What causes the X pattern on a variable ND?

Cross-polarisation. A variable ND is two polarising elements rotating against each other, and at the extreme end of their range the polarisation across a wide field of view becomes uneven, which shows as a dark X. Restricting a filter to a narrower range, as this one does, is the most reliable way to avoid it.

Is 2 to 5 stops enough ND for outdoor video?

For most daylight exteriors at 1/50 second and a moderate aperture, usually yes. For bright sun at a wide aperture, often not, and that is why PolarPro also sells a 6 to 9 stop version. Our ND filter and shutter angle calculator will tell you how many stops your specific settings need.

Does a variable ND affect image quality?

A good one is close to invisible; a poor one adds colour cast, softness at the edges and cross-polarisation. Quartz glass and multi-layer coatings are what you are paying for here, and colour neutrality is the specification that matters most because neutrality is the filter's entire purpose.

Which thread size should I buy?

Buy for your largest lens and step up everything smaller. 82mm is the practical standard for full-frame video lenses. Remember that a step-up ring usually means the original lens hood no longer fits, so plan a matte box or a flag if flare is a concern.

PolarPro VND or a cheaper K&F variable ND?

On lenses of 35mm and longer in even light, the cheaper filter is genuinely good and the difference is hard to see. On very wide lenses and in mixed light, the hard stop system and coatings earn their money. Buy the cheap one first if you are unsure; you will know quickly whether you need better.

PolarPro Peter McKinnon VND Review: Is a $250 ND Filter Worth It?

Short answer

A cinema-grade variable ND with hard stops from 2 to 5 stops, quartz glass and a hard stop system that keeps the X pattern out of wide-angle shots. Buy it if you shoot wide, care about colour neutrality, and change exposure between takes rather than between shoots. Skip it if you shoot mostly on longer lenses in controlled light, where a fixed ND or a much cheaper VND gives you the same image for a quarter of the price.

Best VND for wide lenses

PolarPro 82mm Peter McKinnon Variable ND Filter, 2 to 5 Stops

~$250

A cinema-grade 82mm variable ND built on quartz glass with 16-layer coatings, hard stops at 2 to 5 stops, and a hard stop system designed to eliminate cross-polarisation.

Check price on Amazon

Specifications

Thread size	82mm
Density range	2 to 5 stops, ND4 to ND32 (a 6 to 9 stop version is also offered)
Glass	Cinema-grade quartz
Coatings	16 layers, for colour accuracy, scratch resistance and anti-reflection
Stops	Hard stops with haptic feedback
Cross-polarisation	Hard stop system designed to eliminate the X pattern and vignetting
Included	Microfibre cloth and Defender360 magnetic case

Specifications above come from PolarPro's published specifications. Treat pricing as approximate, since Amazon pricing moves.

What it does well

The hard stops are the reason to own this rather than a cheap VND. You can set two stops by feel without looking, which is the difference between a filter you adjust and one you fight.
Restricting the range to three stops is a design decision, not a limitation. Most VND X patterns come from pushing a wide-range filter to its extremes, and this simply does not go there.
Quartz glass and 16-layer coatings, which is where the colour neutrality claim comes from, and neutrality is the entire job of a neutral density filter.
82mm is the sensible thread size to standardise on, because step-up rings take you down to everything smaller.
The magnetic case is genuinely good, and a filter that lives in a case is a filter that does not get scratched.

Where it falls short

Three stops of range is not enough on its own. Going from a bright exterior to interior light needs more, so most owners end up with this plus the 6 to 9 stop version, which doubles the real cost.
It is roughly two and a half times the price of a competent budget VND, and the image difference on a 50mm lens in even light is small enough that many people would not identify it blind.
A variable ND is two polarisers, so it will still interact with reflections, skies and LCD screens in ways a fixed ND will not. That is physics, not a fault.
82mm means step-up rings for smaller lenses, and step-up rings mean the lens hood no longer fits.
It is a screw-in filter, so swapping between densities on a lens with a matte box is slower than dropping a tray in.

What owners report

The consistent theme across published owner reports is that people who bought it for wide-angle work are the ones who stay happy. The hard stops and the absence of an X pattern at the wide end come up repeatedly, and those are exactly the failures that make cheap VNDs unusable below about 24mm.

The consistent criticism is range. Buyers regularly report needing the second, darker filter, and the cost of the pair is the honest number to weigh against a cheaper single filter. Nobody in published reports complains about colour cast, which is the most common complaint about budget VNDs.

Who it suits

Wide-angle shooters, where cheap variable NDs fail first and most visibly.
Anyone shooting outdoors at a fixed shutter angle who adjusts exposure between takes.
Owners of 82mm lenses, or anyone willing to standardise on 82mm with step-up rings.

Who should skip it

Shooters working mostly on 50mm and longer in controlled light, where a cheaper VND behaves fine.
Anyone already running a matte box, who should read our matte box versus screw-in filters comparison before buying screw-in glass.
Photographers rather than filmmakers, who are usually better served by fixed NDs and a polariser bought separately.

Alternatives worth considering

Budget Pick

K&F CONCEPT 82mm True Color Variable ND2-32 and Polariser in One

~$102

Roughly 40 percent of the price with the same one to five stop range, AGC optical glass, self-locking rotation and a built-in polariser function. The trade is haptic precision and the confidence that comes from PolarPro's hard stop system on very wide lenses.

Check price on Amazon

Different Approach

Tilta Mirage Matte Box for 4x5.65 and 95mm circular filters

~$102

If you own several lenses with different thread sizes, a clamp-on matte box with filter thread adapters lets one set of filters serve all of them, and it adds flag control that no screw-in filter can. It is heavier and slower to mount.

Check price on Amazon

Keep reading

This review draws on published specifications, manufacturer figures and the consensus of verified owner reviews. We have not tested this product ourselves, and we say so rather than implying otherwise. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.

Common questions

What causes the X pattern on a variable ND?: Cross-polarisation. A variable ND is two polarising elements rotating against each other, and at the extreme end of their range the polarisation across a wide field of view becomes uneven, which shows as a dark X. Restricting a filter to a narrower range, as this one does, is the most reliable way to avoid it.
Is 2 to 5 stops enough ND for outdoor video?: For most daylight exteriors at 1/50 second and a moderate aperture, usually yes. For bright sun at a wide aperture, often not, and that is why PolarPro also sells a 6 to 9 stop version. Our ND filter and shutter angle calculator will tell you how many stops your specific settings need.
Does a variable ND affect image quality?: A good one is close to invisible; a poor one adds colour cast, softness at the edges and cross-polarisation. Quartz glass and multi-layer coatings are what you are paying for here, and colour neutrality is the specification that matters most because neutrality is the filter's entire purpose.
Which thread size should I buy?: Buy for your largest lens and step up everything smaller. 82mm is the practical standard for full-frame video lenses. Remember that a step-up ring usually means the original lens hood no longer fits, so plan a matte box or a flag if flare is a concern.
PolarPro VND or a cheaper K&F variable ND?: On lenses of 35mm and longer in even light, the cheaper filter is genuinely good and the difference is hard to see. On very wide lenses and in mixed light, the hard stop system and coatings earn their money. Buy the cheap one first if you are unsure; you will know quickly whether you need better.

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