I’ve used Haida filters for several years now. What drew me to continue to use their filter equipment throughout the years was the optical quality of their filter line and how their filter holder really improved my workflow. The first 100mm filter holder I purchased was the Haida 100-PRO model in 2017. In 2019, Haida released the revolutionary M10 which introduced the drop-in filters to be used by itself or in tandem with standard 100mm filters. One thing I really love about the Haida 100mm systems is that all of the filter holders are compatible with their whole 100mm filter inventory. This means you can use your 100mm filters from the older generation filter holders from Haida on the new M10-II!
After the release of the original M10 filter holder and how well photographers came to like the technology and its ease of use, I noticed several other filter companies started to develop their own flavor of drop-in filters. It was very interesting to witness how Haida really led the filter industry with this technology. Regarding the original M10, after listening to feedback from photographers in the field, Haida updated the system to provide several improvements on the M10-II.
What’s in the box
The Haida M10-II filter holder come in several bundle configurations depending on your needs. I went with the filter holder along with the drop-in light barrier, drop-in circular polarizer and the 82mm filter thread adapter ring. The largest lens I will use this filter system with is the Sony 16-35mm G-Master lens which has an 82mm filter thread. I purchased step-up rings for my smaller lenses so I can use the 82mm adapter ring that came with the kit. I’ll include a couple of links at the end of the review where you can purchase the M10-II kit. Here’s what’s included in the box:
- M10-II Carrying Case
- M10-II 100mm Filter Holder
- M10-II Drop-in Circular Polarizer Filter
- M10 Series Adapter Ring (82mm)
- Light Barrier
- Holder comes set up to hold two filters with extra guides to hold three filters
Haida was also kind enough to send me a Red Diamond Medium Graduated Neutral Density filter with the kit.
Improvement updates to the new M10-II
Update 1: Filter guides
The first generation M10 utilized a screw-on method to expand the filter guide capacity. The issue with this is that if you didn’t have the required tool in the field, you wouldn’t be able to expand (or reduce) the amount of filter guide. There are times where for me personally, I didn't need the additional filter guide especially when using the Sony 14mm f1.8 G-Master lens (a separate Haida adapter is needed for this lens). On the M10-II, Haida introduced the snap-on method to install or remove additional filter slots. This requires no additional tools to use which makes it extremely user friendly in the field. And of course, less tools and screws to worry about carrying around :)
Update 2: Locking mechanism
The new locking lever allows for one hand operation during mounting and dismounting of the filter holder freeing up one hand for other uses. This is very useful especially when composing the shot using strong ND filters as you can easily remove the filter holder as your making adjustments to the camera on the other hand.
Update 3: Drop-in filters construction
The previous version used a plastic construction which felt really flimsy. The all new aluminum-alloy drop-in filters provide more durability and robustness. The construction feels solid and incredible sturdy. Although I've never dropped the new drop-in filter in the field, I am confident the new material would provide decent protection in case the filter somehow fell on the ground.
Update 4: New locking dial
Free rotation is still possible with the new M10-II however, Haida introduced a new locking dial which ensures security of the filter holder when moving or rotating. This prevents the holder from falling which the older M10 did not have. This also helps tighten the filter holder to the mount which eliminates any play as the M10 had.
Conclusion
Haida continues to push the camera filter industry to the next level. Not only are they producing world-class products with outstanding optical quality but they are also extremely responsive to customer feedback from the field. I am so thrilled to have joined the family and will continue to use their product in my workflow.
Examples images captured using M10-II
Source 1 - Purchase the M10-II here
Source 2 - Purchase the M10-II here
