Maven Magnetic Filter Review
I’ve been daily driving the Maven Magnetic Filter System for well over a year at this point and truly believe it’s the best filter system you can buy. A claim I couldn’t make without long-term experience using the system, which we’ll get to exactly why within this review.
Landscape photographers such as myself need filter systems more than any other genre of photographer. The market for filter systems is pretty saturated yet the current offerings have felt stagnant for years with very little innovation or change, specifically in the circular filter market. That’s why when I first saw the Maven filters, they had my attention and I can thankfully say they have exceeded my expectations.
Innovation
Before we dive into image quality, I think the most important part of the Maven system is what they are doing that is a bit different than everyone else. Magnetic filters are still very new, relatively speaking. I got to test one of the first systems that was released by Freewell a few years ago and while I liked them overall, I did have a few issues that the Maven filter system solves.
The first one being stronger and more reliable magnets. I’ve yet to have a Maven filter come off while hiking, or in any situation where it is unwanted. This means I can be a little more worry free with losing them out on the trail. The second and biggest innovation about the system is Maven’s colored and notch system. All of their filters are color-coded so you know exactly which filter is which, even with a quick look. They even go a step further by having unique notch designs for every filter they create. Notice the notches coordinate to the neutral density strength for each of the filters above.
This innovation has continued as they have released more and more unique filters as well. For example, you’ll see that their standard circular polarizer is colored in blue.
In the photo to the right you can see their 3 stop, 6 stop, and 10 stop Circular Polarizer ND filters. These are filters that apply a circular polarization and Neutral density in a single filter. To correctly indicate this they have colored the base of the filter ring blue (Polarizer) and then used Red (3 Stop ND), Purple (6 Stop), and Yellow (10 Stop) to indicate exactly which ND value you are using. This is exactly why I love the innovation of this company! No one else was doing this and I love the innovation.
Image Quality
Image quality is the most important aspect of any filter system so you might be wondering why I didn’t just start with it in this review. The truth is, as long as you’re spending a certain threshold of money on filters, you’re likely getting high quality glass and image quality barring a few exceptions (looking at you Tiffen).
I’ve tested multiple filter systems over the years, and all of them have had good image quality. The reality is that no matter what system you choose, there will likely be very small amount of color shifts depending on which level of filter you’re using. Some brands will have a slightly more magenta color cast while others might be more green. I’ve included a gallery of images using the Maven magnetic filters all shot with my Canon R5 and RF 14-35mm f4 lens.
I can confidently say that the Maven glass is top quality. The most important quality is here is consistently and uniformity. Like I said previously, each brand will have small deviations of color and as long as the cast is uniform, it can be corrected in post. You should also see just how little color cast there is to begin with from the gallery above. While I could go into more scientific depth here regarding image quality, I just don’t think it is necessary after reviewing all the filter glass I’ve reviewed over the years.
Many of the images you’ll find throughout the galleries on my website likely had a Maven filter in front of my lens when I took them. You can trust the image quality of any Maven filter, and more importantly I know that if you aren’t satisfied they will take care of you.
Customer Service
This is a section I cannot typically include in most reviews as I rarely have any personal or working relationship with the company. That isn’t the case for Maven. Michael, the creator and owner has been a standout in my experience with this filter system. He has supported my channel by sending a completely free system to a random viewer of the review video I did last year, without asking for anything in return.
Maven has sent me units to test, try out, and use anytime I’ve needed them. Now I recognize that these privileges are given to me because of the small voice I may have in the market however I’ve also interacted and inquired how my viewers experiences have been with their own interactions with Maven and I’ve yet to hear anything negative.
To me this is truly something that sets apart Maven from any other filter brand. If I have an issue, I know I can rely on them to help me out and resolve it which is not the case for many of the other brands out there. It genuinely feels as if I’m investing in a person rather than some large company. I can’t emphasize this enough!
Long-Term Durability
After almost two years with this system, has it held up? Are the magnets still holding strong? Has the glass stood up to my abuse? The answer to all of those is yes.
The glass durability and surface quality on the Maven magnetic filter system has held up wonderfully even with my less than ideal care that I give them. To this day they still repel finger oil, resist surface scratches, and most importantly kept a good quality hydrophobic coating after MANY wipes in the weather. This is the type of thing that is especially important for shooting salty water along the coast, under a waterfall, or just generally dealing with the elements.
Magnets over time will lose a bit of their strength no matter what type they are but thankfully the Maven system starts off so intense that even at this point, they are perfectly strong enough to reliably and continually attach to the front of my camera lenses without issue. I cannot say this has been the same experience for the other magnetic filters I’ve had for several years
Conclusion
Pros
Innovative Design
Great Image Quality
The BEST Customer Service
Very small footprint for weight and space
Strong Magnets that have lasted years
Lasting surface durability
New innovated lens cap
Continual innovation
Cons
Magnetic systems require more dexterity
Doesn’t fully secure to a lens
Might be too flashy for some
Overall I cannot recommend the Maven magnetic filter system enough and will continue to use it as my daily drive for the foreseeable future. The usability and convenience of the Maven magnetic filter system is unmatched in the market. My personal preference for equipment is to get out of my way as best as it possibly can so I can focus more on creating. This system does that in more ways than one.
If you’re interested in possibly winning some of these filters, be sure to sign up for my newsletter as I’ll be doing random giveaways within those soon!