What are ‘mist filters’ and what do they do with your photographs?

Pro mist filter. Black fog filter. Syneblum filter. Although the name varies from company to company, these filters are more or less the same: diffusion filters are designed to soften an image by a pre-determined force, usually defined by a fraction (1/8, 1/4). ) Or percentage (20%, 40%). But how do these filters emit light and what kind of effect do they have on different energies? We’re here to break it down and show you a collection of sample images

No matter what a particular company calls their light emission filters, they are designed the same way: at one stage of the filtering process (which usually spreads a different coating over a piece of optical glass), small black spots are scattered. On top of the piece of glass. How many of these ‘specks’ are scattered on the top determines how strong the effect of expansion will be: more spec means more prominent expansion, less spec means less expansion.

Take a closer look and you will see that black spots have been widely distributed throughout this full-strength Pro Black Mist filter (52mm). Click to enlarge.

These fog filters are usually available in a simple round style, with different diameters designed to fit the filter thread of a given lens. Multiple filters and accessory manufacturers have their own versions. Tiffany Black Pro Mist Filter Arguably the most well-known, but Nisi, Hoa, Moment And Prism lens FX All have their own version. And at least one company, Calari Vision, Is already creating a ‘clip-in’ mist filter, which lies between the lens and the sensor in a mirrorless camera. An added benefit of this design is that it doubles as a way to protect your sensor and can be combined with traditional filters mounted in front of your lens.

‘What’ and ‘how’ out of the way, let’s say ‘why?’ That is, why would you want to use filters to soften the image of the (probably expensive) lens you’re wearing (or on the back)? Like most decisions in the world of photography, it depends on creative choice and personal preference.

Fog filters, in general, make highlights less pronounced, enrich shadows a little less, and reduce overall visual contrast. As seen in the image above, fog filters add a soft glow around light sources that would otherwise have hard edges or sharp flames and lines. In some ways, a medium-strength fog filter can mimic the look of a film Hallation effect Most films are seen in stock, especially those that do not have anti-hallation filters.

This expansion effect also pays dividends on the portrait, as it can subtly soften the skin of the subjects, smoothing wrinkles and blemishes that you might otherwise have to smooth out in post-production. As you can see in the picture below, the pores become smoother and the small imperfections become less noticeable and should be easier to move to post-production with softer, more even skin tones for sampling when using tools like cloning tools or Magic Wand. .

Unfiltered	Tiffany Pro Black Mist Filter (full power)

It’s not that everyone will appreciate or want their pictures, but its popularity speaks volumes about how many different companies are creating their own versions for photographers and videographers alike.

Below is a collection of images from Colary Vision and Tiffany, both clip-in and front-mounted fog filters, respectively. The power of the filters will be visible in the description of the image.

It is noteworthy that different strengths will not be identical across the offerings of different manufacturers. 1/4 of Tiffany’s energy may differ from NiSi or 1/4 of Colari’s vision. Most manufacturers will have their own comparison charts that show their different strengths compared to unfiltered images, so it’s worth choosing which company you want to go with first and then picking a strength after viewing their offers and product pages. Below is an overview video of Tiffany showing the various strengths of the Pro Black Mist filter line:

For those who want to pull double-duty, some filter manufacturers are combining filters with both fog and neutral density (ND) layers to create combo filters so you don’t have to layer multiple filters on top of each other. For these, you’ll want to make sure you get the energy you need for both your fog and ND to suit your shooting needs.

Disclaimer: Collar Vision provides a review unit for the 1/8 and 1/4 power clip-in filters used in this article. The Tiffany Pro Black Mist filter was purchased specifically for this article.