Lee Launches Elements

Lee Filters has introduced Lee Elements, a range of circular filters for photography and videography. 

Available in 67mm, 72mm, 77mm and 82mm, Lee Elements comprises five filter types: Little Stopper (offering 6 stops of light reduction), Big Stopper (10 stops of light reduction), CPL (circular polarizer) and two densities of Variable ND (providing 2-5 or 6-9 stops of light reduction).

The filters incorporate multilayer coated optics and are ideal complements to the latest lenses and camera sensors. They feature a robust, anodized-aluminum frame, and their design enables quick and easy attachment and operation without the need for a filter holder.

“With Lee Elements, we’re bringing our experience and know-how to a new range of quick and easy-to-use circular filters, providing the quality and performance that customers expect from Lee in a form factor that can streamline their creative process whether they’re capturing stills or video,” says Lee Filters Managing Director Paul Mason. “With the quality of the glass and the high-performance coatings across the range, Lee Elements offers class-leading optical performance.”

The release of the Elements line marks the first time Lee’s Stopper filters for long-exposure photography have been available in a circular format. The Little Stopper and Big Stopper also feature stackable housings, allowing them to be combined to meet users’ creative needs across a variety of shooting conditions. For further flexibility, the rotating CPL and VND filters — which feature increased front rings to ensure optimal edge-crop performance — can be stacked in front of a Stopper. 

The fluid rotation mechanics of the CPL and VND filters ensure smooth, silent operation. Additionally, the VND filters feature a bracketed design with a rotational limit that eliminates the risk of cross-polarization anomalies. The VND filters’ clearly marked numeric stop positions — tuned to Lee’s tight tolerance standard for ND filters — support stills- and video-content creators with real-time exposure control in dynamic lighting situations and also provide another creative option for long-exposure photography. Lee Elements CPL filters draw on the company’s expertise in polarization for ultimate reflection and contrast control. 

In addition to scratch-resistant and anti-reflective coatings, the filters feature hydrophobic and oleophobic coatings equivalent to those found on Panavision’s PanaND and Lee’s ProGlass Cine IRND filters, providing enhanced protection against moisture and fingerprints. The filters also feature a knurled finish for an enhanced all-weather grip. Additionally, the front and rear sections of the rotating CPL and VND incorporate differentiated grip patterns to provide users with tactile feedback as the filters are adjusted. 

Each Lee Elements filter comes with its own impact-resistant hard case with custom foam insert. The curved, single-piece design allows the case to be held comfortably in one hand as the user removes or replaces the filter, and the cases are sized to fit into a pocket or occupy minimal space in a camera bag. Each filter also comes with its own cleaning cloth. 

“Lee Elements will introduce customers who might still be in the early stages of their image-making journeys to the high-quality, rugged and easy-to-use filter systems for which Lee is known,” says Mason. “As those image makers continue in their creative pursuits, we’ll be there to further support them across a whole range of lenses with our other filter lines. Whether customers are shooting stills or video, Lee Elements offers a versatile solution that empowers them to simply go and create.”

Lee Elements filters are available globally through the company’s dealer network and in the U.K. through Lee Filters dealers and Lee Direct.

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