PolarPro QuartzLine ND filter: two-minute review

In photography, we often want more light. It’s why people seek out larger sensors and wider apertures in their cameras and lenses – in order to capture a greater amount of light in a shorter space of time. That’s brilliant if you want a fast shutter speed to freeze the action – but what if you want to use a slower shutter speed, in order to capture the motion blur of a car racing past or turn a raging river into a smooth, silky ribbon of blue?

Achieving a slow shutter speed, particular on a sunny day, can be tricky – which is where ND filters like the PolarPro QuartzLine range come in. Available in a wide range of strengths, these circular filters screw onto the front of a camera lens and reduce light transference without affecting color rendition. At least, that’s the idea.

PolarPro sent me four ND filters to test, all in 67mm thread size (they’re also available in 77mm and 82mm), in ND8, ND16, ND64 and ND1000 strengths. The ND8 filter drops light input and increases exposure time by three stops; the ND16 four stops; the ND64 six stops; and the ND1000 filter 10 stops. Obviously, having a set like this in your camera bag would be handy if you want to cover every eventuality – but it’ll be mighty expensive too.

Each filter comes with its own hinged hard carry case and microfiber cleaning cloth, emphasising their premium positioning. The cases are hard plastic, but have a fetching brushed metal finish and magnetic closure, and each is helpfully labelled with the thread size and ND value, to reduce the time it takes to pull out the right one from your bag.

The filters themselves are well crafted and beautifully solid, so it does at least feel like that money is going somewhere. Made of brass and aluminum (and with a distinctive brass-colored finish), they’re reassuring tough, with pleasingly chunky ridges that gave me plenty of grip whenever I was attaching or detaching them from my Panasonic Lumix GH6’s lens (I used a 62mm to 67mm step-up ring, also made by PolarPro, in order to do so).

The brass frame construction should keep the screw threads in good shape too, in theory – so these filters should be fitting smoothly for many, many years to come. I found them very easy to fit, but you’d expect that from new filters. They also feature front threads, allowing other filters and attachments to be fitted over them.

The glass, dubbed Cinema Series Glass by PolarPro, is made in Germany. A series of coatings purportedly eliminate color shift (any sort of color cast being added by the filter), and PolarPro also claims its ultra-low refractivity keeps the effects of the light passing through so minimal that it can fully resolve sensors with up to 400MP resolution. The coatings add anti-scratch, anti-oil and hydrophobic qualities too.

My Lumix GH6’s sensor is just 25.2MP, so doesn’t really help in putting the refractivity claims to the test, but in terms of color shift I can say I’m impressed. Even the most powerful filter of the four I was testing, the ND1000, doesn’t add much of visible color cast to images – but when closely comparing test shots without the filters to those with, there is a slight warm tint visible in the filtered images.

I wouldn’t call this a huge drawback, particularly as I think anyone spending this much money on ND filters probably has some experience in post-processing and editing photos. It’s nothing that can’t easily be fixed in Lightroom or similar, and most observers wouldn’t even notice it unless they were looking, but it’s definitely present.

Using the filters, I was able to capture long exposures (10 seconds or more) on bright, sunny days by the sea. These photos smoothed out the motion of the waves and made the surface of the water more transparent to give my images a much more dream-like quality. They would have been completely impossible to take without an ND filter, as too much light would have entered the camera and blown out the image.

I was also able to use the filters to aid my videography by helping me to shoot video with a wider aperture (i.e. for a shallow depth of field) or slower shutter speed (for more motion blur). I did find this a little more challenging at points, as it involved swapping between filters a little too often – and it’s times like that when a variable ND (or VND) filter feels invaluable. These allow you to adjust ND strength by twisting the filter, offering a much more immediate solution. I’m also currently reviewing PolarPro’s own PMVND Edition II filter with a 2-5 stop range, so look out for an in-depth review of that soon.

While PolarPro QuartzLine ND filters are certainly expensive, I was thoroughly impressed by their premium construction, glass quality and general usability, and wouldn’t hesitate to use them in my own landscape photography and videography.

PolarPro QuartzLine ND filter: price and availability

In the US, PolarPro QuartzLine ND filters cost the same price, regardless of their thread size and filter strength at the PolarPro store. Whether you pick 67mm, 77mm or 82mm threads, or the ND8, ND16, ND64, ND1000 or ND100K strengths, every filter costs $99.99. Simple and, in my opinion, good value for money – particularly given that you also get a hard storage case and cleaning cloth with each filter.

In other countries, the price can vary a lot more. In the UK, for instance, the filters seem very expensive in comparison to US pricing, and thread size and ND value seemingly have little bearing on the cost – i.e. at Amazon UK, the larger thread sizes are sometimes cheaper than the smaller ones, where logic would dictate the opposite. It’s a slightly confusing situation, with some retailers offering decent discounts while others charge the full whack.

Should I buy the PolarPro QuartzLine ND filter?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the PolarPro QuartzLine ND filter

• One week of use
• Tested with photography and video capture
• Used with Panasonic Lumix GH6 camera

I tested these PolarPro QuartzLine ND filters over the course of a sunny summer's week by the sea in southern England – an ideal time and place to put this type of light-stopping filter through its paces. I tested four filters in the range, fitting them onto my Panasonic Lumix GH6 camera (with the help of a step-up ring) to capture both still photos and video, comparing the results against shots captured without the filter.

First reviewed June 2025

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: two-minute review

Ask around, and most enthusiast photographers and creators are familiar with the accessory maker Peak Design, but newcomer Heipi? Nope.

Well, I have a welcome surprise – Heipi's carbon fiber 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S beats the Peak Design Travel Tripod in just about every regard, plus it's cheaper too. Three-Legged Thing's Punks Brian 2.0, however, provides stiffer competition for standard use – I explain why, below.

The W28S replaces the W28 – which I described as one of the most relevant and best travel tripods today in my in-depth review – delivering several refinements for a virtually complete and highly versatile three-legged support, in three ways.

Its 3-in-1 credentials cover regular tripod support for camera gear, the ability to support a phone instead via a clamp that's hidden in the integrated ball head, plus a generously-sized removable mini tripod, which is nestled inside the main legs, and which doubles up as a center column – the novelty of this feature hasn't worn off in this second-gen model.

Given that the main legs can tuck inside the mini tripod legs when you're done, there's no wasted space and the Heipi 3-in-1 is able to pack away more compact than most, plus it comes supplied with a snug-fit carry case.

There are limitations though. I'd hesitate to mount particularly large and heavy gear – although that's true of all travel tripods – and the Heipi tripod's maximum height is bettered elsewhere. Also, despite its 3-in-1 party tricks, there's no monopod built into one of the legs. Nor can you swap out the supplied ball head for a fluid head, which would provide smooth panning movements for video.

If none of the above are dealbreakers, though, then Heipi's latest travel tripod is the complete package, with some unique features.

It's carbon fiber build quality is top-drawer, while improved leg locks are easier to lock-off and unlock than before. Also, they lock-off with even distribution on the leg sections (rather than a clamping lock), which reduces lateral movement between sections.

The addition of a bubble-level in the base is a neat touch, even if you can't see it properly when the center column is tucked away.

Heipi also offers handy extras for accessory-laden users, such as clamp arms, which easily screw into the mini tripod legs via a 3/8-inch screw. The arms Heipi supplied to me for this review can support accessories such as an external monitor, and can even work with Heipi's optional phone clamp, so you can support a camera and phone simultaneously.

I've been able to switch between using a phone and a mid-range mirrorless camera with moderate size lens, with ease. Panning movement? No problem, unlike the Peak Design which is locked off.

Even the design of the mini tripod, which easily rests on a table top for vlogging and is impressively sturdy with a 11 lbs / 5kg max payload, has been improved. The last version felt like it sacrificed ease of use for versatility, because it was stiff to extend and put away compared to a regular center column.

Now the mini tripod slides up and down much more easily, and when fully removed it even offers multiple leg angles to work from for a variety of shooting angles, including close to the ground.

It can also be reversed and locked-off upside down in the main legs in order to shoot from lower angles. Put simply, the mini tripod is one of the most sophisticated of its kind.

With camera gear generally getting smaller and lighter, and many creators using their phones as much as 'proper' camera gear, the case for the travel tripod grows as the case for bulkier supports diminishes.

And of all the many travel tripods I've reviewed, the Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S is the one I come back to most often – I reckon this is the best tripod for most people.

Is Heipi's travel tripod perfect? No. There were times that I wished it could work from a higher level than its 59in / 150cm maximum reach (with the center column fully raised).

However, given it packs away with a tighter diameter than most and to just 17.7in / 45cm in length, while it weighs just 3lbs / 1.35kg (with ball head included), I'm happy to sacrifice any extra reach.

And one party trick it lacks, which you can find in many alternatives, is the ability to remove one of its legs for used as a monopod.

If you can live with the few limitations mentioned above, then the Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S will be the most versatile tripod you've ever used, complete with a high-quality and lightweight carbon fiber build, plus tiny pack-away proportions.

If you want a lightweight support for a variety of camera gear, Heipi would be my first recommendation.

You can discover more about the W28S's design and features in my W28 in-depth review, the two share much in common besides some of the design tweaks mentioned above.

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S: key specs

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28 price and availability

The Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S with ball head is available now, from $399 / £325 on the Heipi website and from $399 on Amazon US.

There are also optional accessories such as a QR plate, and a different type of ball head in a pricer bundle. Heipi also sells clamp arms, an add-on phone clamp, plus a hammock for stowing accessories or even a weight to increase stability.

Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28: Also consider

Should I buy the Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S

• I've used it over several months
• I've extensively used its 3-in-1 features
• I've attached various mirrorless cameras and smartphones

I've had the Heipi 3-in-1 Travel Tripod W28S for months and it has been my go-to camera gear support during this period.

It has ably supported beginner, mid-range and pro mirrorless cameras, although I've drawn a line at the larger sports-focused bodies and bulky telephoto lenses.

I've also used the phone clamp, attached a variety of smartphones the largest of which was an iPhone 15 Pro Max, plus tried out optional extras including clamp arms for an external monitor.

The mini tripod has had equally thorough testing as the main tripod legs. Generally I've used the gear in fair weather, but it has also withstood moderate rain and use on sandy beaches.

First reviewed June 2025

Peak Design Pro Tripod: two-minute review

Peak Design’s tripods have a couple of unique design features. One is the leg design, which is not tubular but has a six-sided cross section with an inner edge that fits straight up against the center column, with no gaps. The center column is thinner than most but also has a six-sided cross section for the legs to fit neatly against the legs when folded. This non-tubular construction does seem to give both the legs and the center column unusual stiffness.

The other unique feature is a low-profile ball head with no protruding locking nut. Instead, it’s clamped with a rotating collar, and another, just above locks and releases the compact Arca Swiss compatible camera plate.

This low profile head design means that the original Peak Design travel tripod does not have to have its legs rotated 180 degrees from their folded position before you can use it. The low height of the ball head means that you can simply fold the legs in and pack it away without any complicated manoeuvers.

These design features made the original Peak Design Travel tripod very different to anything else. Now Peak Design has taken those same design concepts and scaled them up into a Pro version designed for serious professional use.

In fact, there’s not one Pro tripod but three. The regular Pro tripod is the one I spent most time with for this review, but I also got to try out the Pro Lite and Pro Tall variants. The Pro Lite is almost the same height and folded length of the regular Pro Tripod, but has a lighter construction for easier portability. The Tall version has longer leg sections and can even reach eye level for tall people without any center column extension – it exceeded my eye level!

The new Pro tripods aren’t just bigger and more substantial than the original Travel Tripod – they have a new Pro ball head that’s larger and more substantial than the original, plus it has a neat ‘inverted’ design so that the pan axis is above the ball not below it. This means that you can level the pan axis for panning shots and panoramas without having to fiddle around with the leg lengths. It’s not a huge range of adjustment but it might be all you need.

For more extreme pan axis adjustments, or if a lot of your work is video, Peak Design has you covered. There are two new ‘mods’ to go with these tripods: one tilt head for video work, and the other a leveling bowl which you swap out with the standard center column, and which has a regular head attachment screw so that you can use your favorite video head if you want to.

I love the original Peak Design Travel Tripod, so do the new Pro tripods leave me just as impressed? Yes! It is, literally, just like using scaled up versions of the Travel Tripod. The carbon fiber legs feel just as smooth and warm to the touch, the leg clamps are just as quick and positive, and because these Pro tripods have four leg sections rather than five, they’re a little quicker to set up.

The new Pro ball head is terrific. It’s big and chunky, it locks tight and it doesn’t add a whole lot to the tripod’s height when you’re packing away. As before, there are no protruding knobs or levers to get in the way either.

Peak Design’s use of a rotating collar to lock the QR plate does take a little getting used to. The head has two collars in close proximity and at first it can be a struggle to remember which does what and how they work.

The new Pro head, though, feels absolutely rock solid, and it’s with the pan and tilt mod that it gets really clever. All you need to do is take out the regular Arca Swiss plate and slot in the pan and tilt add-on for a proper fluid pan and tilt action.

There’s an extending panning handle which is stowed against the side of the head via a magnet (Peak Design loves magnets) and can be quickly screwed into the head ready for use. It sounds like a kludge, with one head mounted on top of another, but it absolutely isn’t. It looks like it was made to work this way, and feels like it too. The tilt axis is sprung, by the way, so if you use a longer camera plate you should be able to balance it up fairly well for light and controlled tilt movements.

The center columns on these tripods are longer than the one in the original Travel Tripod, which is useful, but even though they’re fixed with a small-looking locking knob, they lock down really tight and with no flex.

You can also get spiked feet but these are an optional extra, nor does it seem like Peak Design includes a phone clamp with these tripods, so that will be a paid extra too. It kind of makes sense because these Pro tripods are overengineered for phone use anyway. If you do get the phone mount, it will still slide up into the base of the center column for storage. Here, Peak Design has stuck with its slightly complicated pull-and-twist hook release which is easy when you’ve learned how it works but can be annoying at first.

So that’s a quick tour of the Peak Design Pro Tripods, but which is the best one to get? That’s quite tricky because they are somewhat similar, both in size and price. The standard Pro tripod is expected to sell for $899.95 when it goes fully on sale in November 2025, the lighter Pro Lite will be $799.95 and the Pro Tall will be $999.95. I haven't seen prices for the UK or Australia yet.

Personally, I wouldn’t go for the Pro Lite. I can understand the reasoning – it’s a slightly lighter, slightly cheaper alternative to the regular Pro model – but it’s not a lot smaller and I think I’d rather just pay the extra for the thicker legs of the Pro model. The Pro Tall is interesting, though. If I was 6ft tall and didn’t like using center columns, I would go for this one. It’s definitely longer when packed away, but all of these tripods are too long to fit inside a backpack anyway and would end up strapped to the outside. Besides, for those times when you didn’t need the extra height you could just extend three leg sections not four, for even more stability.

Peak Design Pro Tripods: key specs

Peak Design Pro Tripods price and availability

The Peak Design Pro Tripods launch on Kickstarter on July 17 2025 but are expected to go on general sale in November 2025. The Pro Lite tripod has an expected price of $799.95, the Pro tripod will be $899.99 and the Pro Tall will sell for $999.99.

The Tilt Mod and Pro Leveling Base will be sold separately and we’re currently waiting for price information on these, but we are told the option spiked feet will sell for $49.95.

Peak Design Pro Tripods: Also consider

Should I buy a Peak Design Pro Tripod?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Peak Design Pro Tripods

• Operational speed and efficiency
• Stiffness and rigidity
• Ball head operation
• Effectiveness of add-ons

I had just two weeks to try out the Peak Design Pro tripods because loan stocks were in short supply and shared between many different reviewers. However, I know the original Peak Design Travel Tripod very well and I review tripods as part of my work, so I already had a list of what I was looking for and expected from these new Pro tripods.

I particularly wanted to test the speed and ease of deployment and was pleased to find it was just as slick as with the original Travel Tripod but quicker, thanks to the 4-section legs and larger leg clamps. I also wanted to check if the excellent stiffness of the original Travel Tripod had scaled up to these new, bigger sizes, and it has. I don’t remember any other tripods I’ve tested with more torsional rigidity and lack of leg flex than these.

I was also keen to check how the new Pro Ball Head worked. The original was good but quite small and fiddly. This one is much better. Not only does it clamp tighter and hold heavier loads better, the inverted ball design makes levelling the camera for panning shots so much easier.

Lastly, I spent some time trying out the Tilt Mod and Pro Leveling Base and came away impressed. The Tilt Mod fixes so well to the Pro Ball Head that they feel like a single (very smooth) unit and the Pro Leveling Base took a minute or so to swap out with the regular column but lets you use your own tripod head.

First reviewed June 2025

Lowepro Tahoe BP 150: two-minute review

The temptation for most photographers is to carry as much gear as possible. After all, you don’t want to get caught without the right kit for the situation. Many of the best camera bags will let you do exactly that: pack your entire arsenal of lenses and accessories, so you’ll never miss a shot.

That’s not what the Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 is about. This is a neatly packaged backpack with just enough space for your shooting essentials, plus a handful of extras. That limited capacity means most enthusiasts will need to leave a couple of lenses at home. But the pay-off is a pack that majors in portability.

It’s also one that balances functionality with affordability. One of the cheapest Lowepro backpacks you can buy, the Tahoe BP 150 is a no-nonsense solution for toting a lean photography setup on your travels. Impressively for the money, it’s also one that comes with very few compromises.

The main compartment might be relatively modest, but clever division allows you to make the most of the available space. The top third is taken up by a zippered box pocket which is stitched in place, with a flexible base that can be moved using velcro tabs. So can the padded walls which structure the rest of the space.

Depending on what you shoot with, you’ll need to spend a bit of time playing with the position of these dividers to find a layout which best suits your setup. With some experimenting, you’ll discover that the Tahoe BP 150 can carry quite a lot more than you’d first expect, although a couple more of the small dividers would make the space even more versatile.

As it is, the bag can comfortably fit an APS-C mirrorless body with a prime lens attached, along with a telephoto and a standard zoom, plus a charger with room to spare. You could squeeze a pancake lens and a small flashgun in there, too. A larger DSLR body makes for more of an awkward fit, while enthusiasts with top-tier glass will find that the capacity soon evaporates.

This might be a backpack for traveling light, but Lowepro has still put thought into optimizing it. There’s an SD card slot on the inside of the main flap, while the front panel is angled slightly to create a usable space in the secondary pocket. That’s where you’ll find a key clip, accessory slots and a tablet sleeve that’s just big enough to fit a 13-inch MacBook Air.

There’s also a solution for traveling with tripods. Elasticated mesh pockets sit on either side of the pack, together with clips for securing tripods in place. Realistically, the shallow depth of the pockets means you wouldn’t want to risk keeping anything taller than a mini-tripod on the outside of the Tahoe BP 150.

The only design blunder to speak of is the position of the tripod clips. These fasten across the zipper for the main compartment, which means you have to undo them every time you want to access your camera kit. This isn’t a quick-access pack at the best of times, with a fair bit of unzipping needed to get at your gear. Having clips in the mix quickly becomes frustrating.

Still, the LowePro Tahoe BP 150 is otherwise a camera bag that hits the sweet spot of practicality, price and protection. Despite its compact dimensions, the shell benefits from padding in all the right places. Granted, I wouldn’t want it chucked around on a baggage carousel, but I never felt that my gear was at risk while wearing it.

The same goes for the straps and back panel. This is far from a technical pack and you don’t get the kind of support or adjustment found on the Lowepro PhotoSport BP 24L AW III, but there’s enough cushioning to make the Tahoe BP 150 comfortable to carry fully loaded on a journey.

From the zips to the seams, the whole thing feels durable. That’s not a surprise from Lowepro, but it’s a welcome fact for the price. And it’s all the more impressive when you consider that the Tahoe BP 150 weighs just 800g, making it one of the lightest camera bags you can buy.

The one thing missing is a rain cover. The backpack is water-resistant enough to shake off a summer shower, but it’s not fully waterproof. Then again, given how affordable it is, you could always buy a third-party rain cover if you’re worried about downpours.

If you want an unfussy backpack with minimal bloat and travel-friendly dimensions, it’s hard to go wrong with the LowePro Tahoe BP 150. Other camera bags might be bigger and more adaptable, but this one gets the basics right at the right price.

Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 review: price

The Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 has been available to buy since 2015. At launch, it was priced around $95 / £85 / AU$175. The backpack’s price has dropped several times over the last few years and it can now be found online for around $75 / £65 / AU$100.

A quick look at price tracking websites also confirms that the Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 is regularly discounted during sale events, such as Amazon Prime Day. It’s already a great-value camera bag, but if you want an even better deal, we suggest holding out in case it’s reduced again in the next seasonal sale.

The Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 is available in four color variations: blue (as tested here), black, red and green (which features urban camouflage pattern detailing).

Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 review: specs

 Should I buy the Lowepro Tahoe BP 150? 

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Lowepro Tahoe BP 150 review: Also consider

How I tested the Lowepro Tahoe 150

• Packed with a DSLR and two lenses, plus accessories
• Carried around daily for a fortnight
• Wore in all weather conditions

When testing the Lowepro Tahoe BP 150, my aim was to assess its real-world practicality for different photographers. That started with loading it up. To get an idea of its true capacity, I played around with fitting both APS-C and DSLR shooting setups into it. I re-arranged the internal dividers several times, to see what combinations of camera body, lenses and accessories it could take.

I also packed out the Tahoe BP 150 with as many accessories as possible, including a mini trip on the side and a laptop in the front sleeve. This was partly to see just how much gear it was realistically able to accommodate, but also to get a feel for how comfortable the bag was to carry when fully laden.

With that in mind, I walked with the Lowepro on my back every day for a few weeks. This first-hand experience gave me a genuine impression of what the Tahoe BP 150 is like to work and travel with, including how easy it is to access the various pockets and compartments on the move. I also wore the backpack in different weather conditions, to put its water-resistance to the test.

First reviewed June 2025