H&Y K-Series - Best filter holder for landscape photography
Ease of use is not the first thing you think about when you are standing on a windy cliff waiting for the magic golden hour. You think about composition, you look at clouds, you check your histogram. But your hands? Those are cramped changing filters, digging in your bag or straightening your tripod, while the sun sets at record speed.
It sounds like a luxury problem, but every landscape photographer knows: a good filter holder makes all the difference. Because the less fiddling around, the more likely you are to come home with photos that make you happy. And that's exactly where the H&Y K-Series magnetic filter system scores the maximum number of points.
The H&Y K-Series magnetic filter system: robust, convenient and future-proof
The H&Y K-Series filter holder is the heart of this system. Sliders secure the holder firmly and quickly to the adapter ring. The great thing is that you can combine both magnetic and drop-in filters in one holder. With the right adapter, the holder fits various filter sizes. This makes the K-Series holder not only practical to use, but also a smart choice for the long term. In addition, the system offers four more convincing advantages that make working in the field easier and more efficient.
1. High optical quality and sturdy materials
The K-Series filter holder MKIII is made of sturdy and lightweight aluminium and works with a CNC anodised threaded adapter. The round drop-in filters have HD MRC (Multi-Resistant Coating) glass. The magnetic filters are made of hardened Gorilla Glass: optically clean, scratch-resistant and resistant. You notice it immediately: this glass feels robust and lasts a long time. Due to the design and high-quality finish, no vignetting is visible up to 16mm ultra wide-angle.
2. Magnetic convenience: flexible and quick to use
Anyone who has worked with different filter holders knows: one system is not the other. The H&Y K-Series magnetic filter system is a keeper, precisely because of the clever details and refinements in the latest MK III version.
Its strength lies in its simplicity. You slide the magnetic filters smoothly up or down the holder to align them precisely, for example with the horizon. The sturdy frame around the filter allows you to grip the filters without leaving fingerprints on the glass. You can stack up to three filters on top of each other to suit the circumstances. That ergonomics makes all the difference: the convenience of being able to react quickly to changing light.
3. Future-proof: modular and expandable
The K-Series system is modular and expandable. The range is wide and you can easily expand your set with additional drop-in filters and magnetic filters. So you effortlessly adapt the filter system to your growing skills and new challenges.
For example, you buy a new lens with a different filter size. Normally, you then have to buy new filters or adapters. With H&Y, you then simply use a different threaded adapter for the magnetic K-Series filter holder MKIII. Upgrading from an older version filter holder? You can just keep using your current H&Y K-Series filters. Invest once in good filters and you're done.
4. Making your current filters compatible with the K-Series system
If you want to switch to the H&Y K-Series system, you can use your current 100x150mm filters from this system by placing them in an H&Y magnetic filter frame. This way, you immediately benefit from the advantages of the magnetic system, without saying goodbye to your familiar filters. This makes switching low-threshold and cost-saving.
Two ways to place your filters in the filter holder
What makes the H&Y K-Series unique is the dual filter system. You have insert filters and magnetic filters. Every landscape photographer knows the problem: your camera's dynamic range simply cannot match what your eyes see. That's when circular polarisation and grey gradient filters come into play. And that combination works exceptionally well in the H&Y system.
K-Series Drop-in filters
H&Y has many types of polarisation and ND filters to place in the filter holder. You simply place these round 95 mm filters into the filter holder via the slot at the top. Unlike many other systems, you don't need a thread. A polarising filter is easily adjusted with the filter's rotary knob. You can even operate it with gloves on. If you don't use a drop-in filter, you close the slot neatly with the supplied cap against light leakage.
Available Drop-in filters 95mm
- K-Series Circular Polariser HD MRC
- K-Series ND16+CPL HD MRC
- K-Series ND34+CPL HD MRC
- K-Series ND64+CPL HD MRC
- K-Series ND64 HD MRC
- K-Series ND1000 HD MRC
- K-Series Black Promist Mist 1/4
- K-Series White Mist Promist 1/4
- K-Series Anti-pollution Night Filter
K-Series Magnetic filters 100mm & 150mm
The magnetic filters are the flagship of the H&Y K-Series system. The filter holder works not only with drop-in filters, but also with square (100x100mm) and rectangular (100x150mm) magnetic filters. One of the strengths of this system is its wide range. You put together your own ideal combination for virtually any situation. You attach the filters to the holder with magnets, allowing you to snap on an ND or GND filter in no time. Anyone using this system for the first time will immediately notice how intuitive and fast it works. Moreover, the magnetic system makes it easy to stack several (maximum 3) filters on top of each other.
Available 100x150mm filters:
- K-Series HD MRC Center GND Filter Balancer GND1.2
- K-Series HD MRC Center GND filter (ND0.6, ND0.9, ND1.2, ND1.5)
- K-Series HD MRC Hard GND filter (ND0.6, ND0.9, ND1.2, ND1.5)
- K-Series HD MRC Reverse GND filter (ND0.6, ND0.9, ND1.2, ND1.5)
- K-series HD MRC Soft GND filter (ND0.6, ND0.9, ND1.2, ND1.5, ND1.8)
Available 100x100mm filters:
- K-series ND8 HD MRC filter
- K-series ND16 HD MRC filter
- K-series ND32 HD MRC filter
What do photographers say about the H&Y K-Series filter system?
Who better than photographers themselves to tell you how a system works in practice? These professionals work daily in varying conditions and know exactly what works and what doesn't in the field. Below, three landscape photographers share their own experience with the H&Y K-Series filter system.
“I used plastic filters for years. Cheap, but you saw every scratch. Now that I work with the magnetic K-Series filter system, I am extremely happy. Quality glass filters as well as scratch- and break-proof.”
— Edwin Giesbers, nature photographer
“At first I was a bit sceptical and therefore extra cautious when using the magnetic system. However, this uncertainty was short-lived and I was soon convinced that the magnets would stick. The system works really well and the magnets are so strong that you don't have to worry about the filters falling off the holder.”
“The magnetic filters click neatly together and work much faster than a sliding system, especially with gloves on in a stiff wind. A wonderfully innovative system that has managed to eliminate some of my annoyances while shooting.”
— Maurice Hertog, landscape photographer
Getting started with H&Y K-Series magnetic filters
Fiddling with filters never feels good. Maybe this is why you don't use them as often as you'd like. Or do you find that your enjoyment of shooting diminishes as soon as you have to change filters? If you shoot in conditions where speed, precision and control are essential, you want a system that works with you. And if you also want to be able to easily expand your set: then the H&Y K-Series magnetic filter system is probably exactly what you've been looking for all along.
"This makes the K-Series holder not only practical to use, but also a smart choice for the long term."
Working with magnetic filters means more convenience, cleaner filters and more focus on the right moment. When in doubt, just start with the basics: the H&Y K-Series MKIII filter holder, a threaded adapter that fits your lens and a drop-in CPL filter. Then expand with ND or GND filters in magnetic frames, just the way you need.
