Tiffen 72mm Hollywood F/X Classic Filter Kit


Soft F/X Filters
Tiffen Soft F/X filters are blur filters. These filters feature a pattern of tiny lenses that blur small details, such as wrinkles and skin blemishes, whilst keeping larger details such as eyes sharp. Soft F/X filters are available in most sizes, with grades ranging from one half to five, with grade 5 having the most significant softening effect. This filter is particularly effective for soft portraits.
This filter combines the effects of Tiffen's Soft F/X series and their exclusive 812 warming filter.
Star Filters
Star filters create multiple light points, or "stars", which extend outwards from a central light source. This can give the scene's lighting a more sparkling and glamorous appearance. This effect is produced by a series of fine lines etched on the flat optical surface of a clear filter. The size and brightness of the star lines produced depend primarily on the size, shape and brightness of the light source.
You have additional control through the choice of a particular spacing between the filter's lines. These spacings are measured in millimetres and range from 1mm to 4mm. A 1mm spacing has twice as many lines as a 2mm spacing. It will produce a brighter star for a given source. Lines in one direction produce a two-pointed star, just a streak across the centre of the light. Tiffen offers symmetrical 4, 6 and 8-point star effects as well as additional asymmetric star patterns through their exclusive Hollywood F/X series (North, Hyper, Vector and Hollywood star effects).
With an 8-point filter, the numerous star lines can tend to dominate the rest of the image, so use it with care. Generally, medium or larger apertures are sufficient to obtain a good star effect. Always test before critical situations. These filters are supplied in a rotating mount for precise placement of the star effect.
Pro Mist Filters
Pro-Mist filters, which are part of Tiffen's Hollywood F/X series, generally produce a highlight flare that appears more like a "halo" than the more extensive outward flare of a fog filter. By keeping the flare closer to the subject, they create an almost pearlescent glow on the highlights. Available in various degrees of diffusion strength (with Grade 5 having the strongest effect), the lower grades of the filter are also used to reduce the excessive sharpness and contrast of modern film and lens combinations without compromising the image. The Black Pro-Mist filter series also creates moderate image softening and moderate to strong highlight flare, but without as much lightening effect in the shadow areas.
Both of these filters are also available in a "Warm" series which combines the Pro Mist effect with Tiffen's exclusive 812 warming filter.
Ultra Contrast Filters
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 the highlights are excessively bright. Contrast reduction is achieved by lightening the shadows without overexposing the highlights or by darkening the highlights without further darkening the shadows.
Tiffen's Ultra Contrast filters work by using the ambient light surrounding the image area as well as the light in the image area itself. They reduce contrast evenly, with little or no loss of sharpness, throughout the scene even when there are different degrees of brightness in the image. Shadow areas are opened up, revealing more detail, but without any flare or halo from direct light sources or bright reflections. Even filming directly facing the sun produces no flare or halo. Ultra Contrast filters are available in grades 1 to 5, with No. 5 having the most significant effect.