Filter manufacturer Haida asked me to review the new NanoPro Soft-Star 2-in-1 filter. It combines a starburst filter and a soft focus filter, promising a more glittering and glamorous appearance whenever point-like light sources are in the frame.
I started photography in the 1980s and remember the special effects filters from those days. Cokin was well known for a wide range of filters with optical effects like soft focus, starburst, and many more. I still have a selection of those filters for nostalgic reasons.
Back in those days, the Cokin starburst filter added spikes to any light source, giving images a festival-like appearance. I remember using such a filter during the Christmas season. However, the effect quickly became a gimmick.
With digital photography and photo editing, any effect that could be accomplished with such filters is easily added in post. It offers much more control over the outcome. However, almost no one uses starburst effects anymore.
Haida has reintroduced the starburst filter. It is combined with a soft focus effect, which reduces the harsh starburst appearance I remember from the old Cokin filters. It also produces a halo surrounding bright light sources, making its appearance friendlier.
A Closer Look at the NanoPro Soft-Star 2-in-1 Filter
The Haida NanoPro Soft-Star 2-in-1 filter is made from lightweight aluminum and offers the ability to rotate the starburst effect, similar to a polarizing filter. Both rings are knurled. The inner ring has knurling on the outside, allowing for a good grip when attaching the filter to the lens. The outer ring has knurling at the front, making it easy to rotate the filter. The rotation has some drag, which can result in unscrewing the filter when you rotate counterclockwise.
The filter has a series of thin lines etched into the flat optical surface. By rotating the filter, the direction of the starburst can be manipulated. Rotation doesn’t affect the soft focus effect. I didn’t notice any light loss.
The sharpness of the image is noticeably affected by the filter. This becomes easily visible when zoomed in. The effect is quite strong. If only the halo effect around highlights is desired, a Black Mist 1/4 filter is a better choice since it retains overall sharpness much better.
The effect of the Soft-Star filter is not significantly affected by the aperture. Even at f/1.4 or f/16, the effect doesn’t change much. However, if a large aperture is used for a shallow depth of field with the desire for the bokeh ball effect, the etched gridlines will appear in the out-of-focus lights.
Night Sky Photography
When photographing a night sky, the stars often appear harsh and over-sharpened. I never liked that appearance. That’s why I often add a bit of soft focus effect during post-processing. This removes excessive details and reduces a lot of noise in the process as well. Depending on the strength of the soft focus effect, a subtle halo surrounds the stars.
When I got my hands on a Black Mist 1/4 filter, I played around with the idea of using it for this kind of photography. However, for some reason, I never did. Instead, I almost always use my Haida Clear Night filter to reduce the overwhelming amount of light pollution in my residential area.
The Haida NanoPro Soft-Star 2-in-1 filter not only offers a similar Black Mist effect but also adds a four-point starburst effect. The strength of the effect depends on the brightness of the light source. Unfortunately, the weather hasn’t been ideal for night sky photography recently. During the few nights with visible stars, the bright ones showed a subtle four-point starburst when the filter was used. These stars became much more apparent in the image. Less bright stars appeared to have less or even no starburst.
I’m confident this effect will become more prominent with clear night skies in locations without the massive amount of light pollution I’m dealing with. However, since the soft focus effect is included, the stars have a nice overall appearance, even if the starburst effect isn’t noticeable with fewer bright stars.
Nighttime Street Photography
Although my initial idea for this filter was to capture the night sky, it can also be used as I did with the Cokin filters in the past. During the Christmas season, many people decorate their houses with Christmas lights, although not as abundantly as in many other countries.
I used the Soft-Star 2-in-1 filter to capture some Christmas lights to see how it performs for this purpose. Since these lights are much brighter compared to stars, the effects of this filter become more pronounced. The soft focus halo offers a glamorous appearance. I like how it adds to the atmosphere of the image. The four-point starburst can become a bit overwhelming. However, it performs much better compared to the old Cokin star filter, although a comparison might be unfair.
A more typical nighttime scene with streetlights, which are brighter than Christmas light decorations, produces even larger halos and stars. For this use, I find the effect less appealing. The halo from the soft focus effect creates a nice light falloff, which is great. However, the starburst points are too large and dominant.
You could add star points to light sources by using a small aperture as well. This results in more star points, depending on the number of aperture blades. For the starburst created with the Soft-Star 2-in-1 filter, you don’t need a small aperture, which can be beneficial.
Keep in mind that the filter is prone to flares. Due to the soft focus effect, a light just outside the frame will produce an ugly spot of light. A lens hood is advisable.
My Conclusion
Although the effect of the Haida NanoPro Soft-Star 2-in-1 filter is less pronounced compared to filters from the 1980s, it can still be overwhelming and considered a gimmick. You either like or dislike the effect. Whether the filter is worth investing in depends on your personal preferences and intended use.
Personally, I wouldn’t use it much for nighttime street photography. Although I like a bit of softness in the highlights, I dislike the large spikes of the starburst effect. A Black Mist 1/4 or 1/8 filter would be a better option for me, especially because it retains sharpness much better.
However, for night sky and Milky Way photography, I can see myself using it. Only the brightest stars will have spikes. I’m looking forward to using it when the Milky Way season starts again.
Unfortunately, if this filter is used on an ultra-wide-angle lens, there isn’t much room for a Clear Night filter to reduce light pollution without some vignetting. Perhaps a Soft-Star-Clear Night 3-in-1 filter would be a great alternative.
What I Like
- No noticeable light loss
- Knurling on both rings
- Subtle starburst effect on less bright lights
- Soft focus reduces harsh lights
What I Don’t Like
- Loss of sharpness
- Starburst effect can become overwhelming with bright lights
- Gridlines visible in bokeh balls
- Prone to flares
- Combination with a Clear Night filter can cause vignetting on ultra-wide angles
Should You Buy the Haida Soft-Star 2-in-1 Filter?
Perhaps. It all depends on your preferences. If you want to retain as much detail as possible, this filter isn’t for you. Neither is it suitable if you dislike the starburst effect. The filter does give a nice, glamorous appearance to a starry night sky. For that, I can recommend it, but not for street photography. Unless you like the effect, of course.
The filter is available in different sizes en sells between $44 and $75, depending on the lens diameter.
