{"id":32509,"date":"2022-08-30T08:55:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-30T07:55:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/?p=32509"},"modified":"2024-04-21T11:17:10","modified_gmt":"2024-04-21T10:17:10","slug":"diffusion-filters-are-they-useful","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phillipreeve.net\/blog\/diffusion-filters-are-they-useful\/","title":{"rendered":"Diffusion Filters – Are they useful?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n
\"k&f
K&F Concept Black Diffusion 1\/2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Modern lenses are too good, free of most optical aberrations even at their maximum aperture. This led to a whole new market emerging offering all kind of accessories to make your pictures look worse: kaleidoscope filters, prisms, streak filters and black mist\/diffusion filters, the latter being what we will have a look at today.<\/p>\n

\"tiffen
Sony A7III | 28mm | Tiffen Glimmerglass1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"k&f
Sony A7III | Laowa 35mm 0.95 | f\/0.95 | K&F Diffusion 1\/2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

<\/p>\n\n

What does a diffusion\/black mist filter do?<\/h2>\n
\"k&f
K&F Concept Black Diffusion 1\/2 close up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Looking closely at it the filter looks like a lens’ front element that hasn’t been cleaned in a very long time. These filters are supposed to add a bit of glow to bright parts of the picture, similar to lenses with undercorrected spherical aberration<\/a>. Many of the older fast Leica lenses are famous for this effect.<\/p>\n

Sometimes the result is similar to what the Orton effect<\/a> is achieving, the major difference is, that the Orton effect affects bright and dark parts of the frame alike, whereas the diffusion filters emphasize the brighter parts.<\/p>\n

Taking pictures in the dark with point light sources in the frame the effect is also similar to what you get when shooting analogue Cinestill 800T<\/a> film.<\/p>\n

These filters are made by several manufacturers these days and they come in different strengths. Filters with the same nominal strength from different manufacturers do not necessarily offer the same degree of the effect though, which makes it especially hard to find the best one for your needs.<\/p>\n

I tried the K&F 1\/2 as well as the Tiffen Glimmerglass1, so let’s have a look what they can do.<\/p>\n

K&F 1\/2 Diffusion<\/h2>\n