Tilta Illusion Magnetic Filter Ultimate Kit Released – CPL, 1-10 Stops VND, and Black Mist 1/4

Lens Filters

by Johnnie BehiriMay 12^th, 2026

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Tilta has unveiled the Illusion Magnetic Filter Ultimate Kit, a screw-on magnetic filter system that bundles a circular polarizer, a 1-10 stops variable ND, and a Black Mist 1/4 diffuser into a single stackable ecosystem for 77mm and 82mm lenses. Priced at $279 (with a 10% pre-order discount through May 22), the kit marks Tilta’s first push into the magnetic filter category for regular photo and cinema lenses, a space already crowded with Freewell, NiSi, and others.

Until now, Tilta’s Illusion line lived strictly inside its Mirage matte box ecosystem, built around the proprietary 95mm circular standard introduced with the original Mirage back in 2021. The new Ultimate Kit takes a different route, attaching directly to lens filter threads via magnetic adapter rings. That puts the company head-to-head with established magnetic-filter players, and it does so with a clever piece of polarizer physics rather than yet another stand-alone VND.

How the modular system actually works

The kit is built around three circular polarizers and one VND adapter. The standard CPL, the CPL with five stops of ND baked in, and the CPL with Black Mist 1/4 diffusion all magnetically attach to either the 77mm or 82mm adapter ring, where each can be rotated and locked in place. The VND adapter then stacks on top.

This is where it gets interesting. Variable ND filters are, by design, two polarizing elements rotated against each other. Tilta’s system leverages that physics by treating the CPL as the bottom polarizer and the VND adapter as the top, which means the same hardware does double duty. With the standard CPL plus VND adapter, users get a variable ND adjustable from 1 to 5 stops. Swap in the CPL with built-in ND5, and the same VND adapter delivers 6 to 10 stops of attenuation. Drop in the Black Mist 1/4 CPL instead, and you get diffusion combined with a 1 to 5 stop VND in a single stack. Each configuration is only two filters tall, regardless of which look you are after.

Coatings, color, and vignetting claims

Tilta describes the optical glass as carrying a cinema-grade Full Spectrum (FS) coating, with claims of low reflectivity, even light transmission, and no color cast. Tilta has not yet published independent transmission curves, and color-shift behavior at the extremes of a VND range is exactly where these systems tend to struggle. The same caveat applies to the vignetting argument: by integrating common filter combinations into a single piece of glass rather than stacking discrete elements, Tilta says it reduces the stack height that causes vignetting on wide lenses. The logic is sound, but real-world performance on a 16mm full-frame lens will be the only meaningful test.

The filter surfaces are water and oil repellent, and a microfiber cloth ships in the box. Front and back protective covers magnetically attach to the filters themselves, and they can wrap an entire magnetic stack as a single sealed unit, which is genuinely useful for travel.

What is in the box

The Ultimate Kit ships with the 77mm and 82mm magnetic adapter rings, the standard Circular Polarizer, the CPL with Black Mist 1/4, the CPL with five stops of ND, the VND adapter, the front and back protective covers, and a soft carrying case. Additional adapter ring sizes are sold separately for lenses that fall outside the 77mm or 82mm range, which covers most modern full-frame stills and hybrid glass but leaves out users of larger cinema primes without a step-down ring.

Total kit weight is listed at 0.76 kg / 1.68 lb, and the carrying case measures 23 x 17 x 11 cm / 9 x 6.7 x 4.3 in. The frames are anodized aluminum with a silver finish.

How it fits next to the Mirage system

This is worth flagging clearly. The new Ultimate Kit is not a Mirage accessory, and it does not use the 95mm Illusion glass we covered in Tilta’s 2023 Illusion filter announcement. Different format, different mount, different use case. The Mirage and Mirage Pro remain Tilta’s matte-box-based solutions for narrative and commercial work, including motorized electronic VND on the Mirage Pro. The Ultimate Kit is aimed instead at gimbal, run-and-gun, photo-video hybrid, and travel shoots where a matte box is overkill.

A simpler Creator Kit version with a 1-5 stops VND and standard CPL only has also appeared in Tilta’s product imagery, suggesting the lineup will scale down for users who do not need the full diffusion or extended ND range.

Pricing and availability

The Tilta Illusion Magnetic Filter Ultimate Kit is listed at $279 globally, with a 10% pre-order discount bringing the price to $251.10 until May 22, 2026. In the UK, the kit is priced at £220 (£264 including VAT). It is currently available for pre-order and on back-order at Tilta’s regional stores. Additional adapter ring sizes and individual filter components are sold separately within the same Illusion Magnetic Filters category.

Does Tilta’s magnetic-filter approach win you over from Freewell or NiSi, or are you sticking with your current system? Don’t hesitate to let us know in the comments below!