X Series Filter Reviews

X-Series Reviews

X4 ND

Bryan Carnathan
The-Digital-Picture.com Read Full Review

Breakthrough sent me an evaluation filter along with some very strong claims including: “The X4 ND is the world’s sharpest and most color neutral ND filter.” Well, that is exactly what I’m looking for, so I was persuaded to spend the time testing the X4 head-to-head against my previous favorite, the Singh-Ray Mor-Slo.

Turns out they were right.

Adam Welch
Contrastly.com Read Full Review

It is a truly rare happening when I run across a product and can’t seem to find anything negative to add in the review. In the course of bringing you an unbiased and honest commentary I usually find some minute problem which I feel is worth sharing.

I can earnestly and confidently say that I have found the X4 ND filter from Breakthrough Photography to be nothing short of exceptional.

Lloyd Chambers
diglloyd.com Read Full Review

Certain details were noticed right away, which speak to the effort put into the product … The ‘traction frame’ really is a superb idea.

X4 ND Review Links

X4 UV

Mark Liu

The X4 UV filter is a more superior version of it’s little brother, the X1 UV. The X1 UV compared to the X4 UV is like comparing Apples to Oranges and It’s build and image clarity is far more superior to that of the X1 UV. With a smooth brass notched ring, it feels smooth and secure as you attach this to any of your camera lenses. Pristine is one word to describe the X4 UV filter, it delivers stunning photos that wouldn’t be possible without it’s 16 layer coating. A recommended buy for individuals who would like to protect the front element of their lenses

GMF1953

I tested the filter on my Nikon DX 12-24/4 and the result is excellent. I use the filter as protection for my lens but don’t want to lose image quality. The X4 UV serves that purpose perfectly. I can’t see any difference between “with filter” and “without filter”. Before I used another pricey filter which also worked fine but you could see the difference with/without filter. For best quality shots I took it off.

X2 UV

Michael Bathan

I was impressed right off the bat. The package was clean and professional in a sturdy high quality box then the filter was in-cased in it’s own tight plastic container. The is hardly visible. It’s something you would put on an forget about it. No noticeable glare. The multiple coating is great. I am very particular about cleaning my lenses every time the night before a job. What I really like about the X2 was it had a beading effect when there was liquid on it, which made it very easy to clean. Smudge and finger prints wiped right off.

I didn’t have any problem placing my lens caps on X1 and X2 even though they are very slim. I stacked other ND filters on top of them and precision the threads were perfect. I’ve emailed back and forth with the owner (Graham) and I was impressed with the speed of follow up. I like that they’re based from San Fran in Cali. I’m sure when they get big, the replies might take a little longer. Until then, I would recommend the X1 for any beginning photographers but I would recommend the X2 to pro-summers and pro photogs.

Joshua P Smith

Bottom line; this is an amazing, professional quality filter at an unbeatable price.

The rest of this information is for those who are interested in more than the bottom line. To give some context, I am a photo enthusiast/junkie not a professional photographer.

The product: absolutely fantastic. I have purchased cheap filters as well as more expensive B&W filters. I recently had the opportunity to really test the filter out both indoors and outdoors. This filter does exactly what you want, it has either zero impact on image quality … or enhances the quality when appropriate. I did a great deal of shooting with the filter outdoors and it was fantastic.

Build quality: This is one of the nicest and slimmest filters I have ever purchased. The product came in excellent packaging including 2 microfiber cloths, and a center pinch lens cap. I am assuming they included the lens cap in the unlikely event that the lens cap that came with your lens does not grab the inside of the filter. I honestly did not have ANY difficulty using the lens cap that came with my lens … so while I don’t think this is a concern, it was a nice inclusion with the filter itself.

Customer service: again, this is an area that Breakthrough Photography is above many other companies. If you check out their website you will see that they are a startup based out of California. They shipped the product almost immediately and I received it on the first possible day identified in my delivery window.

I highly recommend this product as well as the company itself!

Bought this filter for the canon 70-200 2.8. This filter is also remarkably thin and well built.

So far it has not caused any flaring issues, even when pointed directly at the moon.

I plan to get another one for my 24-105 in the near future and possibly look into the line of ND filter that are now being sold.

Bottom Line: Highly recommend.

X1 UV

Rodolfo Konig

My friend pointed me towards this filter. My first impression out of the box, was of a quality product. The lens comes in a cardboard box, with a plastic clam shell box containing the filter (just like the B&W filters). It’s very thin, but easily takes a Nikon lens cap (I tested it with the 24-70 2.8).

I saw no difference in quality between my current B&W F-Pro and the X1 when I took my test shots. I put it a bit through it’s paces (shoot directly at a light source, low light, indoor/outdoor) and it performed just as well as the F-PRO.

The owner was responsive with any questions and emailed promptly when the order was received and shipped. I would shop Breakthrough Photography for other filters in the future and will recommend them to my friends.

Jason Rambo

Fantastic piece of glass, very slim and does a great job of cutting through the haze. I have shot with B&W filters for years but they have always been on the pricier side, but now after using the X1 uv filter I’m sold on Breakthrough Photography’s quality and service.

Jasonwrambophotography.com

Allen Barth

I received my X1 UV Filter and 77mm to 72mm adapter. The first thing I noticed was the packing, nicely packaged, something you would expect jewelry to come in. But the real stunner was the filter. The quality looked to be far above the other fitters I have gotten. The filter even had a little ring of ridges running around the top edge. It felt good when I screwed it onto the adapter. The threads were well cut. There was no grabbing of the threads as it was screwed on. The ridges also gave surface for you your fingers grab. Usually I run threads on filters across some bees wax to provide a little lubrication and prevent binding. I tried putting it on and off it never caught or bound. Although I did not need the bees wax I put it on out of habit. The Filter exceeded my expectations. The quality was very high. Even the microfiber clothe that came with the filter was thicker than the normal cloth you get with other items. WELL DONE!