SZFilters has announced its newest filter. It’s called The Gem Filter (buy here), and the company claims it’s the world’s first liquid filter. We’re going to dispute that. We saw this oddity from Prism Lens FX in October last year.
However, SZFilters does appear to be the first to bring a liquid-filled filter to market. It might not be the kind of filter you imagined, though. It’s filled with diamonds (fake ones), and it’s rather pretty.
SZFilters – The Gem Filter
So, why’s it called The Gem Filter? Well, if you’d watched the Instagram reel above, you’d know why. But for those that didn’t…
Inside the liquid are a hundred simulated diamonds. The company hasn’t said what the liquid or the fake diamonds are. The liquid does appear to be quite viscous, though, according to the demonstrations in the Instagram reel.
The “diamonds” move through it quite slowly, falling from the top of the filter to the bottom. So once you rotate it, you’ve got a few seconds to shoot before they all settle out of view. And you can freely rotate it, just like a polariser.
Made by hand
The company says that each individual filter is made by hand in three stages. Each one is built and fully tested in-house to ensure the best possible standards. It’s always nice to see a company this dedicated to their product.
The filters are all 77mm in diameter. If you use larger-diameter lenses, you’re pretty much out of luck. But if you use smaller ones, step-up rings will let you mount them on narrower lenses. You will, obviously, have a shorter window for the diamonds to flow through.
SZFilters also offers a number of adapters and a magnetic mounting system. These allow you to mount the filter on lenses with smaller diameters. The company recommends shooting an aperture of f/8 or smaller (smaller hole, bigger number) for best results. So, don’t think you can use this with your f/1.2 primes.
And if there are no natural light sources in front of you, SZFilters says the sparkly effect can easily be added by skimming an artificial light across the filter – even from a smartphone LED, if need be. It looks like a fun filter.
Price and Availability
The Gem Filter is available to pre-order for $119.99. This appears to be a special pre-order price, as there’s a crossed out $139.99 next to it. So, I expect the price will go up when it starts to ship. Items are expected to begin shipping in May, but haven’t provided a specific day yet.
