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KIPON's New PL Mount Adapter Hides a Variable ND Inside a Deep-Recessed Design

KIPON's new PL mount adapter hides a 1.5-7 stop variable ND deep inside its design, solving a long-standing compatibility issue with protruding-element PL cinema lenses. Here's how it works.

KIPON just announced a PL mount adapter for Sony E and Nikon Z cameras that solves a problem most variable ND adapters quietly ignore: compatibility with PL cinema lenses that have protruding rear elements.

The actual engineering problem here

Drop-in variable ND adapters are popular because they let you mount PL cinema lenses on a mirrorless body while controlling exposure without screw-on filters.

The catch is that many PL lenses have rear optical elements that extend further back than standard adapters can accommodate, which means the VND filter assembly physically gets in the way. KIPON's fix is positioning the VND module as deep into the adapter body as possible, maximizing clearance for exactly the lenses that have caused problems for adapters like this before.

What's actually in the adapter

The adapter integrates a 1.5 to 7-stop variable ND filter, with a built-in back focus adjustment using what PRONEWS describes as a precise multi-start screw mechanism for accurate flange focal distance calibration. It's designed and assembled in Japan, with the VND module itself also manufactured there — notable since KIPON is a Chinese company, and this marks a deliberate shift in production for this specific product line.

KIPON reportedly worked directly with Japanese film industry professionals during development, including technical staff from Sanwa Eizai and CRANK, incorporating feedback from rental technicians, cinematographers, and production crews rather than designing in isolation.

A genuinely interesting compatibility bonus

Here's the detail worth knowing if you already shoot with speedboosters: KIPON says this adapter is compatible with their own Mamiya 645-PL 0.7x optical focal reducer system.

That combination is worth understanding if it's new to you — a focal reducer (speedbooster) lets you mount larger-format lenses on a smaller sensor while both widening your field of view and brightening the image, commonly used to recreate a specific vintage or medium-format rendering on a modern digital sensor.

Stacking that with a built-in variable ND means you can get the "medium-format Mamiya look" people chase with these speedboosters while also controlling exposure entirely at the lens mount, without a single screw-on filter.

Where this fits and what it costs

Exact pricing wasn't available across the outlets covering this, but KIPON is reportedly running a bundle discount (per PRONEWS, roughly 15% off) when purchasing the adapter alongside their Mamiya 645-PL 0.7x speedbooster as a set — worth knowing if you were already planning to pick up both.