Benro has announced the Aureole, what it calls the first detachable, multi-function filter adapter system that allows photographers to not only adapt lenses but also supports filters via a built-in quick loading system.
The Benro Aureole (aureole means “circle of light or brightness surrounding something,” such as would be depicted around the heads of holy figures in art) comes in two configurations: Canon EF lenses to RF cameras (the RC1) and Canon EF lenses to Sony E-Mount bodies (the RE1). Benro says that the benefit to the system, in addition to acting as a lens mount adapter, is the ability to also use filters without needing to attach anything to the front of the lens.
Beyond that, Benro says that it has created a smarter filter system. Rear-mounted filters have the benefit of being smaller and allow them to work with any lens, but the process of removing them can be tedious. Front-mounted filters are more common and more widely used, but tend to be much larger and multiple sizes or ring adapters are necessary to work with lenses of different sizes.
The concept for the Aureole, which combines the two concepts into what Benro calls the best of both worlds, isn’t new, as Canon — for example — already produces an adapter for Canon EF to RF that includes the ability to mount filters within it. Benro actually compares its Aureole against five other options from the likes of Aurora, Fotodiox, Kipon, and Deo-tech, but says its design combines the best aspects of each into a better finished product.
Benro seems to be leaning on the “first” in its claims because it allows for the use of Canon EF lenses on Sony E-Mount cameras, making it a lens adapter that works across camera brands that is also a filter holder. Benro says the design of the Aureole reduces the cost of adapters and filters at the same time.
The filter system is also more advanced than any of its noted competitors since it can take two different filters at the same time. Benro calls it a “double filter” system that can accept both square and circular format filters simultaneously (either a circular and a circular or a square and circular). Circular filters can be used with variable neutral density (ND) or circular polarizers while the square format can act as a graduated filter. The adapter allows one filter to be inserted from the top and another from the side interchangeably, and Benro indicates that this makes it more versatile for both portrait or landscape camera orientations, and leaving one filter in place while swapping the other helps keep a camera’s sensor clear of dust.
The Benro Aureole will be available for $249, but will be offered at launch at a discounted $180 for an undisclosed amount of time. The company did not specify the price of any of the filters at the time of the announcement.
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