First Look At The Alter Rapid Filter System

If you are shooting both stills and video on the same camera and alternating between the two on a regular basis you are going to appreciate the new Rapid Filter System by Alter. This new Kickstarter project announced earlier this week let you connect almost any size filter to and size lens and using a hinge move it aside (or above) when you do not need to use it.

The idea is fantastically simple. The Rapid Filter System (RFS) is made out of milled hard-anodized aerospace aluminum and has a 270-degree hinge rotation and magnets as well as an additional lens mounting ring that locks the RFS in place (the user can decide where it wants the hinge to be located).

The RFS and RFS+

There are currently 2 types of units offered during the Kickstarter – the RFS which has the same size filter thread on the front and back and the RFS+ which has the option to choose a different size for the front thread – this means that the RFS+ works just like a step up ring system – so you can have a large diameter filter (say 82mm ND or VND filter) and several diameter lenses (for example ones with 67mm, 72mm and 77mnm) and connect 3 different RFS+ to them (one for each lens) and just unscrew the filter from one RFS+ and connect it to the RFS+ of the other lens (granted that you purchased 3 RFS+ units with 82mm size filter threads).

The RFS has some limitations – you will suffer some vignetting if you are using a lens wider than 18mm (on FF body/lens) and on zoom lenses wider than 30mm (which can be an issue if you were thinking on using it on a 24-70mm lens) you will also not be able to attach hoods and it is not advisable to put and remove it all too often. On the bright side, it will work with most round filters up to 82mm as well as lens caps and threaded white balance discs.

As for pricing a single RFS is currently offered on Kickstarter for $67 while the company has lower combined prices for two or three units.

We already received a review sample of the RFS and we are waiting to receive a sample of the RFS+ and we shall publish a full review of both units later on this year.

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Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.