Tiffen "Film Look" DV Kit
 

I was wondering if anyone had purchased this set of filters, and if so what their opinion of the set was. I'm interested in getting a half promist filter for my XL1, and am wondering if the rest will come in handy. I'm doing mostly wedding and events videography right now if it makes a difference.

Thanks
Annie

These are some pretty subtle filters. I did a quick test of the 4 filters in the 'filmlook DV' kit. Here are some closeup screencaps from my test.

http://www.brucix.com/filters/filmlook_filters.htm

We're getting ready to shoot our next short film this summer, and I'm sure I'll be using some of these. It is just a matter of, which one, when? I guess I like the black pro-mist and the warm black diffusion fx.

Cheers
[bac]

Bruce, there's not as big of a difference between them shots as I thought there would be...the higher "power" filters of the same kind might be better...i'm not sure...

The Black pro mist 1/2 provides a barely noticeable diffusion effect.

Bruce,
In photography, when using diffusion filters, the effect is more pronounced when used with larger apertures say f5.6 would yield a more diffused image (same filter)than f8 or f11. I don't know if the same is true with video cams. I'll be testing the idea as soon as I get my filters.

Yes, to get the bests images, that look most film like. try to use the long end of the telephoto lens.

Set the camera back a bit from the subject and zoom in for your close ups. Use an aperture of about 1.6 -> 5.6. If it's too bright, use the lenses ND filter to bright down the light. This open aperture will allow the filter more light to do it's thing.


By the way. I hate the fact that the 3x lens from canon only has one ND setting as opposed to the 16x manual. Th

Ok, I tried a different approach, I put the camera in manual mode and set the shutter speed to 60 and opened up the aperture. I also tried to zoom in a bit more, moved the camera back a bit. Replaced that freaky lookin' guy with a nice happy dog.

http://www.brucix.com/filters/filmlook_filters.htm

Cheers
[bac]

Bruce,
Very nice diffusion from all filters. The black pro mist 1/2 appears to provide the most diffusion. Amazing what a little tweaking can do....by the way nice dog.

It's funny, now with the dog set, the changes are quite clear, and now you can spot the differences in the set of the human.

Does the pro mist filter have a front thread or are they 4x4?

In, the filter kit I have (52 mm for fitting the TRV-900), the filters have front threads (i.e. you can stack the filters together, etc.)

The thing is, the idea of owning a single filter that "makes video look like film" has always been a fallacy. Filters of this type were always meant to be used in sets (multiple strengths of a given filter; i.e. 1/4, 1/2, 1). with the particular strength selected on the basis of the particular shot. If one starts the scene with a wide shot and a BPM 1, then when you go tighter for coverage you drop back to a BPM 1/2 to maintain the level of diffusion/mist. The filter should serve the particulars (focal length, aperture etc) of the setup, not the other way round.

I know this is frustrating and an expensive proposition, as good filters are not cheap, but it really makes sense if one is to get into diffusion filters to buy two or three strengths of a particular effect to cover most shooting possibilities.

Bruce, another useful test if you are so inclined would be to shoot some wider images of a human subject and include a series of highlights in the frame such as a hot window or lamp that would demonstrate the "blooming" capabilities of the Pro-mist vs the other filters. The Black Promist is able to smooth out the harsh line one gets between clipped whites and whatever is next to them to a small degree, which can be a pleasant effect.

Yeah, I think the 'film look kit' 4-pack is more a product of marketing rather than engineering.

Anyway, I've updated my screenshot page listed in the posts above with a new set of screenshots, with some bright lights thrown in there. Nice effects from the various filters.

Cheers
[bac]

I was listening to the commentary on the film Personal Velocity and the DP mentions she used an "Ultra Con 1" for the entire project.

I did some searching around and this is the Tiffen Ultra Contrast 1 filter.

Looking around for info on the "ultra con" filter I found this AMAZING page !

http://www.posteffects.com/usersguid...en/tiffen0.htm


It references HDCAM but it's the best page I've seen ever for a good variety of filter examples and the best part the pictures aren't tiny and you can enlarge them!

I'm looking around for a price for the Ultra Contrast 1 and I think I'm going to order one. I like the way it looks in these samples.

Anyone ever use the Ultra Con filters?


Haven't found the best prices at the usual places I look, anyone have a great place for Tiffen filters? (need a 72mm)

Kevin:

I have a set of Ultra Con's (1/2, 1, 2, 3) that I have used on video for years.

They are powerful filters, and will extend your dynamic range by sometimes as much as two stops by lightening the shadows and crunching the highlights. However, they must be used carefully. If you pan from a frame that has hot highlights to one without, you will see a density change in the shadows. I'm surprised to hear that an entire film was shot with a single strength of Ultra-Con for every setup--I used to constantly switch strengths based on a given shot. The 1 is fairly subtle, however.