Lens filters are pretty straight forward. The majority of them get screwed onto the front filter thread of a lens. This approach to mounting a filter works, but is not the most efficient. To me, this is one of those things that has been so widely implemented that no manufacturer dares to diverge from the norm, even if there is a better solution. That better solution may just be the Manfrotto Xume Quick Release Adapters.

The Xume adapters consist of two different pieces, the lens adapter (attaches to your lens’ front filter thread) and the filter holder (attaches to the back of the filter). These two parts create a magnetic connection between each other and when installed to your lens and filter, it allows you to magnetically install your filters with little effort. The magnetic connection has just the right amount of strength to hold a filter in place without it falling off and still allows you to easily take the filter off when need be.

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But just how strong is the connection? What if you don’t use just one filter, but an entire filter system? In the video above, I showed the use of the Xume adapters with my Wine Country Camera filter holder. This is a high quality filter holder and with that quality comes weight as the holder is made entirely from metal and wood. The Xume adapters can efficiently hold my filter system, a circular polarizer and 3 additional solid ND filters. I can still also rotate the adapters and my filter holder around for times when I’m using an ND grad and of course take it on and off with ease. Needless to say, these adapters can hold anything that I would possibly need.

Although the Xume adapters are great, I do have one complaint. The Xume system simply does not allow you to use conventional lens caps. The Xume lens adapter is very thin and there is just not enough space for a lens cap to catch on and stay in place. There are specific Xume lens caps that you can buy that works with the lens adapter but from my research, it seems like these caps are only available in certain sizes. For example, my most used lens has a 82mm front filter thread so I bought the 82mm Xume adapter rings. When I tried to find and buy the 82mm Xume lens cap, it was like it’s nonexistent. I couldn’t find it anywhere, even from the manufacturer.

To solve this problem, what I’ve done is bought a screw on lens caps (which would typically screw on to the front filter thread of a lens) and combined this with another Xume filter holder ring. This essentially turns the screw on lens can into a magnetic lens cap. Now, this work around functions just fine but it does cost some money. You have to buy the screw on lens cap and another lens adapter ring and that may cost more than the Xume branded lens cap if they were to make it.

But overall, the Xume is something that I do enjoy and would definitely recommend if you use filters a lot. It’ll save you a lot of time.