Yeah you pay for it, but I’ve seen filters a lot more expensive that didn’t look as nice or work as well. After testing this I’ve seen absolutely no optical distortion whatsoever. It is a beautiful polarizing filter that is precision made as you can get. The threads are very easy to screw into the lens and the ring turns with buttery smoothness. This allows you to get any sort of Grady action you want to you in terms of polarization. This mechanism, the simple, is incredibly precise. The glass is absolutely perfectly flat as much as I’m able to measure it. And even using the laser test I saw no distortion whatsoever. This is supposed to have some kind of nano coating that makes it scratch resistant and also shed water much easier. I really hope not to test this. Every filter by this company has been first class all the way. Absolutely professional quality in this one is no different. I have a $300 German made polarizer and I don’t think you can tell the difference. I also have some other expensive ones that are not nearly as good as this. As for the German one, they look identical and they feel identical. And that’s at half the price. This company makes some first class stuff. I won’t have a reservation ever buying a K&F filter.