Benro NE1 Electronic Variable ND Filter Kit Goes Live on Indiegogo Tomorrow

The Benro NE1 Electronic Variable ND Filter Kit got rather a lot of attention when it was first unveiled last year, and it goes live on Indiegogo tomorrow for an early bird price of $228.

We normally only write about crowdfunded projects when they've reached their funding, but the amount of attention that the Benro NE1 Electronic Variable ND Filter Kit  received when it was first unveiled in December is making us bend that guideline. It goes live on IndieGoGo at 12:30 UTC tomorrow, and we'd be surprised if it doesn't get fully funded pretty soon after. 

However, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out up here that the company has been involved in some crowdfunding projects that did not go absolutely smoothly in the past, as a search for 'Theta Tripod' will probably reveal.

World's First Electronic Variable ND

Theta aside, Benro says that the NE1 is the world's first electronic variable ND, and who are we to argue. Certainly it represents a logical progression from the traditional fixed filters, through the mechanically variable models, and on to something that will govern light reduction dynamically without having to swap filters. Sunrise/sunset timelapses? If it all works as claimed you might see a whole wave of them sweeping across socials.

It uses Dye Liquid Crystals (Dye-LC) to filter the light. The more voltage is applied, the more the dye molecules stand upright allowing light to pass through the filter, resulting in a low ND level. Cut the voltage completely, and the molecules lie flat, maximizing light absorption and giving you a high ND level.

Theoretically this could give users a fine, graduated scale, but Benro has gone with 9 preset levels — ND3, ND4, ND6, ND8, ND12, ND16, ND24, ND32, ND64. "The hard-stop feature guarantees error-free alignment, delivering consistent exposure control at your fingertips," it says.

The result is what should hopefully be seamless dimming across an ND range of ND3 to ND64 (1.5–6 stops). Furthermore, Benro says using the Dye-LC technology lets the fiter achieve a CRI of 91-95 as opposed to the circa 85 of traditional filters.

Controls and Further Filters

A patented Quick Mount filter holder fits 67–82mm standard lens diameters, while the unit also features a V-shaped slot, allowing you to layer on extra filters. "Stack a fixed ND16 on your NE1 (native ND3~ND64) to expand its range to ND48~ND1024 — up to 10 stops total," says the company, which is an interesting proposition.

The controller comes with an Auto ND Mode, which detects ambient light in real time and automatically adjusts to the optimal ND level. This has the potential to be great when it comes to shooting for long stretches in variable light conditions.

Alongside the e-VND, Benro has also developed a remote control unit, the Bluetooth enabled NC1, which will allow you to adjust ND values remotely and avoid vibration-related errors.

It all looks very interesting, and it will be good to see the first reviews come in as the units make their way into the wild.

Pricing and Availability

Current pricing on Indiegogo is $228, with launch pricing expected to be $380. Project timeline currently has March 2026 slated for the start of mass production, with shipping in April. As ever with crowdfunding projects, it's a case of caveat emptor as dates and specs can shift.

In fact, the last high-profile crowdfunding project Benro was involved in, the Theta self-levelling tripod, did not go smoothly at all, with dates and specs all slipping. PetaPixel has the full story.