PolarPro Partners With Shortstache for New Close-Focus Diopter System
PolarPro has announced Shift, a three-piece diopter system created to give photographers and filmmakers faster access to close-focus capabilities without the need to change lenses.
Developed in collaboration with content creator and commercial photographer Garrett “Shortstache” King, PolarPro’s new Shift is positioned as a flexible tool for capturing macro-style detail while keeping existing setups lightweight and efficient.
A Three-Strength System
Shift is built around three optical strengths: +2, +4, and +8. Each level adjusts a lens’s minimum focusing distance to 19.7, 9.8, and 4.9 inches (0.5, 0.25, and 0.125 meters) respectively. As magnification increases, the frame tightens and finer textures become more pronounced. The system does not alter a lens’s focal length but instead shifts the focal plane, allowing users to achieve sharp focus on subjects that would otherwise fall outside the lens’s native close-focus range.
Shift is offered in both PolarPro’s Helix MagLock mount, which provides quick attachment, and threaded versions ranging from 49 mm to 95 mm for broader lens compatibility. The filters are constructed from lightweight aerospace-grade aluminum, with the MagLock version weighing 4.94 ounces (140 grams) and the threaded versions weighing 3.46 ounces (98 grams). All three diopters feature multi-coated cinema-grade glass designed to preserve sharpness, contrast, and color accuracy. The set is packaged with a matte-green protective case designed by Shortstache.
Designed for Hybrid Workflows
PolarPro notes that Shift was developed to support both photo and video applications. The MagLock version can be paired with a variable neutral-density filter when the VND is placed behind the diopter. Threaded variants, however, are limited to straight ND filters due to the thicker housings of most threaded VNDs. For shooters using a combination of stills and motion, Shift aims to reduce friction by allowing quick transitions to close-focus work without slowing production.
Diopters are not new in the imaging world, but Shift differs from split-diopter designs used to keep two focal planes sharp in cinema. Instead, it focuses solely on shortening the minimum focus distance. This places Shift closer to traditional close-up filters found on compact and instant cameras, but with significantly improved optical quality. While dedicated macro lenses still offer the highest levels of precision and flat-field sharpness, they are often more specialized, heavier, and expensive. Shift is positioned as a practical alternative that adds macro-style capability to existing lenses with minimal cost and workflow impact.
For creators looking to capture products, textures, flora, or everyday objects without pausing to swap lenses, Shift offers a compact approach to expanding creative range. PolarPro and Shortstache present it as a way to see familiar subjects from new vantage points with the gear filmmakers and photographers already carry.
Pricing and Availability
PolarPro Shift, including the +2, +4, and +8 diopters and the Shortstache signature case, are available now in both Helix MagLock and threaded configurations of 49mm, 67mm, 77mm, 82mm, 86mm (c), and 95mm(c) with prices ranging from $149.99 up to $399.99.
Image credits: PolarPro
