This 4.5" Round ND Filter from Tiffen has several uses and offers the possibility of achieving otherwise unachievable results. It enables the shooter to adjust exposure without affecting color balance. Neutral density filters appear gray and reduce the amount of light reaching either the sensor of a digital camera or the film plane of a traditional film camera. Neutral density filters are used to create some unusual special effects such as capturing the "blur" of the rippling water of a waterfall or the swirling effect of city traffic. Determining which neutral density filter yields ideal results for any given lighting situation takes knowledge, experience, and a collection of such filters.
Tiffen's ColorCore glass is produced through a process that entails permanently laminating the filter material in between two pieces of optical glass that are ground flat to tolerances of 1/10,000th of an inch, then mounting them in precision aluminum rings.
- To enable slow shutter speeds to be used, especially with high-speed films, to record movement in subjects such as waterfalls, clouds, or cars
- To decrease depth of field by allowing wider apertures to be used, which helps separate subjects from their backgrounds
- To decrease the effective ISO of high-speed film (above ISO 400) and allow it to be used outdoors in bright situations
- To allow cine and video cameras (which have fixed shutter speeds) to film subjects such as snow, sand, or other bright scenes that could cause overexposure
- Tiffen filters are manufactured using ColorCore technology, a closely guarded proprietary process that entails permanently laminating the filter material in between two pieces of optical glass that are ground flat to tolerances of 1/10,000th of an inch, then mounting them in precision metal rings
- The ColorCore process allows Tiffen to control the color and density of their filters and the characteristics of special effects filters with much greater accuracy than typical dyed-in-the-mass filters, which usually exhibit color and density variations
- Top Hollywood motion picture studios rely on Tiffen filters for their multimillion-dollar productions. Superior quality and design make Tiffen the overwhelming choice of moviemakers, professional photographers, and even NASA
- Tiffen has also been awarded an Emmy, from the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, for its engineering excellence
- Tiffen, a leader in the filter industry, proudly makes its filters in the USA