As the NZ ambassador for Kase Filters, one thing that has always impressed me is their commitment to research and development to continually improve their products, and the new Kase Magnetic Master Kit (version 4) is no different.
The original Kase Filters Magnetic Master Kit was released to overcome the issue of having a fixed graduated filter on a magnetic circular kit since with that set up you’re limited in where the transition from light to dark is on the camera which really inhibits composition.
The original version had a fairly small lightweight adapter ring holding on a magnetic holder, and then the CPL and ND filter sat inside this holder with the adjustable graduated filter on the outside. There were quite a few limitations to this version - firstly the CPL was tucked in behind the graduated filter so to move it you had to remove the graduated filter, and turning the CPL to get it into the correct place for the best effect was always hard when your fingers or hand were visible in shot. The holder was also not as strong as it could be and was prone to falling off if knocked.
The new version is also about 2mm thinner which helps with less vignetting overall.
The new magnetic master kit version is streets ahead in design - not only have Kase utilised the incredible strong magnetic design from the 100mm Armour kit on the adapter ring so it’s very secure, they’ve also added a rotatable dial on the outside so you can easily turn the CPL without having to remove anything from inside the setup.
The new Kase Magnetic Master Kit has been made in an 82mm size thread, and allows you to use a screwed smaller adapter ring for lenses with smaller lenses (it comes with a 77-82mm ring but other size rings are available from as low as 49mm and these are only $9.99 each to purchase).
How does the Magnetic Master Kit compare in size to the Armour kit?
The two kits are quite similar in weight (the Armour kit is only 40grams heavier) but the Magnetic Master Kit is more compact in size being about 4 c m shorter if you don't include the two external knobs.
More important though is the size of the kit when packed away, and the master kit pouch is significantly smaller here.
How is vignetting?
You will still notice some vignetting at the widest edges of a wide angle lens if you are using a lens with an 82mm thread that's exactly the same size as the magnetic adapter. On my Sony 16-35mm f2.8 GM lens I can see vignetting through till about 18mm if I stack all 3 filters together (i.e. CPL, ND1000 and 0.9 soft grad). This is about 2mm better at the widest edge compared to the previous version of the kit though. Due to the nature of the circular kit design which is made to hug the lens without any overlap, some vignetting is inevitable once you have all 3 filters stacked. The only way to avoid it at the widest angles is to use a full 100mm square system like the Armour kit.
If you are using smaller size lenses with this new kit (i.e. 77mm or below) you shouldn't notice any vignetting.
Honestly, I think a little bit of vignetting is a small price to pay for the convenience of having such a small lightweight kit for travel and hiking that does everything a larger 100mm square kit like the Armour kit or K9 Kit does but in a much smaller package.
To me the beauty of this magnetic master kit is the convenience for those who like to travel light but still have ALL the different filters available to use to their full extent while out in the field, and I do think that having an adjustable graduated filter makes such a difference. I wouldn't dream of shooting without a graduated filter, but I know I'd struggle with a graduated filter that only has 1 fixed position. The re-designed Kase Magnetic Master Kit is a huge step ahead for those who want the convenience and portability of the magnetic circular system in a fully professional ND kit.
The Kase Magnetic Master Kit IV is available at Kase Filters NZ, priced at $849 NZD and includes:
You can also purchase a separate Wolverine Magnetic 95mm 6-stop (ND64) to use for shorter long exposures with the kit.
For a more in-depth review, check out my video below
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