Kaleidoscope Creative Filter

SPECIAL OFFER: Buy any 2 items from Rigu's prism photography range and save £4. Order 3 and save £8, 4 items gets you £12 off!*

Create stunning images with this kaleidoscope filter. The multi-faceted glass create incredible reflections within your image, whilst still allowing you to keep your central subject sharp and in focus. I think this filter is perfect for portrait and product photography, but the possibilites are endless.

• Screw-in filter available in 77mm or 82mm fitments.
• Get a step up ring if you have a different sized front-thread on your lens. See below for advice on using a step up ring with this filter.
• Take the filter off the lens and go handheld with a 77mm filter adapter.
• Rotatable when fitted. The glass design is symmetrical so the rotation is of limited use to photographers, but is a great feature for videographers.
• Glass protrudes beyond the front ring of the filter, and it has no front screw thread. It is not possible to stack in front of this filter, but you can stack behind it.
• Supplied in a padded case for safe delivery, also useful for storage of the filter.
• Filter weight: 124g

Tips for using the filter

There are no hard and fast rules when it comes to a filter like this. The photos you'll capture will be unique, and that's because you'll use it in your own way. That said, personally, I recommend using this at wider apertures (f2.8 and below) and usually with a typical portrait focal length (35mm-70mm), especially when you're starting out so you can get used to working with an unusual filter like this, and then branch out when you're comfortable to more experimental looks with wide-angle lenses and narrow apertures.

I'd suggest setting your AF point to the centre of the image since that's the only part of the filter that is in the same plane as the lens itself, otherwise autofocus systems can sometimes get confused by the filter. If you're using a tripod and your subject is still, it might be best to use manual focus so that you can be sure it's as sharp as possible in the centre, but generally speaking most AF systems shouldn't have too much trouble focusing on your subject with this filter.

Using a step up ring with the kaleidoscope filter

The kaleidoscope filter only comes in a 77mm filter thread, which is great if that's the same as your lens, but a lot of lenses have a different sized thread. A step up ring gets over this problem, allowing the filter to be used with almost any lens, but how will this effect the image?

When your lens is smaller than the filter, you will start to lose the edge effect of the filter, and the larger the difference in size, the more you will lose. Fortunately, with the kaleidoscope having so many different facets, even with a small thread lens like a 49mm you're still going to get that kaleidoscope effect. On a 72mm or 67mm thread lens you probably won't even realise that any part of the effect is missing. 

Be sure to tag @riguphoto on Instagram with your kaleidoscopic images!

*Order two items from the prism photography range and instantly save £4 on your order (discount applied automatically to your shopping basket. Order 3 and save £8, 4 and save £12, 5 items will save £16.