Cokin Z-Pro Nuances Extreme Graduated ND filters review: high-end quality comes at a high-end price

Cokin is a French manufacturer, founded by photographer Jean Coquin in 1978, and is famous for inventing the square filter system for cameras. With such a long-standing pedigree in the filter space and kicking off the square format altogether, I was delighted to try out a set of Nuances Extreme filters, as well as an NX filter holder.

On test, I had three Nuances Extreme Z-Pro graduated ND filters; the GND8 S soft grad, the C-GND8 'center' grad with the darkest area in the middle of the filter for use when the sun is right on the horizon at dawn or dusk, and the R-GND S 'reverse' grad that is also darker at the center but with a more gradual fall-off towards the top edge for when the sun is visible higher in the sky. I also had an ND1024, ND64, CPL, NX filter holder, and various square and rectangular aluminum frames to fit the filters into the holder.

I took them to the coast to shoot sunsets, seascapes, and put them through their paces as well as compare them to the competition from LEE, K&F, and Marumi to see how the image quality stacked up. Let’s get to it…

Cokin Nuances Extreme Graduated ND filters: Specifications

Cokin Nuances Extreme Graduated ND filters: Price

Cokin’s Nuances Extreme Z-Pro GND filters don’t come cheap, and cost $150 / £130 each. You can, however, purchase a multipack of the GND4, GND8, and GND16 for around $300 / £320, which works out at about $100 / £106 per filter and brings it more in line with other 100x150mm GND filters on the market.

Adding in the other accessories in the Cokin NX range can really start to ratchet up the cost; the Cokin NX Series filter holder costs $90 / £80, it’s $76 / £45 for the CPL, an ND1024 filter will set you back $119 / £100, then there’s the carry case, adapter rings and the aluminum frames to slot the filters into. When all is said and done, you may have racked up quite a large bill.

That being said, I think seasoned pros looking for a reliable, quick-to-use system, plus the brilliant image quality and durability found in the Cokin Nuances Extreme GND filters, make them well worth the investment.

Cokin Nuances Extreme Graduated ND filters: Design & Handling

The Cokin Nuances Extreme Z-Pro soft graduated kit comes with a GND4, GND8, and GND16 soft graduated ND filters – blocking out up to 2, 3, or 4 stops of light at their darkest areas, respectively.

The filters are Cokin’s L-size, so the GNDs on test measure 100mm wide, allowing them to be used with standard 100mm filter holders, though they’re only 143.5mm tall, which makes them not quite as tall as other competitors, which usually measure 100x150mm. This is to allow Cokin’s L-size filters to be inserted into an aluminum frame (available at extra cost) so they can be easily slotted into the Cokin NX System filter holder, which I also had in for testing. This takes them to a size of 107x162mm.

The filter holders are solidly built from very robust metal with no flex in it, and there’s a large 16mm metal tab at the top of the frame, which gives you something to hold when adjusting the gradient or when you need to detach it. A small Philips screwdriver is required to remove the two screws from the locking tab, which keeps the glass filters securely in place.

In real terms, you have 4.3% less wiggle room than 150mm-tall GNDs. The glass filters are also 2mm deep, which is fairly standard.

Cokin sent me its GND8 filter in one of its aluminum frames, which works with the Cokin NX series filter system. While the frames are metal, it’s not a magnetic system, and instead tracks at the side of the filter frame click into place with respective balls on the filter holder. The filter holder cannot be expanded, unlike the LEE100 system (which can be expanded to load up more filters), so the maximum number of filters you could stack together is two square types with an additional circular polarizer, which sits at the rear (closest to the lens).

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The Cokin Nuances Extreme series of filters is made from highly resistant mineral glass, which Cokin claims can withstand an accidental fall. A new coating process is applied to ensure uniform density, and a nano-magnetic alloy is applied on both sides of its tempered glass.

Cokin Nuances Extreme Graduated ND filters: Performance

To give my overall performance of Cokin’s Nuances Extreme Z-Pro graduated ND filters, I first have to assess the Cokin NX series filter holder system as a whole. While one of the more expensive filter systems on the market, the NX series filter holder didn’t disappoint. Every aspect of the filters and holder feels premium and super high quality; the metal filter holder weighs 67g, and feels rock solid and robust, with a foam gasket around the top and bottom for a light-tight seal when using an ND filter. The holder also has my preferred setup for a CPL, allowing it to be mounted at the back of the filter stack rather than the front.

While the filter holder is metal, the system isn’t magnetic like the Marumi M100, though it doesn’t use guide rails either. Instead, the NX features two rows of ball joints, which allow the tracks of the filter frames to be slotted in and then adjusted up and down – this is a bit more user friendly than the guide rails you might find on a more traditional setup, like the LEE100, where you have to slot the filters to be carefully lined up with the guides from above and pushed down into place.

Here, you can just whip them off the front. I also prefer its mechanism to mount the filter holder to the adapter ring that screws into a lens’s front filter thread. This is just a simple lever that can be pushed to lock or unlock it from the adapter ring, and a more elegant solution compared to the Marumi M100, which uses two thumbscrews at the back of the holder, and also the LEE100, which has a release knob that sticks out to the side.

So the Cokin NX-series filter holder gets high praise, but can the Graduated Neutral Density filters live up to it? The good news is they absolutely did!

Cokin says that because the glass in its Nuances Extreme Z-Pro GND filters is tempered, it won’t crack or scratch even when dropped, and the tempered glass also helps give the filters high light transmittance and low reflectivity.

A new coating process has been used with a nano-magnetic alloy applied to both sides. This is said to control specific wavelengths of light, create a uniform density, and enhance the coating's durability. The inclusion of this nano-magnetic alloy is designed to make the filters more scratch-resistant and easier to wipe clean.

Cokin was so confident in the durability of the Nuances Extreme Z-Pro GND that they told me, “Even if you accidentally drop this filter, it won't crack or get scratched. Feel free to drop it without any worries!” And how could I not after such an invitation? I dropped a filter onto a concrete surface from 1.5m to simulate the filter accidentally taking a tumble while in use. I dropped the filter in its metal frame, as that’s how it’s intended to be used, and you’d be pushed to see any evidence it was dropped at all, apart from a few minor scuffs to the black paint on the filter frame.

The scratch-resistant coating was seriously hardy too, and even when I mustered up as much pressure as I could apply with a pointy metal screw, I was only able to inflict some very minor damage, and it definitely inspired confidence should it be dropped on to a rocky beach out in the real world – a seriously impressive result!

Cokin only sent me the GND8, RGND8 S, and C GND8 S filters, so I couldn’t test out the entire graduated filter range, but it did give me a snapshot of the quality. However, in my time with these three filters and the Cokin NX filter holder, I was seriously impressed – image quality was excellent with fantastic sharpness, contrast, and flare control. To test the filters, I set up my Canon EOS R5 on a tripod with a Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM lens attached, which already has brilliant image quality, though zooming in on my EOS R5’s large 45MP sensor revealed no defects introduced to the image.

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Cokin Nuances Extreme Graduated ND filters: Verdict

While putting together my buying guide for the best graduated ND filters, I tested filters from some of the world’s top filter manufacturers. Cokin’s Nuances Extreme Z-Pro GND stood out as among the best quality, and Cokin’s NX filter holder system, which I tested the GND filters with, also gave one of the best performances. The image quality was stellar, and the build quality was rock solid. If you’re a working professional, a set of these filters would definitely do you proud.

However, this all comes at a price. Cokin’s Nuances Extreme Z-Pro GND and the NX filter holder system do not come cheap, but if you make a living from your photography and need the very best image quality, reliable performance and a filter holder that is fast and intuitive to use in moments where time is of the essence (I’m thinking sunrises, sunsets and fast-changing light scenarios), then Cokin’s filters will be worth the money and won’t disappoint.

Alternatives

Marumi Magnetic Graduated ND Filters are good value and have a novel magnetic clip-on system, allowing them to be attached and detached from your filter holder quickly, and will be a hit with those who like to work fast.

Designed for use with the LEE100 system for full-frame cameras, these LEE100 Neutral Density Grads are the bigger brothers of the LEE85 range for compact cameras with smaller lenses, and have the same lightweight resin design.