With cameras outputting increasingly higher resolutions, many creatives are deciding to de-sharpen their images and find new ways to wipe away some of that digital sheen, easing highlight transitions in the process and adding analog warmth to modern video. Kondor Blue’s first entry into the world of softening is their Opaline Diffusion Filter, with a new screw-on offering now available in a variety of sizes and strengths. We gave the 82mm 1/8-strength version a spin and are ready to report on our thoughts.
Seeing the Glow
As you might expect, the 1/8-grade filter adds a subtle but perceptible smoothness to your image and nicely blooms highlights, creating a halo effect that’s particularly pronounced around any over-exposed parts of the frame. In a properly exposed scene with relatively even lighting, you’ll probably forget that it’s on. But as soon as you hit bright practical lights or a location that demands high dynamic range, the benefits become obvious. Neon lights, tube lights, bare bulbs, and LEDs tend to bloom especially well, while a blown-out sky will have less harsh edges compared to when the filter’s off.
The filter isn’t increasing the capabilities of your camera sensor; it’s just producing a more organic-looking roll-off between different exposures. Similar diffusion effects can now be achieved in many post-production programs but typically require long render times and are liable to a slightly more artificial feel. The Opaline filter is a great physical option for directors and DP who want to know on-set what their final image could look like, instead of having to wait until post.
Contrast and Sharpness
The thing that separates the flood of diffusion filters currently on the market is how they deal with shadows and mid-tones. Many budget filters wash out the image, cutting contrast down and making the final video feel mushy. Kondor Blue puts tiny black diffusion particles throughout their opaline filter to help maintain shadows and keep the frame looking punchy. It works, mostly.
Video we shot with the filter still had some nice inky shadow tones, but greys and blacks appeared lighter on camera than in real life. The effect is a little more like a standard “mist” filter versus a black mist one. While I think it’s smart for Kondor Blue to go for a middle ground with their first diffusion product, it does sap a bit more contrast than we had hoped, so we’d use it more on short films or music videos in the future versus documentary or corporate work.
Build and Useability
Build quality is where Kondor Blue separates itself from the pack. The brass frame feels strong and durable, while an “ErgoGrip” design with knurled edges makes the filter way easier to take on and off than many similar offerings. The Opaline Filter has front threads for stacking something like an ND filter or a polarizer on top of it.
The 4 x 5.65” Matte Box varietal is more expensive and more breakable (understandable, given its larger size), so run-and-gun filmmakers or small crews working quickly will appreciate the simplicity of the screw-on. Especially the 82mm, since it can be paired with step rings for use on a wide range of lenses. Having different strengths is useful to adapt to different lighting conditions, but 1/8 is a good middle grade if you can only have one.
Overall Thoughts
Kondor Blue’s Opaline Diffusion Filter is a very capable offering in an increasingly crowded market. The matte-box version makes total sense, having been custom built for the brand’s 4 x 5 Matte Box System. The screw-on version is competing against tried-and-true diffusion filters that have been best sellers for decades, but the commitment to ease of use with the knurling, as well as the brand’s established foothold in the cinema accessory space, make us confident this filter will stand the test of time. Especially as higher resolutions come to smaller camera sensors, diffusion filters are a smart way to give a pleasing glow and smoothness to an image so that it emulates film without the on-the-nose feel of fake grain, scratches, or light leaks.
For more information about the Kondor Blue Opaline Diffusion Filter, including features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product page.
