Diffusion Filters - Glimmerglass and Black Pro-Mist Filters Compared
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- čas přidán 25. 01. 2024
- Diffusion filters can really help to soften the overall image and just help in contrasty situations.
In fact, I often use a Tiffen Black Pro-Mist 1/2 strength on my videos so that they look less digital. That's because we often watch our videos on a large screen and need it to look nice and smooth in order to look more natural.
Modern lenses are extremely sharp and can just look digital and hard. Especially in bright sunny weather.
If I were to have to get just one, I guess that I would get the 1/2 because that's the one that I use the most. It's fairly strong but I do feel that my lenses are fairly sharp!! Especially when looking at my face.
The most common advice is to get the 1/8 because it has the least effect and blooms less on light sources. Or the Glimmerglass which is about enough to take off the digital edge that you can get with video.
I use the lighting to guide what I use to be hones. In bright sunny weather or bright lighting, 1/2. Nightime, 1/4. Daytime 1/8. General running around and not sure what I'm videoing Glimmerglass.
Trouble is, that a whole set isn't cheap.
See what you think in my comparison section.
This whole video was shot with 1/2 strength except the demo by the pond.
Affiliate links:
Equipment that I use:
Cameras
Canon M50 - amzn.to/3Lei0mx
Canon M6 - amzn.to/3DnVdTv
Sony ZV-1- amzn.to/3qHKBY6
Sony ZV-E10 - amzn.to/3eLkoF7
Osmo Action - amzn.to/3RNQ2R8
DJI Pocket 2 - amzn.to/3LfRUzr
DJI Action 2 -
GoPro -amzn.to/3DvHoCn
Sony ax53 - amzn.to/3RK0xVq
Lenses
Canon 22mm - amzn.to/3RPAQ66
Canon 11 - 22mm - amzn.to/3QExXDG
Canon 55 - 200mm - amzn.to/3eUUGxS
Sigma 16mm - amzn.to/3qD3NWL
Sigma 30mm - amzn.to/3xnjGVe
Sigma 56mm - amzn.to/3dhy7Do
Microphones
On Camera -
Deity D4 Mini - amzn.to/3LfsNwC
Sennheiser MKE400 - amzn.to/3Ub2Tya
Deity D3 Pro - amzn.to/3BfLM5H
Rode VideomicPro+ - amzn.to/3BiaCC3
Rode Stereo Videomic - amzn.to/3U72vB3
Joby Wavo Pro - amzn.to/3CGoRkQ
Lavalier -
Rode Lavalier II - amzn.to/3xq1GcG
Sony ECM LV1 - amzn.to/3LnC4mv
Shotgun -
Sennheiser MKE600 - amzn.to/3QEYv7K
Rode NTG5 - amzn.to/3DrWb15
Pencil Microphone -
SE Electronics SE8 - amzn.to/3xr0CFw
Avantone CK-1 - amzn.to/3qFp7Lf
(and many others!!)
Large Diaphragm Condenser -
Rode NT1 - Discontinued?!!!!
Rode NT1a - amzn.to/3Bk5ayq
Stellar X2 - amzn.to/3Bih2kB
Lewitt LCT440 Pure - amzn.to/3dd39ML
Lewitt LCT441 Flex - amzn.to/3dd39ML
(and many, many others .......)
Using Tiffen Glimmerglass and Pro Mist filters to help soften digital video. I use one most of the time, but I couldn’t choose and say which is ‘best’. They’re just different strengths……
Great explanations!
Thanks Kevin. Just having a bit of fun with filters again! A lot of those demos were on the old Sony Ax53 camcorder. Still love the ease of use with camcorders and their zooms.
@@iancraig You are not alone when it comes to loving cancorders, Markus Rothkranz on his Markus Pix praises them often. It's interesting to hear you being enthusiastic about them also. Cheers.
Hi Ian hope you're well. Great video and demo of the filters, i've often thought about getting these filters, but thats as far as i've got. I could really see the difference on my older laptop screen, i'm going to rewatch this on my editing laptop as it has a 4K screen. Did you film this on the AX53 or the M50, I think the M50 would benifit from these, i believe the camera conspiracies uses them on a GoPro.
Best wishes stay safe Jon
Hi Jon. I shot the pond and night shots on the ax53. The rest on the Canon m6. So the m50 would very much resemble my m6 footage. When you just use them without comparing, you wouldn’t really know. By comparison, the filters make the footage slightly softer and the contrast is lessened. You have to resist the urge to sharpen if you’re used to footage straight from the lens. I use them all of the time but I’m lucky enough to have a set and choose according to the weather or lighting conditions. I use the strongest in contrasty lighting. Otherwise I use the Glimmerglass or 1/8 pro mist. Cheers. Ian.
Am I going daft? Thinking out loud here. We see reviews of lenses on YT comparing like lenses from different brands by influencers and the recommendations quite often lean towards the "tack sharp" which can often be more expensive than the less sharp lenses. Softening the 'digital' appearance of modern lenses with filters runs counter to the sharpness argument. It's like a photographic sharpness snakes and ladders. Of course it's the individual's choice but I'm wondering if I bought the cheaper, less sharp lens in future and therefore, not having to buy a softening filter might I save a few bob. Photography for me is a leisure activity and not a business, it's about fun, mental wellbeing and capturing family moments, but I guess if you're a pro you go as sharp as you can back off with the filters in your video. I guess I'll end up buying a few diffusion filters having already bought some nice sharp lenses so thanks for the tip Ian. Too late oops!
Yes, it is quite strange. Get a tack sharp lens and then take the sharpness away! The better filters don’t actually take edge sharpness away but the ‘non-edge’ detail. So for instance, a picture of a leaf….. the edge of the leaf stay tack sharp (ish) while the inner parts are less sharp and smoother looking. With faces, it helps to stop your skin looking alligator like (in my case) but keeps my beautiful eyes in focus!
Plus the fact that once you have a tack sharp lens, you can decide on what strength of destruction to use. With a cheap unsharp lens, you’re stuffed. You get what you get with no control!
With these filters, the wife gets really friendly about how you portrayed her on video……
Filters could save your marriage.
Try the Tiffen Smoque filter. Brilliant.
I loved your post btw!!!