100mm Filter Holder System
The 100mm system is the standard size for most Mirrorless and DSLR applications. This system is compatible with filters that conform to the 100mm standard, meaning 100x100x2mm and 100x150x2mm. The holder system features a light-tight rotating polarizer, a light-tight ND slot, and two push-button adjustable grad filter slots. The system is lightweight and is designed for low vignetting. WCC pioneered the concept of “workflow” for filter users, meaning the ability to adjust NDs, grads, and the polarizer independently without interfering with each other, and the ability to remove the ND between exposures without disturbing critical focus and composition.
Essential Features
A light-tight rotating polarizer
A light-tight ND filter slot
Two push button adjustable grad filter slots
Adapter rings for lenses from 49mm to 95mm
NEW Secure and rotatable adapter ring attachment
NEW Improved polarizer installation
NEW Improved ND vault security
Full V1 Compatibility for adapter rings and polarizer.
For super wide or large barrel lenses, see the 150mm Wide Angle Filter Holder System
Features Overview
Push-button Adjustable Grad Vaults
The holder system features two stages for grad filters. Each stage is independently adjustable. Simply push the button, adjust the horizon line of the filter and release. And because you were just about to ask … yes the grad vaults are keyed for safety so your valuable filter doesn’t go plummeting to the earth the moment you push the button. We’ve got your back.
Independently Adjustable Filters
There are four filter stages on the V2 holder system, a polarizer, a ND, and two graduated filter slots. Each stage can be adjusted without altering the position of the other filters. This allows you to make precise iterative adjustments between exposures to dial in that perfect composition.
Light-tight ND that is removable between exposures
Light leaking between the ND filter and the lens is the number one challenge faced by holder system users … until now. We’ve built a dedicated recess into the holder system to create a light-tight environment for the ND filter. This feature alone makes the WCC Holder System the de facto standard for long exposure photographers. The vault surrounds your ND filter on all four sides, eliminating internal reflections caused by light entering on-edge, ensuring that your ND filter provides high-fidelity and high-contrast.
Low Vignetting
We used extensive 3D modeling during development to maximize ray angle to minimize vignetting. Depending on lens model, oftentimes users can safely employ lenses as wide as 16mm.
Light Weight
A complete holder system with two vaults, polarizer and adapter ring is less than a pound (around 15 ounces or 0.42 kilos)
Prototype shown. Red anodizing may vary.
Filter Vaults Leave Fingerprints Where They Belong
Filter vaults VASTLY improve your image quality when compared to filter holder systems that require you to “squish” the filter into place. Vaults leave your filter in a resting state, perfectly flat, eliminating the warping and distortion caused by other holder systems.
Vaults Eliminate Reflections and Increase Contrast
Vaults shade the edges of the filters, increasing contrast and removing stray light from the inside of the filter. Combined with the slightly oversized top and bottom fences on the holder, vaults are so effective at reducing stray light, that we recommend shooting without a compendium lens hood - as extra lens hoods are more likely to cause camera shake and soften the image.
Polarizer
The WCC Polarizer vs Competitor Polarizers
Polarizer attachments on legacy holder systems are, in a word, awful. Light leaking behind the polarizers in legacy systems is severe and causes haze and reflections, the very thing you’re trying to remove with the polarizer! Our polarizer is mounted inside the body of the holder, completely eliminating reflections and vignetting. Polarizer rotation is controlled by the adjustment knob. The knob is placed on the lower-left rear of the holder so you can adjust it while looking through the lens. It’s geared so that the direction you turn the knob is the direction of filter rotation.
A Note About Polarizer Quality
Most inexpensive polarizers included with filter holder systems feature either .5mm or 1mm glass. Those polas are too thin and cannot be lapped and polished. We manufacture our polarizers from robust, 2.5mm thick Schott Ultrawhite Optical Glass. This is the finest optical glass material in the world. At 2.5mm thick, the glass can be lapped and polished to optical perfection.
V2 Improvements
Secure, Rotatable Adapter Ring Attachment
We’ve upgraded the adapter ring attachment for V2. Now you can loosen the adapter ring to rotate the holder body without fear of the holder detaching from the lens.
Improved Polarizer Installation and Removal
We’ve created a new, more rugged, three-point guide system that improves polarizer rotation while also making the polarizer easier to install and remove.