The Tiffen Ultra Contrast 5 6.6 x 6.6" filter helps to open up your shadows using the ambient light surrounding the image area as well as light from the image itself. It reduces contrast evenly throughout, with little or no loss of sharpness in the scene, even where there are different degrees of brightness. Shadow areas will reveal more detail but without any flare or halation from direct light sources or bright highlights. The Ultra Contrast works similarly to a Tiffen Low Contrast filter, the difference being that it reduces contrast across the entire image whereas a Low Contrast filter will only open up the shadows. The Ultra Contrast #5 offers the maximum effect available for this filter. Shadows are now opened up to the maximum and contrast is as low as possible with this filter. The image remains sharp and no flare or halation has been generated. Tiffen's ColorCore glass is produced by a process that involves permanently laminating the filter material between two optical glass plates that are polished flat to tolerances of one ten-thousandth of an inch, then mounted in precision aluminium rings. - Bright lights or sunlight create problems when the ratio between highlight and shadow areas exceeds the film's latitude; if you expose for the highlights, the shadows appear without detail; if you expose for the shadows, the result is washed out and overly bright highlights - Contrast reduction is achieved by lightening shadows without overexposing or dimming highlights or by darkening highlights without further darkening shadows - Even when shooting directly facing the sun, no flare or halation is produced - Tiffen's ColorCore glass is sealed between two optical glass plates. In this way, Tiffen can better control the different densities of their filters and thus create more precise degrees of filtration. This process allows for better colour accuracy compared to glass that is simply tinted and becomes subject to variations during the tinting process Specifications