Most landscape photographers will probably have a graduated neutral density filter, and they might have a variable neutral density filter as well. But Aurora Aperture has just announced what it’s calling the world’s first variable graduated neutral density filter.
The Aurora PowerGXND, which is currently seeking funding on Kickstarter, is a hard transition GND filter with a continuous range up to 5 stops (ND 0 – 1.5).
The Aurora PowerGXND is based on the company’s previous variable ND filter launched back in 2016 and adds a new hard stop feature to limit the filter rotation within its minimum and maximum settings.
The Aurora PowerGXND also offers a direct reading scale so you can dial the filter to a desired stop value.
Sometimes it’s easier to see how something works, and Aurora has provided this handy video demonstrating the PowerGXND in use.
The Aurora PowerGXND is priced from $95 on its Kickstarter page, with a range of options available. The PowerGXND comes in three sizes: S (62mm), M (82mm), and L (105mm) to cover lens filter thread size from 37mm to 82mm. Adaption plates and square filter systems (75mm, 100mm, and 130mm) are available for using the variable GND filters on different lenses.
Aurora Aperture says the PowerGXND will be due for wider release from May 2018, with prices ranging from $149 to $329.
Via DPReview