Best L-mount lens filters for landscape and travel?

Sooo i feel u—after wrecking cheap filters on a salty coast trip, I’d suggest Hoya HD3 Circular Polarizer 77mm + Hoya HD3 ND64 77mm + Hoya HD3 ND1000 77mm; solid coatings, low flare, and way cheaper than boutique stuff (~$90–$140 each).

TL;DR: I tried screw-ins + a square kit on salty hikes… ended up mixing them. Screw-ins are fastest; square grads are worth the bulk.

Ok so, I went through this last year with my L-mount travel setup. Background: the “flare/ghosting” pain is usually extra air-glass surfaces + bad sealing, and coastal spray basically turns cheap coatings into glare generators.

Option A (screw-in stack): I ran K&F Concept Nano-X 77mm Circular Polarizer + K&F Concept Nano-X 77mm ND64 6-Stop + K&F Concept Nano-X 77mm ND1000 10-Stop. Pros: quick swaps, decent value, less stuff dangling in wind. Cons: stacking = more reflections, and threads get crunchy with salt.

Option B (square): Lee Filters LEE100 Holder + Lee Filters ProGlass IRND 0.9 3-Stop 100x100mm + a soft grad. Pros: grads are WAY nicer at sunset. Cons: bulky + more sail area, i mean.

Option C (magnetic): NiSi JetMag Pro 82mm True Color CPL + step-up rings. Fastest, but $$$ and another “system” to babysit, you know

hey, i’m with the folks saying “mix it” — screw-ins for speed, and a small square holder only if you *really* want grads.

- For safety/reliability on salty coast hikes: prioritize brass rings + good sealing + hydrophobic coatings. It’s not just IQ… it’s filters not freezing on ur lens when it’s cold/wet.
- Brand-wise, I’ve had the least drama with Breakthrough Photography and Heliopan for screw-ins (easy to clean, less “stuck” moments, imo).
- For grads, NiSi or Formatt-Hitech holders are decent and clamp well; just keep a microfiber + fresh water rinse plan, seriously.

Also, get step-up rings so you only carry one size… not 100% sure why more people don’t do this tbh. good luck!

Ok so… been there. For travel I’d pick:
1) Screw-ins: B+W XS-Pro Kaesemann HTC MRC Nano Circular Polarizer 77mm + B+W ND 1.8 (64x) MRC Nano 77mm / B+W ND 3.0 (1000x) MRC Nano 77mm — pricey but lowkey the least flare issues I’ve had.
2) Square system: NiSi V7 Holder Kit (82mm) + 100mm grads — faster swapping, but more wind/sea spray hassle.
3) Budget-ish: Hoya HD3 Circular Polarizer 77mm— fine, but unfortunately I’ve had more ghosting vs B+W. gl!

Wow ok that changes things. Gonna have to rethink my approach now.

I've been thinking about your filter dilemma... honestly, I've had so many bad experiences with even the high-end gear lately that it's just frustrating. Last summer I was shooting a waterfall and my supposedly pro holder snapped right off because the plastic got brittle in the cold. It was a total disaster and, unfortunately, most of these kits aren't nearly as rugged as the marketing claims. Some stuff I've learned the hard way:

• Avoid magnetic systems if you're hiking through brush; one branch and your expensive glass is gone.
• Watch out for ultra-slim rings that dont have front threads; you'll never get your lens cap on.
• Be careful with stacking more than two filters... the internal reflections will kill your contrast. I actually started making my own custom filter pouches out of old neoprene sleeves because the ones that come in the box are usually bulky trash. If you're doing coastal stuff, just get a simple step-up ring and use the largest filter size you own for everything. It's not fancy, but it stops the vignetting and saves a ton of space in the pack.