now priced at £399.99 +£5.- shipping at £404.99 it's good value for money but if you enter discount code HAYES10 at checkout you get 10% off so it's just £364.49 delivered to your door.

At £364.49 for a filter holder, 3 filters, adaptor rings and a filter wallet it's fantastic value for money.

Going back to the products themselves.

The Firecrest filter holder.

Is a beautiful bit of kit, with the extra light shield adaptors you can actually stack ND filters. Yes, you can use the 4 & 10 stop filters together at the same time making it a 14 stop filter.

Again the extra light shields help protect your filters from sea spray and light rain, for a real in-depth review of the Firecrest filter holder click here where I go into a lot more detail.

Firecrest Pro filters

The Firecrest Pro series of filters are colour neutral, incredibly hard-wearing and the sharpest filters I have ever used (just like the Ultra's).

So what's the hard-wearing part about? 

A filter is a filter, right?

Well, that's wrong... The way the Firecrest filters are made they actually sandwich the ND coating in between two slivers of glass. Yes, the filters are made of two thin sheets of glass and not one.

This has two advantages.

Firstly the ND coating can't be scratched as it's protected by glass on both sides and secondly due to the construction of the bonded glass it makes the filters more resilient to damage than a standard filter.

Again I have an in-depth review of the Firecrest Pro filters here

Ultra Kit

The same applies for the Ultra kit but there is a difference between the pro's and Ultra's Click here for my in-depth review of the Ultra filters.

I also have reviews of the following filter kits the...

Colby Brown signature edition landscape kit here

For a bit more about my Landscape & Seascape photography and a few tips and tricks please click here

What other filters would I buy?

If I were buying another add-on filter it would be the six stop or 1.8 ND Pro filter.

If you have any filter related questions then feel free to drop me an email at [email protected] or click here 

Thanks for taking the time to read my review and enjoy those filters, you won't regret it.

My Formatt Hitech Firecrest Ultra filters review.

Firecrest Graduated neutral density filterThis is a product shot of a 3 stop firecrest ultra graduated neutral density filter. Made by Formatt Hitech.

I have also a Review on the new Firecrest Pro range of filters here.

Ok, so yes as a Firecrest brand ambassador some will say my review will be tainted but I was already using their products anyway and purchased them with my own hard-earned money.

My name and reputation are also worth a lot more to me than anything a filter manufacturer can offer.

So if your looking for a company that wants to produce the best products possible and grow via photographers reviews then read on.

If not then also have a read as I explain why Formatt Hitech is more then just exceptionally passionate about their products.

The best just got cheaper

HAYES10 

As an official Formatt Hitech brand ambassador, I am delighted to be able to offer you this fantastic discount code. Just apply the code HAYES10 at checkout in the promo code box and get 10% off. 

This is currently the best Promo or discount code available worldwide.

There are occasionally some amazing special offers which I post Here. 

To subscribe to my mailing list to get the latest Formatt Hitech Firecrest special offers and discount codes as they happen click Here.

Review

So I thought it was about time I had a serious in-depth look into the Firecrest Ultra range of filters and the results they have produced for me in comparison to their competition.

The Firecrest Ultra range of neutral density filters are supposedly second to none, firstly for their colour neutrality and secondly for their unique design.

I say supposedly second to none as for now we really don't know any of the facts.

So let's have a detailed look and make up our own minds.

Ok, on first inspection the neutrality is groundbreaking, I have tried shots both with and without filters on location and in the studio and can't see any difference at all. The normal Firecrest filters were exceptional but these Ultras seem to be another leap ahead again.

So is this worth the expense of changing to Ultras?

Well no it's not, the standard Firecrest range where amazing anyway.

So I guess that's it then, what else can a filter possibly do for you?

10 Stop Firecrest Ultra Neutral density filter.This is a product shot of a 10 stop Formatt Hitech Firecrest Ultra nd filter.

Also we all know they are a serious investment and something you don't want to be purchasing too often right?

Speaking of investments if you want to see my starter filter kit recommendation for the Pro or Ultra filter kits then click here. 

Back to the questions again...

These questions lead me to discover exactly how serious this company is. Not only about their manufacturing process but also their customers that invest in their products.

So for me, I had to impartially have a look at filters again and they raised two concerns for me.

1. Colour neutrality, 

(let's just go ahead and tick that box).

2. Longevity,

the length of time we expect our filters to last. Something I am always aware of as let's face it they aren't cheap.

3. Yes, I said two concerns there wasn't supposed to be a 3rd concern but then I did my research. Wasn't expecting this one at all it's something I never really thought about.

Optical performance!

I can imagine most of you are probably sitting forward in your seats now and saying what the hell is he on about now it's just a sheet of glass, glass is flat end of story.

Well, I just went and educated myself a little.

After a discussion with the tech guru's over at Formatt Hitech, I can tell you this information on how they produce the Ultra filters...

The hyper neutral filter coating is sandwiched between two plates of bonded glass making the coating impossible to scratch, unlike other manufacturers. Well, that's a great design feature for someone like me that works a lot by the coast with sand, sea spray and the odd bit of seaweed flying at me.

The crazy unexpected added bonus of this processes is as the filters are manufactured of bonded glass they are more resilient to impact than their competitors. So harder to scratch and more resilient now that already had my wallet open but there is more.

I have to say they really went above and beyond with this final part of the process.

As a photographer I love to be in control of my equipment and treat every single piece with both love and hate, we all know the more equipment you have in your exposure the greater the probability of imperfections in your final image.

So we stand there with our camera, lens, tripod, filters and filter holder all costing anywhere from €1,000 to €10,000 for most of us and this little sliver of glass you purchased for €80.- to €190.- or so has a huge input into your image...

Now stop and think about that for a second. Yes I mean REALLY think about that.....

Remember when you purchased your camera and weighed up the pro's and con's of that specific model the minute details we looked into, the model's spec's and if the next step up was worth the €300 or €1,000 premium.

I won't even mention the lens we thought about and drooled over for weeks or months until we finally purchased the one we wanted.

All of this purely because they were just that tiny little fraction better than the rest. Money always well spent in my mind. So why not look at filters in the same way?  

The performance per pound on high-end equipment is a little disappointing when you compare the difference a good set of filters can make versus an ok set and the price difference involved.

Back to the process...

The final step in the ultra's manufacturing process is something that I struggled to come to terms with for a while if I am really honest with you. I seriously wondered what the hell is that all about.

Once the filters have been formed and by most manufacturers standards ready to ship, the perfectionists over at Formatt Hitech go ahead and run another process known as "lapping and polishing" which involves grinding down the filters to ensure they are completely optically flat.

Yes, you read that right they actually grind down the finished product to as close to optical perfection as possible and then they are polished again.

This process kills off any minute imperfections in the glass making them the sharpest filters and most optically perfect filters on the market today.

Ok, I have flirted with Lee Filters the English filter company and Nisi from China but settled for the sheer passion of the Welsh company Formatt Hitech.

This is the sort of attention to detail that I originally loved about the Firecrest filters and where I found kindred spirits.

As photographers, we crave control and try to encapsulate in a single photograph what has appeared in our mind as sort of a warped dream which we dragged from the reality before us.

This is our passion, our dream and our everything. So for me finding a company that not only gets that but also pushes the boundaries forward helping us to realise these dreams is nothing short of amazing.

So a filter is a filter, right?

Same way as all cameras are the same, it's all just a gimmick.

Well, that's so very wrong, filters come in various shapes and sizes but also more importantly different qualities.

You get what you pay for, like with anything else in life it all comes down to the fact that quality matters.

Take the leap and let the "fire in" you will never look back.

If you're interested in Seascape Photography then have a look at my blog post.

Alternatively, have a look at my Long Exposure Photography blog.

Don't forget the discount or promo code HAYES10 for 10% off all their products via their Website at checkout. 

I have a blog post up on the Firecrest 100mm filter holder Here if you're interested.

Laowa 12mm lens filter holderFirecrest filter holder on a Venus optics Laowa 12mm Lens.

So I made an amazing discovery a few weeks ago which has opened up a whole new world of photography to me.

My Firecrest 100mm filter holder can be mounted on my Laowa lens with no extra brackets or adaptors. Yes, 100mm filters will work on a 12mm full frame rectilinear lens... how amazing is that?

Speaking of amazing... there is currently 10% off all Formatt Hitech products with discount code HAYES10 simply enter the code at checkout on the Formatt Hitech website. 

So how did I get to this point?

Well one evening I sat down looking at my lens and Firecrest filter holder wondering if I could marry the two together. After about 20 mins trying different techniques, there was a burst of some beautifully pronounced swear words while looking at lens hoods and extra lens petals and diameters etc..

Before I reveal how I got it to work I have to say you do this at your own risk, if you push or pull it too hard then there is a danger of possibly damaging the lens. Once you apply even pressure it goes on with a bit of resistance, it does work just don't use a hammer :-)

The cpl CAN NOT be used with this lens sadly. So don't try fitting it to the rotating ring adaptor.

Now as I said above you do this at you're own risk and care should be taken. It has worked perfectly for me now for over two weeks on numerous shoots.

I should also say sorry for the poor quality photographs, it's late on a Friday night and I was in a rush. 

Back to fitting on the filter holder.

I had a eureka moment and I tried the 77mm rotating ring adaptor on the lens with the lens hood off, it was so incredibly close to sliding on, I considered sanding down the rotating ring fractionally but thought better of it. I mean there was only about one mm in it, the levels of frustration were reaching crescendo now. To be so close and yet 1mm was standing in the way...

It was then I tried the 77mm thread adaptor ring which comes with the kit first day and it was nearly a perfect fit. A bit tight but sliding it on and off a few times and it was a near perfect.

Alternative side view of a firecrest filter holder on the Laowa 12mm Lens.

So just to explain, I took the lens hood off and the 77mm filter thread adaptor slid on over the barrel of the lens, now this wasn't loose there was a good bit of tension there so I gently walked or pushed it one side at a time. It went on...   next I threaded on the 82mm rotating ring adaptor, which of course went on beautifully.

Now the moment of truth would the filter holder actually go on and would it work?

Ok we all know it did or otherwise I wouldn't be writing this :-)

So yes it works and I tried a test shot, no vignetting even with a 10 stop filter. I was more than a little surprised, the best filter holder in the world now fits on a 12mm rectilinear lens with little to no vignetting on 100mm filters, that is completely crazy.

Side view Firecrest filter holderA side view of the Firecrest filter holder on the 12mm Laowa lens.

Now if you use the extra light shield caps on the firecrest holder you will be catching those in the shot then alright. So I kept mine off.

Once it's on properly you can use 100mm filters with no vignetting just don't use the extra light shields  and the polarising filter won't fit so don't even try to use it.

If you're interested in purchasing a Firecrest Filter holder I am delighted to be able to offer you 10% discount off all Formatt Hitech products via their website, simply enter code HAYES10 at checkout to save money.

Laowa 12mm lens and Firecrest filter holderHow to fit the Formatt Hitech filter holder to a Laowa 12mm lens.

So how wide is this lens?

Well below is the first test shot I took with the holder and a 6 stop filter. 

As you can see I actually caught the tripod leg... It's that wide.

I will be adding more photographs this blog as time goes on.

My favourite Firecrest starter filter kit is exceptional value for money, to find out more then click here.  

See you out there,

Kieran.

Galley Head Lighthouse one of West Corks most beautiful destinations. Galley Head Light houseSunset at Galley Head Lighthouse, West Cork, Ireland taken with a drone.

Please find an update to this blog on my new Landscape photography website by clicking here.

Originally built-in 1875 and completely commissioned in 1878, it was the brightest lighthouse in the world at this time.

It truly is a remarkable sight from the air, the rugged coastline in front of the lighthouse stick out like fingers floating in the sea.

This can be seen clearly in the aerial video below. Please read on for more information on this iconic landmark.

Galley Head lighthouseGalley Head Lighthouse, west corks hidden gem.

The lighthouse is built on a 40m+ high headland known as Dundeady Island which is joined to the mainland by an isthmus, the ruins of
Dundeady castle can also still be seen on the island.

The light from the lighthouse is said to be at least 53m above high tide level and can be seen from over 23 nautical miles away now.

Galley Head 5Galley Head Lighthouse from Red Strand beach.

A point little known about the lighthouse locally is when it was completed in 1878 it was the brightest lighthouse in the world.

To this day it is still one of the brightest in Europe with its beam visible for over 23 nautical miles.

Galley Head lighthouse Galley Head Lighthouse from the Eastern side, with the sun setting in the background and the grass going a little golden.
 

This is where history possibly meets folklore now but Galley head lighthouse was said to be the only lighthouse in the world to have its beam shining back towards land. Exactly how this happened as of yet is not confirmed but rumour has it that when Lord Carbery had the sultan of Turkey over for a visit the Sultan standing at one of the many windows in Lord Carbery's Castlefreke Castle, asked what the building standing on the headland was. When Lord Carbery explained its purpose the Sultan enquired as to why the lighthouse didn't shine back on land.

Shortly afterwards it's rumoured that Lord Carbery had two more panes of glass installed so the light could be seen from the castle and shone back on the land around Castlefreke and West of the Lighthouse. Is this true? Well, I am lead to believe it is, part of me also possibly wants to believe it.

The lighthouse was built by building contractors William M. Murphy of Bantry between 1873 and 1878. They built all the house walls and tower for the Lighthouse but not the lantern itself.

The original lantern was powered by gas but was changed over to Parrafin in 1907 and again to electricity in 1969 and then in 1979 it was fully automated.

When you consider this lighthouse has withstood the ravages of the sea for over 143 years now and think of the sights it has seen over the years from small wooden sailing boats to the now super tankers passing along the horizon.

This place is the Wild Atlantic way all rolled into one small place.

Beautiful, rugged, peaceful, incredibly wild and finally just breathtaking.

Don't just take my word for it, go see it for yourself.

For a bit more about my Landscape & Seascape photography and a few tips and tricks please click here
 

These images can all be purchased and shipped directly to you.

A4 and A3 photographs with free shipping free worldwide.

I used Firecrest photography filters for most of these photographs, click here to see the exceptional value for money filter kit I recommend.

Galley Head Lighthouse and surroundsA view of Galley Head Lighthouse and the surrounds shot with a drone at sunset. Galley Head Lighthouse from aboveA photograph of Galley Head Lighthouse from above as the last light from the sunset drifts across the sky.

Before you hurry off to email me about your amazing plans and your wedding details please read this short text as it explains what I do and will help tell you if I am your photographer for the day or not. 

So I am delighted to announce that I will now be providing a full range of wedding & blessing photography again.

Now you might well say why "again?" well its as simple as this...

I loved those wedding days and all those little moments I could capture for the couple, the fleeting glances, those cheeky smiles and those moments of pure love.

What I didn't miss was the stress and the huge crowds, so now I am only doing smaller weddings and blessings. If you are having over 100 people attend your wedding then I am not the photographer for you.

So if you're having a large wedding I am not your photographer but there are several photographers I can also recommend locally.

So back to the sales pitch...

I provide a range of wedding photography for blessings, both inside and outside and smaller weddings.

I don't do large weddings as I honestly just don't enjoy them, so if you're having an outside event or a smaller wedding then I am definitely your man.

After shooting loads of weddings over the years I just decided to stop for the simple reason they were a bit too stressful and I just didn't enjoy them. A part of me missed them but it was the smaller more relaxed ones I missed.

So if your a relaxed couple looking for some amazing outside photographs I really and honestly would love to work with you.

If ye are the adventurous type then all the better again.
 

Yes, this all seems a bit mad I know but I either do something 100% or not at all. 

That's always the way I have worked and I can't see myself changing anytime soon either.

So if you're still reading this I would like to say a big Hi and I would love to meet you both to chat about your big day.

I absolutely love photography and I always aim to include this energy in my images.

Let's face it the world is thankfully an incredibly diverse place now and why not let your individuality shine on your special day.

It's an incredible day in in both your lives filled with lots of beautiful moments. Which of course are vitally important not just now but for decades to come.

My aim is to capture those moments and freeze them in time forever through the art of photography.

Every photographer has a different style and my own personal style is to be as invisible as possible on the day while still capturing those special moments. I love going around hiding in corners taking candid shots of people smiling or just having a bit of fun.

I personally prefer a relaxed style where the images tend to be as natural as possible while still documenting your day. Of course, there are still the standard family, extended family and friends photographs.

All digitally processed images are available to download via my website or on a flash drive for printing at a location of your choice. Images are delivered within two weeks after your wedding day. I can also supply a range of wedding albums for your precious memories if ye want.

Prices starting at €700.-

So click here to send me a message

or 

Click here to view my wedding photography page

Wedding photographers West CorkWedding photographer based in West Cork Ireland.

A sample of my wedding and blessing photography.This is a sample of my Blessing and weddingphotograaphy from around Clonakilty, West Cork, Cork, Ireland. I cover the beautiful counties of Cork and Kerry.

Cork and Kerry wedding photographyI provide wedding and blessing photography in Clonakilty, West Cork and cover Cork and Kerry.

Kieran Hayes Wedding Photography Cork and Kerry.

11th January 2020

Kieran Hayes Photography

Wedding and blesssing photography in Cork and Kerry by Kieran Hayes.

Kieran Hayes

5.0 Star

38 ratings

Kieran Hayes Photography

€700.-

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2018/10/wedding-photography-cork-ireland

Formatt Hitech Firecrest Pro filter review.

I have an update to this blog post here https://www.landscapephotographyireland.com/firecrest-pro-filters

I received a sample set of Firecrest Pro filters from Formatt Hitech on Friday the 26th of October for the purposes of this review. I tried to get them earlier but the demand was just too high.

While I am a Firecrest brand ambassador for their products I treat every product with as much scrutiny as I always did.

As an official Formatt Hitech brand ambassador and Featured artist, I am delighted to be able to offer you this fantastic discount code. Just apply the code HAYES10 at checkout in the promo code box and get 10% off.

This is the best Promo or discount code available worldwide.

I also have a review of the Formatt Hitech Firecrest Ultra filters here

Unusually I am going to give you my conclusion before I even start this review.

If your considering buying these filters then just do it. It's as simple as that. Incredible value for money and they leave my old Lee and Nisi filters looking very bad indeed, they even make the older Firecrest filters look bad.

For my recommended Firecrest filter starter kit click here, this kit is exceptional value for money and has everything you need starting out.

The Firecrest Pro range of filters has to be the best-kept photography secret in the world.

If you want to know exactly why and how I came to this conclusion or to see images taken with the filters and what's in the box with them then please read on or watch the short video below. The updated video will be released shortly.

Colour neutrality has always been a big issue when it comes to filters, well that and vignetting.

The two photographs below were shot only 8 seconds apart. It takes me that long to change settings and take off the filter.

With regard to colour neutrality, I think you will agree there is absolutely no difference between the two raw shots. One with a filter and one bare lens.

As regards vignetting the shot with the filter has actually less vignetting!!!

With regard to colour neutrality, these are every bit as good as the Ultra filters, they are without a doubt the best filters I have ever tested!!! Read my review of the Ultra Filters Here.

The below shot are straight out of the camera with no editing involved, they were taken with... Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 lens at 16mm & F11 ISO64 with a Firecrest Pro 10 stop Neutral Density Filter in the Firecrest filter holder at 30 seconds. A photograph with the filterThis photograph is taken with a 10 stop Firecrest Pro Filter attached.

The below shot was Taken with... Nikon D850, Nikkor 16-35mm F4 lens at 16mm & F11 ISO64 at 1/30th of a second with no filter.
This photograph has no filter attachedThis photograph was taken a few seconds later with no filter attached.

The above are not beautiful photographs and completely unedited with identical settings apart from the shutter speed.

There is no vignetting at all in the filter shot, in the non-filter shot there appears to be a very slight vignette.

When I said above go buy these filters I was incredibly serious.

Via the Formatt Hitech website this filter is only £98.99 which with postage comes to £103.99 but take your 10% discount via HAYES10 and it's only £94.09 delivered direct to your door.

That's incredible value for money.

So back to the filters.
 

They are not only groundbreaking but sharp as a tack also, with no colour cast.

So on first inspection, the filters come with a really nice filter case which seems to have a plastic sub-structure to it making it very rigid and ideal for busy camera bags, during my review I was very rough with the filters while they were in the case and they comfortably put up with a lot of abuse.

The case has a nice magnetic catch on it and a soft suede effect inside lining which will help protect your precious filters.

They also provide an exposure chart and a filter cleaning cloth with each filter. Now that is a really nice touch.

The below shot was captured with a 6 stop pro filter and a 3 stop graduated filter, it was shot in Raw on a Nikon D850 with a 16-35mm F4 lens at 16mm. This is the unedited shot.

Long Strand Beach with Firecrest pro filtersA photograph taken at Long Strand Beach with the firecrest pro filters during my filter review.

This shot was never intended to be posted anywhere I just took it while trying out the filters but the results speak for themselves.

Below is the processed shot. Which needed a few tiny little tweaks in Lightroom to bring it back to the way I saw it.

The processed photograph from the Firecrest pro filter reviewThis is the processed or edited photograph from the Firecrest Pro filter review.

Now I have to say I am not sure which version I prefer more. Considering this was shot in Raw and unedited is staggering.

Even looking at the sharpness and detail in the shot, it's just incredible.

So getting back to the filters and how did I get on?

Well on first inspection I actually couldn't tell the difference between the Standard Firecrest filters and the pro range. Which was a little disturbing.

These are sample filters, the production models will include their name "Pro" etched on the glass as the Ultras have.

Holding both filters up to the light you could see the Pro's were incredibly colour neutral and were a step ahead of the Firecrest standard filters in that regard.

So using them on the camera, was like any other filter they worked and I clearly couldn't see anything different.

It was only when I returned home from the none eventful sunset that I spotted the difference.

So are they better than the standard Firecrest filters?

Yes, clearly sharper and more colour neutral.

How do they compare with the Ultras?

That is the real question and something I am going to take a few days to look at. Knowing Formatt Hitech the Ultras are possibly slightly better though.

Before you buy any Formatt Hitech filters you really should read this.

The cheapest place to buy any Firecrest filters, kits or holders is directly off Formatt Hitech's official website and using the discount code HAYES10 at checkout you get an instant 10% discount off everything they sell.

Check Amazon and eBay they are both a lot dearer!!!

For example, let's take the Firecrest 100mm filter holder.

Amazon is £166.05 + £9.99 postage           total £176.04

eBay are currently £165.00 + £12.00 postage total £177.00

Formatt Hitech website price with my discount code £146.22 including postage.

So go direct, use my voucher code and save almost £30.-

That's just about 20% cheaper than Amazon and eBay.

To see today's best Formatt Hitech special offers or discount codes please click Here.

 I will be comparing the new Firecrest Pro filters to the Firecrest Ultra filters and also the now old "standard Firecrest" range of filters.

Really curious to see the difference between the different ranges. 

Every filter I have in my bags was bought with my own hard-earned money, so I know any bit you can save on buying new filters really helps.

Firecrest Pro filters spec's and how they are different from the Ultra filters.

So the main difference between the Firecrest Ultra's and the Firecrest pro filters is the final stage of production where they lap or polish the filters.

This is explained fully further down in the official press release.

This basically means there is no tolerance for imperfections with the Ultras.

The Pro filters will be as completely colour neutral as the Ultra filters, now that really is excellent news.

The Pro filters have a new addition though...

The edging of the filters is also coated.

This means on graduated filters there is no possibility of light leaking in from the sides of the glass.

For a bit more about my Landscape & Seascape photography and a few tips and tricks please click here
 

What Formatt Hitech have said so far about the new pro range.

The Firecrest Pro builds on the history and success of the Firecrest Brand.

Our filters are manufactured using a rare earth metal coating, which is applied directly onto the glass using our advanced multi-coating technology. This is then bonded between further layers of the finest Schott Superwhite optical glass to provide industry-leading scratch resistance and longevity.

For complete light leakage protection, a component on blackout edging is applied to completely alleviate the risk of light leak that can occur through unprotected filter edges.

The Firecrest Pro 2mm range is available in 100x100mm 2mm Standard NDs and 100x150mm 2mm Graduated NDs.

A Short History of Firecrest

Firecrest were the first photographic filters to use multiple layers to achieve neutral coatings, bringing unprecedented neutrality to the market. To ensure the filters were as durable as possible, they bonded the coating in the centre of two pieces of optical grade polished glass (using a very precise amount of an equally neutral bonding agent, developed in their own laboratories.) This process gave the filters two vital areas of protection:

• The critical part of the filter, the Neutral Density coating was shielded from wear and tear, instead of a coated filter where one piece of glass is coated on the outside and protected with an anti-scratch treatment. No matter how good the anti-scratch coating, it’s not as tough as glass.

• They have more structural strength than a single piece of glass.

That’s not to say that coated filters don’t have their place in the market. They are considerably cheaper to produce and so can give similar optical results as bonded filters for, in theory, a much smaller price; the only sacrifice being durability.

So what is ‘Ultra’ about Firecrest Ultra?

At the same time as they launched Firecrest 2mm to the photographic market, they also launched Firecrest 4mm for the cinema and broadcast market. They were similar in construction to Firecrest 2mm, however, had a second polishing phase, crucial to the needs of motion pictures.

After bonding and polishing, these filters undergo an additional process referred to as “lapping and polishing”. This involves grinding the filters to ensure they are perfectly flat, and then highly polishing the outside to ensure complete clarity. This is essential for video capture as any minute waves or imperfections in the glass, would manifest as a ripple in the image when the cameras are panning (an exaggerated version of this effect can be seen when looking through very old windows.)

Formatt-Hitech have now improved the Firecrest range so that the new Firecrest Ultra filters undergo this same process. As a result, Firecrest Ultra filters were the first bonded, then lapped and polished filters available in the photographic market. They have a lower reflectivity than earlier filters with the clarity and sharpness, even at longer focal lengths; unprecedented in photo filters, whilst still delivering the neutrality that made Firecrest so popular in the first instance.

The Firecrest Ultra product was already profiled last year, in a limited way, as their ‘Eclipse’ filter range. The quality and clarity helped them to outsell all other filters in the marketplace for the full solar eclipse in North America last year. These filters were made in the highest densities ever seen in the photographic market – up to 24 stops – and these high densities are being retained in the Firecrest Ultra range, for use as extreme long exposure filters.

The Firecrest Pro Filters builds on the history and success of the Firecrest brand. The filters are manufactured using a rare earth metal coating which is applied directly onto the polished glass using their advanced multi coating technology. This is then bonded between further layers of the finest Schott Superwhite optical glass to provide industry leading scratch resistance and longevity.

Furthermore, for complete light protection, a component of blackout edging is added to assist in alleviating the risk of light leak that can occur through unprotected filter edges.

Kieran Hayes

Kieran Hayes Photography

Formatt Hitech Firecrest pro filter review

A complete review of the Formatt Hitech Firecrest pro filters and why I think they are the photography industries best-kept secret.

6th of February 2020

Kieran Hayes

5.0 Star

39 ratings

Kieran Hayes Photography

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2018/10/firecrest-pro-filters-review

HAYES10

Formatt Hitech Discount code 2019 2020The best Formatt Hitech Discount code currently available is HAYES10.

I have a new Landscape photography website where I update the codes daily please click here to check for the latest code.

HAYES10 

10% off sale all year round.

This blog is updated daily and once a new offer is available it's posted here on this page.

As an official Formatt Hitech brand ambassador and Featured Artist, I am delighted to be able to offer you this fantastic discount code. Just apply the code HAYES10 at checkout in the promo code box at checkout to get this deal.

This is the best Promo or discount code available worldwide.

Click here to see any other offers currently available on their website.

This is the very latest official Formatt Hitech

Firecrest discount or promo code for their website.

IF YOU'RE ORDERING TODAY THE BEST CODE IS

HAYES10

This is the best discount code available and it works for all Formatt Hitech products available on their website. From filters to filter holders all the way through to UV filters.

This blog post is updated as soon as a better code is released.

To subscribe to my email list for the latest Formatt Hitech discount codes as they happen click Here.

BEFORE YOU BUY ANY FORMATT 

HITECH FILTERS READ THIS...

The cheapest place to buy any Firecrest filters, kits or holders is directly off Formatt Hitech's official website and using the discount code HAYES10 at checkout you get an instant 10% discount off everything they sell.

Check Amazon and eBay they are both dearer!!!

For example, let's take the Firecrest filter holder.

Amazon is £166.05 + £9.99 postage.

eBay are currently £165.00 + £12.00 postage.

Formatt Hitech website price with my discount code £146.22 including postage.

So go direct, use my voucher code and save £30.-

That's just about 20% cheaper than Amazon and eBay.

As a Formatt Hitech Firecrest brand ambassador, I am delighted to get exclusive discount codes which I can intern pass onto you.

Today's best discount code gives you 10% off everything on the Formatt Hitech Website.

Just enter the code in the coupon/discount/promo code box at checkout.

This code is valid all year round.

This is currently the best ambassador discount code available worldwide, latest offers updated daily.

As soon as I get a better discount code I post them here.

To use this code  Hayes10  simply go to the Official Formatt Hitech Website or if you are in the United States use the U.S. Formatt Hitech website.

Enter the code  Hayes10  at checkout to get at least 10% discount on all products.

If I were to design a complete filter kit it would include the following filters. The Kieran Hayes Landscape photography kit :-)

A Firecrest Ultra 5 stop Graduated Filter

A Firecrest Ultra 6 stop Neutral Density filter

A Firecrest Ultra 10 stop Neutral Density filter

The amazing Firecrest filter holder

The filters I use the most are the 6 & 10 stop neutral density filters and the 5 stop graduated filter in the exceptional firecrest filter holder which has an incredible built-in circular polarizing filter also.

Now most would suggest a 3 stop graduated filter but personally I hardly ever use one, as the Dynamic range of most cameras is so good now, I only use a graduated filter when shooting straight into the sun and a five stop graduated filter is ideal then.

They have a huge selection of filters from Neutral density filters all the way through to standard UV filters.

I run workshops all around Ireland where I explain how to use and work with filters, for more information click Here.

To subscribe to my email list for the latest Formatt Hitech discount codes as they happen click Here.

To read a review of the spectacular Firecrest Pro Filters click Here

Formatt Hitech promo codeFormatt Hitech Promo code 2018
 

Formatt Hitech discount code

6th of January 2020

Kieran Hayes

5.0 Star

19 ratings

10% off code

Formatt Hitech

Kieran Hayes Photography

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2018/10/formatt-hitech-firecrest-promo-or-discount-code

Nikon Z7 first thoughts.

So after seeing so many reviews of the not yet finished Nikon mirrorless system, I thought something needs to be said.

This camera system was all about a statement and it has really made one.

I have to say, I was incredibly disappointed to see a single card slot in the Z7 and almost immediately discounted that model as a result of that slip-up.

I am eagerly awaiting the Z9 next year now, this is the camera that most people will lust after.

On the other hand, I have a Nikon D850 which in my mind is still the best full frame all-rounder camera out there (yes even comparing it to the A7riii). So I was in absolutely no hurry to change.

This camera system launch was so vitally important for Nikon as the Sony A7 and the A9 series were starting to slightly cut into their market share.

Now, on the other hand, I believe the Sony A7 series was the real Canon killer, the sheer volume of Canon photographers moving to Sony over the last two years has been frightening.

We all know about the Nikon-Cannon rivalry over the previous decades, let's face it very few Cannon users would willingly move to Nikon, so was Sony was the easier solution?

Hopefully, the new Cannon mirrorless system being launched, will be a huge success and keep Cannon one of the great camera makers in the camera market for decades to come.

There have also obviously been a good few Nikon users move to Sony, a few of them have also moved back again, that in itself is incredibly powerful. Sometimes the hype just can live in the real world, don't get me wrong I am not at all knocking Sony and their wonderful camera's.

Just compare the Sony A7riii and the Nikon D850 there is very little between them, look at feel, comfort ease of use and battery life and for me the D850 clearly edges well ahead. So why is it shouted from the rooftops everywhere you look now that the Sony A7riii, is it maybe their advertising or choice of promoters? It just doesn't add up.

Nikon obviously over the last year or two didn't want to lose market share so hence the D850 came along and more than competed with the mirrorless systems.

The Z7 was the first full-frame mirrorless camera Nikon produced and while the aim was not to produce a flop it was also a statement to their loyal users and Sony also.

Was everyone going to buy the Z7?

Well no, that was never going to happen but what it was truly all about was could they compete with Sony.

Sure there are negative reviews about the camera online but you also need to remember it's not the fully functioning final release model people are testing. There are firmware patches yet to be finalised and little bugs to be cleared up.

So it's a bit like judging the aesthetics of a wedding cake before the icing even goes on!!! 

Back to the point.

Did it work?

Did it convince loyal clients to not jump ship to Sony?

I completely believe it did work, most professional photographers I have talked to are staggered at the concept of a mass produced 58mm F0.95 lens and a whole series of new lenses with incredibly fast apertures on the way.

This made the new series a hit even before the Z7 was launched.

Don't be fooled this is and never was about the Z7 this was about what's coming down the line. With the D850 there as an option, there was never a huge push for mirrorless today. 

The real intent is going to be launched with the Z9 and a series of lenses to next year, mirrorless is still in its infancy and until it finds its feet I certainly won't be buying one.

Spending hours a day at a pc screen editing images, editing video's, responding to emails and writing the odd silly blog are giving me a slight case of digital eye strain, I certainly don't want to be topping that up by adding another 3 or 4 hours a day looking at an EVF. The optical viewfinder is something I will really struggle to leave behind.

The reality of the situation is, if you are going to change from the F-mount then it would have to be something incredibly worthwhile and this Z Mount looks like it is going to be just that.

Imagine shooting at F1.2 & F1.4 and getting incredibly sharp images! I don't just mean sharp I mean staggeringly sharp.

This could really be a game changer for any serious photographers and it's something no other full frame camera can currently achieve.

Yes for landscape photographers, it's no big deal, but that's just one genre of photography, on the real professional end of the business it's going to be huge for...  wedding, commercial, product and portrait photographers, we are all taking note and drooling over the prospects this new series could produce.

The other area where this lens mount is going to draw in some serious fans is Astrophotography, this genre of photography will really get an incredible boost from these incredible fast lenses.

For landscape photographers, the single card slot isn't the end of the world but for pro togs that is still a big let down.

So what happens now?

Well, nothing really, I believe most pro togs will just wait for Nikon's version 2 and that's going to be the real model for true professionals as the lens lineup grows.

Giving us incredibly fast apertures and fantastic detail, that's what photography is all about.

Do you need to change to mirrorless now? 

For me absolutely not, it's currently pointless. The benefits just aren't there yet.

Give it another 2 or 3 years and it is, without doubt, going to be the dslr killer, for now, it's only slowly upsetting them.

So the D850 and the D5 remain the go-to camera's for professional Nikon users for now.

There are two real questions to be answered after the Z7 launch.

Question 1.

Has this stemmed the flow from Nikon to Sony?

I believe it completely has and could see more professional photographers come back to Nikon.

I have no loyalty to any brand but I must say I love the feel of the Nikon camera's and don't at all like the feel of the Sony's. This may seem biased and could change as products vary but when you hold a camera in your hand for 5+ hours a day on a fashion shoot then I can tell you feel is everything.

Sure it's a bit heavier but dear god it's not like its a kg heavier. If you want to save weight then choose another profession, it's not about weight, comfort or anything photography is about skill and results, it's as simple as that.

When we lust after those Hasselblad camera's do we look at the weight specs? No, we don't.

So for me, it's the D850 all the way until the future Z series camera's are released.

Question 2.

For the people that have reviewed the Z7 and criticised its lack of lenses, I have a simple question why don't you tell us about how good the F to Z mount adaptor is? 

The reality of it is that anyone buying the Z7 is going to already have the glass. So why not tell us about the adaptor?

This has been missing from any review I have seen as of yet, it's really the key selling point of this system, isn't it?

These are all my own personal thoughts and yes I ramble on a lot :-)

Remember Nikon has been producing exceptional camera's for over 100 years, they are not going to stop now and competition in the marketplace is great for us all.

It pushes forward development and keeps companies on their toe's in both pricing and spec wise.

See you out there,

Kieran.

Laowa 12mm F2.8 lens reviewLaowa 12mmF2.8 zero-d lens in the box, before being reviewed.

Venus optics, Laowa 12mm F2.8 zero distortion lens.

This is my wholehearted honest review of this lens, I have not received any gifts or payment for writing this review.

So this lens review has been on my to do list for quite some months now. After seeing the results another photographer produced with this lens I just had to try it.

From the first moment I picked up this lens, I loved it but there was a huge problem with the filter holder (Something for another blog post). Don't worry there is a simple solution.

So when we purchase a relatively unknown brand of a lens we take a fairly large risk firstly that they will produce a consistently good product and we don't get a dud and secondly that the product will work not only as described but also with a slight little sliver of grace. 

Nothing worse than a rough scratch focus ring or an aperture control that just pops out of position whenever it feels like it.

So when I finally got my hands on a Venus Optics Laowa 12mm F2.8mm lens. I was more than a bit nervous opening the beautiful box. Would the box simply be the best bit or was this the start of a beautiful relationship?

Laowa 12mmF2.8 lens reviewThe inside of the box for the Laowa 12mm F2.8 lens.
 

Now some of you might say who the hell is Venus Optics, I never heard of them before.

Well believe it or not they are a Chinese company, yes a few people are probably smirking after reading they are a Chinese company but I would add that very few people are laughing at DJI now especially after they bought Hasselblad.

I would bet my money on the fact this company are heading in the very same direction.

Laowa seems to specialise in producing incredible off the wall lenses.

What do I mean by off the wall?

Well I mean they produce the sort of products other companies steer completely clear of.

Take this 12mm F2.8 lens, it has 16 glass elements in 10 groups. Yes, a total of 16 glass elements and it feels like it's designed to withstand a nuclear attack.

Laowa 12mm F2.8mm Lens review, open boxThis is the open box and packaging of the Laowa, 12mm F2.8 Zero-d lens for review.

They not only managed to produce an incredibly sharp lens which to be fair is some achievement but this unit is also practically distortion free. Couple all that up with the exceptional feel of the product and it's a pure winner. 

With this lens, they have brought lens production (in a small scale) back to the old days of extremely solid all-metal bodies with incredibly sharp optics thrown in for good measure.

In short, this is the type of lens that if you travelled back in time with one it would feel incredibly at home in the 1980's as regards to the physical feel of it and yet it lives and breathes in the 2020's as regards optical performance.

Now if you want to hear something crazy then listen to this.

This mad little piece of glass at 12mm can take 100mm filters on a full frame camera. Yes, 100mm filters on 12mm lens with very little vignetting apparently. Getting back to that filter holder later on.

As you may have guessed I am more than a little excited about this product and yes it's probably the photography nerd in me running around the room jumping up and down at the thought of using it.

Laowa 12mm f2.8 lens standing vertically.This is a photograph of the Laowa 12mm F2.8 lens out of the packaging and standing vertically with the lens cap in place.

To have a full frame 12mm zero distortion rectilinear lens (not a fisheye lens) at F2.8 and that can take 100mm filters is a bit of a smile tickler for me. Seriously though how utterly crazy is that?

My Nikon 16-35mm F4 lens has severe distortion at 16mm when compared to this lens. Now some of you might say 12mm or 16mm is the same well I can tell you its a whole different ball game shooting at 12mm. It's not just wide it's immense. It feels like not just using a different lens but morphing into a different reality.

Sure there are a lot of products you can get at 16mm and 14mm so why is 12mm so special? I Think in my over eagerness I already answered that.

Because it's sooo incredibly wide it completely changes a scene and alters the depth and feel of a photograph. There are other products available at 12mm most are fisheye lenses and have some serious distortion going on or they only let in half the light that this lens does and still suffer from distortion. 

It has only just arrived in the last month but I have to say the build quality is amazing (edit after nearly two months of use, I love it even more).

If you close your eyes and pick up an old all metal Nikon Ais lens from 20 years ago and did a blind feel test the Laowa would win with regards to feel.

Its a really beautiful amalgamation of incredible optics and moulded crafted metal.

Such a novelty for modern-day lens design that the only bit of plastic you feel on this lens is the end caps.

Laowa 12mm F2.8 reviewa photograph of the side of the Laowa 12mm F2.8 lens for review.

I would argue the point that it feels nicer than the modern day Zeiss and Leica lenses which I was lucky enough to use over the last few months.

The aperture ring is easy to turn with clicks as it slots into its full stop positions, the focus ring is soft and smooth to turn like a fluid video tripod head. It just gives the reassurance that this product is built not only with quality in mind but a good slice of grace and elegance also. Picture a tank doing ballet and this is it. 

This lens is a full manual or dumb lens. There are no electronics or focus motors built in. So its aimed at the type of photographer that really knows what they are doing.

This is a nice break away from the auto attached photography of the modern world.

It will undoubtedly kill it's appeal to a lot of people but I believe it was never designed for any type of mass market.

So the big question is where are the pictures and where are the results I hear you say. Well, I actually haven't gotten around to taking any serious shots yet that I can post.

I have tried this lens out well on a few commercial jobs and wow its pin sharp, balances beautifully on the Nikon D850 and feels like pure quality.

I wrote this blog about the lens as I really felt it was worth talking about the design and how it feels in the hand.

The bulbous front element of the Laowa 12mm F2.8 lens for review.This photograph shows the front element of the Laowa 12mm F2.8 lens in for review.

Companies like this should not only be applauded but encouraged to go push some more boundaries and to continue to excite and produce little metal masterpieces like this.

It would have been so easy to drop the price and produce this unit in the modern day plastic exterior casing skimp on the optical design but I for one am so happy they didn't. This could be a modern day masterpiece it's really that simple.

Stay tuned for the real world test.

So far I am incredibly impressed and really feel like companies like Nikon and Canon should step up and be pressing more to produce quality like this.

See you out there,

Kieran.

Professional Photography is the best investment you could make while selling your house.

So if your reading this you're probably thinking of selling your house and wondering whats the best way to do it.

If you can spare two minutes to read this short blog it could be the best time and financial investment you have ever made. Regardless of the price, I have photographed houses from €50,000.- to €4,000,000.- and the results are the same. Investing in great images always yields a great reward.

Property photography West Cork, Kerry, Munster and IrelandMy blog post on selling your property in West Cork, Kerry, Munster and Ireland.

I have a few pointers below and a very short story from a recent experience that might help you get a lot more money for your property.
 

This real-life story is about a photoshoot I did for a client which included internal, external photographs and drone photography with a short aerial video of the property also included on the day.

This house that was struggling to get any serious offers even after 6 months of being on the market. The client contacted me and after a quick chat, they asked me to help them sell their property.

Below is an example of the style of images I produced for them below that again is the same room shot in the way most estate agents would capture it.

Residential and commercial photography Residential and commercial photography in West Cork, Cork, Kerry, Munster and Ireland.

If you were to stumble across both these images online I am sure you would be more captivated by the upper image as it shows more of the room firstly and has a warm bright feel to it. The upper image is how I saw the room when I first walked in the door. A wide bright open bedroom with lots of light and a nice homely feel to it. The lower image is tight, narrow, cold and dark. The room still looks nice but it's not the same. 

If you were to picture yourself going to bed then I am sure the warm cosy feel of the first shot would be far more welcoming then the harsher second style of shot.

So getting back to my story just two months after the new images were captured and posted online the house was getting a lot more viewings and several people were showing interest in the property.

This demand pushed the price up and sold the house for €20,000.- more than the asking price and €75,000.- more than the previously declined offer.

Their investment of €250.- + Vat yielded them €75,000 more for their home purely because when buyers were looking online their house stood out more and attracted more viewings which then lead to more offers generating a higher price for them.

This might not be normal in every house but even if it was only one-fifth of the price increase on your property it would still be a fantastic return on investment.

It's obvious for us all that the more people interested in your home the higher the price goes.

So very often I find properties are overlooked online because of the poor images that after all are showcasing or representing your property online. It's so easy now for clients to just swipe onto the next property you have but a few seconds to catch their eye and hope they add your property to their favourites.

How people view and purchase properties have changed, the days of calling to auctioneers to collect brochures are slowly going as its all viewed online now on a daily basis by possible purchasers and your property needs to stand out to get your property on their list of places to view.

Having dull poorly taken images could possibly be what's holding your property back, don't start your sales process with a backward step. Put your best foot forward and present your property in the best way possible.

A small investment in great photographs has consistently yielded my client's huge rewards over the years.

How do you show the property at it's best?

As I have mentioned already good quality internal photographs highlight the interior space of your house. External ground-based images give you the viewpoint of being at the house and surrounding grounds.

What's left?

Well, location, as we all know, is the key.

Drone or aerial photography gives us this unique perspective that we can see the undulations of the surrounding area and the views as well as the location itself so this is where my drone comes in and not only shows the house and grounds but also the locality.

With its low and high flying angles, you can truly show off the contours of the location and the proximity to amenities like the sea, beaches, tourist sites, forests and places of interest.

A small investment really can yield huge rewards for your property and attract more buyers.

To see the packages I provide please Click here

Or to inquire about getting your house photographed or simply getting a no obligations quote send me a message by Clicking here

Presenting your house properly for viewings and making sure it's neat and tidy is as always incredibly important.

First impressions are always key, your online images and brochure are now great so we need to follow that up in real life.

When the client walks into the house those first few seconds really are important.

Small little things really help like decluttering the main living spaces, add flowers on the dining table, books or magazines on the coffee table and make sure all the lights around the house are working.

The above might cost you €50 to €150 over the selling time of the house but again you want the client to feel at home when they arrive. These little steps make the house seem more homely and after all the main aim is to sell a home, not four walls and a roof.

Having the lawn cut once a week might be a nuisance but again it all really helps. If you want the client to picture themselves owning the house the last thing you want them to be thinking is "oh we better cut the grass soon".

Obviously painting the house if it's in a poor state is a must but again go for more neutral colours, think of a show house all the colours are neutral so most clients will like it. It's then a blank canvas for the new owners.

You may not personally like it but then again your not buying the house.

Get a good auctioneer, someone who is busy, progressive and has a strong online and visual presence. As with any other person your employing, ask around and get reviews or opinions on your auctioneer.

Lastly, I wish you good luck with your sale and also with your move. 

Kieran.

A photographers review of the Nikon D850.

Also comparing it to the Nikon D810.

This is a real-world review and my experiences with the Nikon D850.

So should you believe the hype is the D850 really that much better than the D810?

Well according to all the reviews there is a clear difference, for me initially, I couldn't see that much of a difference which was a bit surprising and to be honest with you more than a bit disappointing.

Sure my expensive camera could now do the same things as my phone as it had a touch screen and pinch zoom, wifi and Bluetooth installed but at what cost? 

Is it about gimmicks or end results? Yes, these features like the tilting screen are handy but is it just something else to go wrong?

Now after having this camera for about 5 days I had a rather large jewellery shoot to do and as I nestled in and got comfy in my chair with a nice bit of music playing I suddenly noticed I had actually installed the D810 camera on the micro positioning plate, the lighting was set up and I was ready to go.

Now you may well ask what the hell has this to do with a camera review. In my mind everything, I didn't pause or think about it for a second.

Both cameras were on my desk beforehand and honestly at the time I couldn't really see a huge difference between them. So I picked up my normal camera subconsciously and set it up.

So why wouldn't I use the D810?

Well, that again is an interesting one, it's a truly gorgeous camera and the day I let it go will be a sad one for me. We have been through a lot of work together and it has never let me down. It's incredibly robust, feels comfortable to hold for hours on end and always works. To really replace this camera the D850 would have to be something special so let's see if it is.

Back to the shoot.

So me being me I swapped out the camera's after shooting a few products, I popped on the D850 continuing to photograph the products in the order I had them set out. 

It was then I stopped...

The detail level difference was more than noticeable it was staggering. In fact so much so that I re-shot the Items I had done with the D810.

If your pixel peeping on landscapes yes the D850 is better but what's in front of your sensor has to be really right for you to notice a huge difference. If your focus is slightly off or if you have minute camera movement in your shots then save your money and buy the D810. 

So in a controlled environment with detail as the ultimate prize, the D850 shone like no other camera has for me before.

It could just be down to megapixels but there is something special about the camera body it just seems to caress and encourage every little bit of detail like the D810 had to be really pushed to do so before. 

I then tried something I had never done before and shot some products in jpeg, the results were incredibly good and it was staggering to think they were straight out of the camera.  

Again long story and me rambling on but a few months ago I changed from the Firecrest filters to the Firecrest Ultra filters and I have to say there was a nice difference in sharpness but with them now paired with the D850 they brought detail out in images that I seriously love now.

So is there a difference?

Well yes, there is and it's more than worth it. 

In saying that I still use my D810 for a lot of work and its a really good camera, but for me the D850 really is a beast of a DSLR camera.

Those first few days I was a bit taken aback as I expected there to be a noticeable difference but it really only showed through when you really got in close and used exactly the right equipment in the right conditions and then it shattered the D810.

For me, I can only ask whats next?

How can they ever improve on this unit or is it even possible?

Conclusion.

So the D850 is a better camera it's sharper has higher resolution, a tilting screen which for low angle shots is very handy. The wifi and Bluetooth connectivity are very useful at times but these are all side issues as a camera is for capturing images and for me that's the only area where it should be measured.

It's worth should always be primarily the quality of the images it can produce. Considering the increased resolution hence smaller pixel size the fact that the dynamic range is fractionally better than the D810 is staggering.

The high ISO performance is also a large step forward.

The max Frames per second of 9fps with the battery grip opens this camera up to a number of genres also.

In my mind, this camera is truly now a universal camera that can be used for anything from wildlife photography to Astrophotography. It does everything so incredibly well.

So yes it's worth it but it all truly depends on the level you're at and the equipment your using with it.

The battery life again is amazing and like the D810 so far it has been bulletproof.

Something that I was originally disappointed with turned out to be a great buy.

Don't expect miracles from it but it will deliver what you capture with it at ease.

The camera is never the most important element in a photograph its the person that's behind it that truly matters. 

In saying that it's also important that the camera can deliver what you envisage in your mind and sometimes you need an exceptional bit of equipment to create what you saw.

Never get hung up on equipment but also never let your equipment hold you back is what I say.

Photography has progressed so far now that the exceptional photographs from 10 years ago are just about normal now.

The elements and techniques used are being pushed all the time to create perfection in a single moment.

So in a time where you need perfection in every single shot you also need equipment you can rely on and have faith in. That's where this camera comes in.

Speaking of equipment, the batteries for the D810 also work in the D850. If they are original batteries that is.

I had a Hahnel battery which I charged and was ready to shoot with one day but the D850 wouldn't switch on, it was incompatible with the camera but worked in the D810. 

Lesson learned buy originals :-)

I hope this review was of some help to you and good luck with your photography journey.

See you out there,

Kieran.

I have a new up date to this blog post here.

So if this is showing up for you it's not a problem it's just showing up because you are using an Ultra wide-angle lens and the filter holder is not close enough to your lens.

Like for example, my Nikkor 16-35mm F4 lens showed the below vignetting before I got a 77mm rotating ring adaptor.

I am delighted to be able to offer 10% off all Formatt Hitech products with discount code HAYES10, simply enter the code at checkout to get the discount.

The problem showed up at its worst when the lens was focused on a very close subject. So I made the effect as bad as I possibly could on all the shots below. 

The below shot is with exactly the same original setup but with lens correction applied in Lightroom.

Now with the new 77mmm rotating ring attached. See the second shot below.

The same shot below with lens profile correction applied in lightroom and the vignetting is nearly completely gone. 

On the shot above you can still see a tiny bit of vignetting up in the top corners but you will never be focusing this closely in a normal photograph. Setting up your focus as normal for a standard landscape image and the vignetting is completely gone.

You can see the difference in the rotating rings below.

New setup on the Left and old setup on the right.

The new rotating ring is a lot slimmer as there is no adaptor ring needed and it brings the holder closer to the lens solving the problem.

As I said above I am delighted to be able to offer 10% off all Formatt Hitech products with discount code HAYES10, simply enter the code at checkout to get the discount.

If you have any questions please feel free to ask, you can contact me here.

Long Strand BeachLong Strand Beach, West Cork, Ireland. As the sunsets on this idealic location the sea spray softens its light and the waves pass back and forth as the sands shift beneath my feet.

I have an update on this blog post here on my dedicated landscape photography website.

Long Exposure photograph at Giants Causeway.This was a photograph I took at the beautiful Giants Causeway as the wave washed down the rocks.

Long Exposure Know HowA long exposure photograph of Dunworley bay in beautiful West Cork  

A simple shotThis photograph is just a simple long exposure image of a few rocks popping out of the water.

Blue hour in Mizen HeadA long exposure photograph taken in Mizen Head.

Cokin, Lee, Nisi and Firecrest photography filter holders and filters review, experiences with them and why I changed to the Formatt Hitech Firecrest range.

Lee vs Formatt Hitech Firecrest Ultra filtersWhy I changed from Lee filters to Formatt Hitech Firecrest Ultra filters

This is an update to an older blog post which as filters have changed I felt I needed to update the blog also. I might have a very long-winded way of writing this but if you have or are interested in filters or thinking of buying them then this is going to help you I hope. So sit down relax and take a few minutes to learn from my experiences.

I would like to say I purchased all these systems with my own hard-earned money.
As most of you will know I am an ambassador for the Formatt Hitech range of products incl the Firecrest Pro & Ultra range of filters but I would also like to say it was my vocal appreciation for their products after I had purchased them that led to Formatt Hitech approaching me about becoming one of their ambassadors.

I haven't received any free filters or products for this review it's something I wrote 3 years ago and I update regularly in the hope of saving people money and lots of wasted time.

The advantage of me being an ambassador for their range is I can give you a 10% off code 10% Discount code  HAYES10  for Formatt Hitech products via their official website. For transparency, I should add I get a slight kickback from the sales.

HAYES10

To subscribe to my email list for the very latest Formatt Hitech special offers and special discount codes as they happen click Here.

So 100mm Camera Filters and holders and why I changed to Firecrest filters completely.

Over the years I have tried and tested numerous photography neutral density filters and their holders for landscape and seascape photography this has been my journey with all the bumps and problems I have met on the way.

On my wandering journey through several filters and holders, I have tried and worked with a number of manufacturers from Cokin, Lee, Nisi and Formatt Hitech firecrest. This has been a long and winding road for me, most of us have travelled along this path with both positive and negative experiences. So I thought why not document my experiences and help steer a few people down the better path.

Cokin

A long time ago I started with the cheaper Cokin filters (incidentally they were not the 100mm version) which worked fairly well but they have a strong magenta colour cast when combined together to increase the neutral density strength.

So I would have normally used a 3 stop nd filter with a 3 stop ND grad. This combination was sufficient after sunset or on overcast days to capture some motion blur but just not strong enough to create exposures for longer than half a second.

The holder and filters are ok for the price but the end results are nowhere near a proper set of filters. The holder is plastic which slides over the metal adaptor rings that screw on to the camera lens. It's a bit clumsy to take on and off when composing an image but as the nd strength is quite weak your camera can focus with the filters attached.

The filters are made of resin and apart from their magenta cast are usable just be careful as they are very easily scratched and rendered useless then.

Verdict... Cheap and a great starting point but that's where it ends. Not at all colour neutral and using these near sand they get destroyed in no time.

Lee

Next, I ventured down the road of Lee filters and yes they are a big step forward and worked reasonably well in most situations with only a few issues.

The first being the holder itself, it clips on snuggly enough to the lens adaptors but if you are unlucky to accidentally hit the holder while moving or repositioning the camera then the filter holder can just slip out of place and fall to the ground smashing your filters.

The edge of the brass gripper for some strange reason is sloped in such a way that you can pull the housing off the adaptor ring and it can easily unclip itself.

The next slight issue I had was the blue colour cast,

Yes, it can be corrected in editing to some extent but it throws off the colours in the sky still and I have struggled to correct this a number of times.

Also when you pay for a premium product you shouldn't accept defects straight out of the box.

Lastly, the nd grads were made of resin, now anyone that is serious about seascape or landscape photography will tell you how easy it is to scratch these filters. All it takes is a grain of sand in your cleaning cloth and serious damage can be done in a split second.

For their price, I wouldn't consider these filters or filter holder good value for money.

Time has moved on and most companies have improved their range incidentally as have Lee but with that in mind, it took an incredibly long time for them to move forward and for that reason you tend to see fewer of them in use today.

Verdict... Colour cast was just wrong straight out of the box. Holder design needs to be improved on, Nd grads in Resin considering the price is crazy, the price of the ring adaptors are very expensive. If you want a polariser they are incredibly expensive and have a design flaw in that light can get in between the polariser and ND filter or lens, this is a major problem at times.

Nisi

Next on the journey was Nisi, I have to say I like the filters themselves they are fairly colour neutral and their filter holder is nice enough.

The real advantage of this unit over the other two above is the inbuilt polariser. Its a beautiful little touch and with the external wheels for rotating it make it simple to use.

The only criticism I have of the polariser is that it's delicate to put in place and I was always unsure if it was locked in place properly or not, would it just suddenly pop back out again and smash to a million pieces on the ground. A solid click as its positioned would be nice.

The polariser has fallen out on me more than once.

The holder itself is simple and it works well it's not as easy to position on the adaptor rings as the Lee system but not far behind either. The two small little legs designed to hold the holder in place before you lock it in place are very small and hard to find at the best of times.

Verdict... A nice product but not cheap, the filter holder is good but I constantly worried about the polariser and the seating on the adaptor ring was a bit hit and miss when you're in a hurry.

I never scratched one of their filters but I didn't have them that long either. I would be worried about the nano-coating on the filters getting damaged through exposure to grit, sand or dust.

In saying all that I would add that Nisi the Chinese manufacturer was better than the Lee setup.

Formatt Hitech Firecrest

Finally, we arrive at where I am today, as an official Formatt Hitech Firecrest ambassador this review may seem to be biased but it just so happens I was delighted to be chosen by them for the simple reason that I love their filters and products.

Their customer service is second to none and constantly amazes me and anyone that I have spoken to has said the same.

A good product is only as good as its weakest link and I am still trying to find one after five years using their products now.

So let me just start with my very first experience using their new filter holder and filters.

Being honest when I initially used the Firecrest filter holder I wasn't sure about it. It just seemed to be so different. It was only when I stopped and treated it like any other part of my camera equipment I realised it just needed to be customised.

After two mins of adjusting it and getting it the way I wanted it, I started to feel very very comfortable with it.

Initially, the filters were stiff going into their slots, the unusual aspect of having the gasket fitted to the filter holder and not the filter seemed alien to me. It was only when I slightly loosened the tension screws on the filter slots I realised this could actually really grow on me.

Now just think about that, isn't it great that you can have the filters at the tension you want and not fixed via the factory.

So it took me about an hours use before I really began to fall in love with this filter holder and I haven't looked back since.

The gasket on the holder is not a problem at all and the filter holder itself can be removed very easily with just one hand as there is a thumb-slide that releases it, this is something I instantly liked, the ease of rapid removal then refocusing and composing a shot was just so very easy.

Repositioning it is just a matter of clipping it back in place and after you see the lever lock again with a nice solid audible click you're ready to go.

Having a built-in polarising filter is also again a major plus. This time the polarising filter screws into the lens adaptor section, something you then don't have to worry about falling out of place. Also a lovely little wheel on the side of the holder to turn the polariser

A huge bonus to this system is you can use the polarising filter without the holder in place. Now that's a huge bonus and something the others couldn't do.

The extra removable caps for the filter holder are fantastic for removing any stray light and work perfectly. They are the holder's secret weapon also as they stop any seaspray from getting in between the graduated filter and the Neutral density filter.

Can I find a fault with the adaptor?

Well not yet, it's easy to position on the camera and feels solid, has an inbuilt polariser, and external wheel to rotate the filter, seems to be easy to customise, if I were being petty I would have requested the option for a third filter slot (I will never use it though) and brass filter adaptor rings as Aluminium or alloys never wears well and have a tendency to lock on the camera threads but when you look at all the other systems mentioned above none of them provide brass rings either.

The winning points for the Firecrest filter holder over any of the others are.....

• Easy to clip on one-handed.
• Polariser screws securely into place.
• Polariser can be used without the holder.
• Turning or twisting the holder on the camera won't also turn the polariser.
• Extra Light shield caps are the true winner for preventing sea spray and light rain from getting in between the Graduated and Neutral density filter.
• It's cheaper.... yes with the 10% off its cheaper than the rest. On my filter holder review I breakdown the pricing of all the others Here. 

The Firecrest Ultra filters themselves are made of bonded glass so the actual nd part of the filter is protected by hardened glass on both sides making them incredibly scratch resistant. They are completely colour neutral and have a very large selection of filters to choose from covering all price ranges.

Full review of the Firecrest Ultra filters Here where I go into a lot more detail on their groundbreaking sharpness and colour clarity.

I have an in-depth review of the firecrest holder Here and the awesome reason why I love it.
 

I have a post here on my recommended starter filter kit, its exceptional value for money and includes everything you need starting out.

Verdict... I love the filter holder now, it's so easy to use and the neutrality of the filters is second to none.

All in all a really nice system and great value for money definitely by far my favourite filter holder. In short, I always carried the Nisi and Lee systems in my bag but now I only carry the Formatt Hitech Firecrest system with me.

So to sum it up the Firecrest Ultra filters are completely colour neutral and exceptionally easy to use, at the end of the day we should expect no less. 

It should be the case with all filters but sadly it's not, I am very proud to be associated with such a company and can only give my honest opinion on their products. If I didn't like them I personally wouldn't use them or promote their products.

They have a huge range of filters and filter holders for all prices making it the ideal one-stop-shop. As an ambassador for their products, I can also offer a 10% discount with the discount code  HAYES10  at checkout via their website simply click Here to see their range.

Don't just take my word for it, look at all my new upcoming images. I can already see an improvement. 

For a bit more about my Landscape & Seascape photography and a few tips and tricks please click here
 

I have a blog post on Long Exposure Photography which helps explain what filters are used for and how to use them.

Any questions feel free to email me @ [email protected] or leave a comment below.

See you out there,

Kieran.

Nisi vs Formatt Hitech filtersThis blog explains why I changed from Nisi filters toi Formatt Hitech Firecrest filters.

Formatt Hitech vs Nisi vs Lee vs Cokin

4th January 2020

Firecrest Pro nd Filter

Kieran Hayes

5.0 Star

19 ratings

Kieran Hayes Photography

Formatt Hitech

£90

https://www.kieranhayesphotography.com/blog/2018/4/cokin-vs-lee-vs-nisi-vs-formatt-hitech-firecrest-filter-holders-and-filters-review

top 10 Photography tipsMy best top 10 photography tips for anyone interested in photography. These tricks and tips are ideal for photographers of any experience.

My top 10 photography tips.

I wish when I started out somebody told me these 10 tips :-)

Now some of these tips might seem obvious but stay with me all is not always what it seems.

All too often we forget the tools that help us not alone capture the images we want. 

It's so very important to also keep our equipment in its best working order so this is also included in my top 10 list of photography tips.

1.- Buy a tripod.

Now you might say I don't need one but a tripod has two functions for you.

Firstly yes it steadies your shot but it also gives you the ability to use both hands to control the camera and more importantly the possibility to just step back and look at the shot you took while comparing it to the view in front of you.

If you can stand there with two hands-free it gives you a bit of a break and also the ability to completely concentrate on what you're actually capturing. 

All too often we get distracted by the process of taking an image. The technicalities get in the way and nudge the compositional aspects of photography out of the way.

It might seem like a pain carrying a tripod around with you but trust me you won't regret it.

Free your hands and also your mind.

Compose your shot lock your tripod and then worry about the light and how to capture it.

Give yourself a helping hand and buy a good tripod. It could become your best friend yet. My tripod carries all the little dents and scratches from our years of experiences together.

2.- Know your equipment.

Yes, this is one of those obvious ones that few people focus on.

So photography is all about capturing the moment and if your fumbling around trying to change settings or find that right button well then chances are you have probably missed that fleeting moment.

Know your equipment and no it doesn't mean sitting down for 3 days reading that 2-tonne book that came with your camera.

My tip is to look up your camera model on youtube and select an instructional video from the list, they are generally short and to the point.

Repeat the process another day and before you know it, your a camera ninja. 

Some of the presenters are even entertaining to watch, so give it a go and get yourself closer to capturing that moment.

3.- Go to beautiful places at the right time.

Yes, that yet again might seem like a no-brainer but it's a very common mistake.

Ok, so the golden hours of sunrise and sunset are the obvious ones but also keep in mind when the busy times of the day are for tourists or cars.

Nothing worse then seeing a gorgeous landscape ruined by cars passing through it or that awkward tourist doing god only knows what right in the middle of your composition.

How will the change in seasons affect your image? Will the fading green and emerging brown from the leaves add that missing detail to your image?

If its a coastal location then check the tides and know when the water is right for that specific location. Some areas benefit from a high tide whereas other do well at low tide. Generally it works best when the tide has started to come in as the sand is dry and so are the rocks.

4.- Keep your equipment at its best.

Most people skip this step as it doesn't appear to help you take photographs but this is about helping you take consistently good photographs.

Did you know Fungus or Mould are Lens killers?

They degrade the quality of your images, introduce imperfections and can be a real pain as well as being very expensive.

Buy little packets of silica gel to help keep your equipment moisture free. Yes, we all know that electronics don't like moisture but what most people tend to forget is that glass really doesn't like it also.

So picture this you are out at the sea taking photos and your camera gets a tiny bit damp or alternatively you are out shooting in the cold and you bring your camera straight back into the house with you.

Transferring a camera from a cold environment to a warm one quickly will cause condensation to form and introduce the risk of moisture damage again. So leave the camera slowly heat up in the camera bag before taking it out. 

Now in both of these situations, you will get moisture forming around the lens which isn't the end of the world but if this moisture gets inside your lens it will develop into fungus and this will slowly kill your lens.

Silica gel patches in your camera bag (and a good wipe from a cloth if its sea spray) will help soak up the moisture or sea spray.

Letting your camera slowly acclimatise after coming in out of the cold in your camera bag, with gel patched inside will also prevent any fungus build up. 

This may not improve your photography but it will certainly help it from degrading due to lens fungus or mould.

Photography tipsA selection of my top photography tips and tricks

Putting used Silica gel packets in the oven at 150 degrees for 10 mins can also dry out the gel packets so you can use them again. Caution some of the packets materials can melt.

5.- Always take the shot.

Never go home wondering about an image, take the shot and go home with one. Take it at different exposure levels if you're unsure.

Use your tripod and then take the shot, take the camera off the tripod and turn away from the view and look at the image on the back of the camera and really check that its what you wanted to capture.

All too often people convince themselves that what they are seeing with their eyes is what the camera is capturing, it's only when they get home and look at the image on their computer screen that they really see what was captured. 

So separating your view from what you captured can really help. Again the advantage of the tripod is you can just pop the camera back on and take exactly the same shot again if you want to.

So if you ever find yourself in a car passing a beautiful view take my advice and pull in where it's safe and get out and take the shot.

It will eat you up inside for weeks afterwards if you don't.

6.- Spend your money on Glass.

Something I was told about 6 years ago by a very well known photographer and something I have passed onto all the clients on my workshops.

A good camera body will be a good investment for 3 years or so. Then it will slowly become old and outdated whereas a lens will stay faithful and keep performing at its best for a very long time once you take care of it.

So for performance per pound go for glass. Always buy the best lens you can afford its something that will keep you happy for years to come.

Again on keeping your lens as fresh as possible use a screw on UV filter, they are cheap and are optically clear so they don't affect the image (they can help remove Haze from an image).

If they get scratched they are easy to replace and could save you hundreds on a lens repair.

7.- Try different angles.

Try taking shots from different angles.

Sometimes all it takes is changing your perspective to create something completely different.

It could be to hide a distracting object or in sharp contrast you can also make an item more dominant in your image by changing your position.

Don't forget to try different heights.

All too often we take images from a standing position. Try lowering your camera height to bring different elements into the shot.

For example a lower camera angle can help give the foreground more impact in the shot and offer a unique view.

Or for photographing kids go down to their level or below it. Your images will be utterly transformed by the change.

8.- Keep your creative side alive.

Push yourself to produce the shot.

There is always a shot to be captured it's just a matter of opening our eyes and having the vision to see it.

One bit of advice I gave a client some time ago was to go to a very popular tourist site and watch photographers over an hour set up and take their shots.

At the end of the hour, I told the client to go over and talk to the same photographers and ask them if she could see what they captured.

She did and the results were so very different.

It really brought home to her that we all see things differently and while you might arrive at a less than ideal location if you open your mind you will always find something to work with.

The more you do this the easier it will become to find the shot and keep your creative side working.

Creativity is like a muscle if you don't use it you lose it.

"Never replicate always innovate" are words to live by. Don't reproduce others work try and create your own.

Try something new and always keep learning.   

9.- The Exposure Triangle

Yes, I said it the three words that frighten the life out of hobbyists.

Do yourself a favour and read up on it or again use the wonderful world of Youtube to learn more.

This is something I will come back to on a separate blog as its just too much to cover here.

10.- Take the images for you.

A lot of modern life's stresses and strains are carried on our shoulders but not only at work, we tend to carry them home with us.

Try to plant your feet in nature take an hour, just watch and be part of it. A few deep breaths a bit of calm space and watch the scene unfold.

Take some photographs but don't feverishly snap away like your camera is on speed. This tip is to take your time. One great shot is worth one million ok shots.

I see photographers taking so many photographs they are nearly shooting video. There is no skill in that if you take enough photographs then eventually you will capture the moment. That's not skill, its just not missing anything. 

The skill is seeing the moment before it even happens and capturing it in two or three shots.

Take your time and care for each photograph and if you do you will see it in the image and hopefully that's something you can hang in your office or at home with pride.

Let it be a visual reminder of the experience and help drift you back there that little bit every time you see it.

So focus on what you love and keep it close to you and it will always make you smile.

Anything that makes you smile on the inside is always going to be beautiful.

See you out there,

Kieran.

See more tips and tricks on Seascape Photography, Long Exposure Photography and  Photography explained

Hahnel Modus 600rt review

This is a real-world review, I purchased this product myself and haven't received any gifts or payments etc... for writing this impartial review. 

So this is my quick review of the Hahnel Modus 600RT pro kit speedlights.

Hahnel Modus 600rt speedlightThis is the modus 600rt speedlight or Flashgun from Hahnel.

I have to say I was expecting this system to be very lightweight and poorly built considering the price and the specifications.

I have been very pleasantly surprised with the kit, the change over from my Nikon flashguns in feel has been minimal. The change over as regards how they work for you has been simply breathtaking.

I had one concern (well actually a few) with this system.

Would the head just flip over when I am using a diffusion panel for both on and off-camera flash, in other words, was it strong enough to support a diffusion panel?

I use a large Rogue flash bender with matching diffusion panel to soften the light from my flashguns when shooting on the fly.

Anyone that has used one knows there is a small bit of weight in these units and they catch the wind quite well also.

So far I haven't had an issue with the head falling over due to the additional weight which is a real relief.

What's in the box.

2 x Hahnel Modus 600rt flash guns and the on-camera Viper TTL transmitter.

2 x high power lithium-ion batteries and a charger for same.

You can also buy the Speedlight on its own or with just a single Speedlight and the viper trigger.

Hhanel pro kit Modus 600rtModus 600rt speedlight product photo

Why buy it?

You are probably looking at this system for one of two reasons.

Output power or fast recycling times.

For me it was a bit of both, the idea of fast recycling times and a single high capacity battery was the real seller.

So with a guide number of 60, its bright and I do mean really bright.

While I would say its too bright for bare bulb use facing straight at a subject (personal opinion, unless you don't mind temporarily blinding your subjects).

This output power comes into its own when using the flashgun with a diffuser or softbox, the output power is needed then and comes close to studio mains powered lighting kits with the added advantage of being lightweight and highly portable. Again if you need a bit more power to try and overpower or combat daylight you can use two of them together.

The other advantage of this high output power and fast recycling time is at lower power outputs there is practically no recycling time.

Recycling time.

Now, this is a funny one, quoted as having 1.5 seconds recycle time at full power in the real world I have found that to be more like 2 seconds.

The point here is it's rare you would be using full power so what it all really means is at half and at a quarter power settings the recycle time is exceptionally quick.

This is still incredibly good and with more than 500 full output flashes per battery, it's a real beast of a unit. Again shooting at half or quarter power outputs, the battery just keeps going and going.

The real bonus is firing multiple bursts at anything from 1/16th power down.

Ok so for a project where we wanted to catch a person in motion across the space of 1.5 seconds, I shot 11 frames in those 1.5 seconds with 11 flash outputs at 1/16th power on a Nikon D850... This alone made the unit worth the money.

So just to say that again 11 flash bursts at 1/16th power in 1.5 seconds talk about insane recycling times.

Technical Bit