High Def Filters at DVinfo.net

Dennis Stevens · September 19th, 2006, 09:03 PM

I've seen filters advertised as High Def filters, like the Formatt High Def filter I saw on b&h:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation

I think Tiffen has a filter set advertised as 'HD'. Just wondering if anyone had tried these, and genuinely found them better for HD cameras than other filters?

Jaron Berman · September 20th, 2006, 12:01 PM

I could be totally off, but for the last ? years, filmmakers have been using good ol' regular filters. Not sure what about the glass may have changed to make them up to HD standards. Good glass filters are good glass filters. 6x6's seem to be fine for 35mm scanned at 4k, not sure why you would need better for HD. I understand that lenses for small format cameras must be far sharper than those lenses for 35mm, but I can't see why filters would. Sounds like marketing to me

Colin McAuliffe · September 23rd, 2006, 06:41 PM

Hi Def filters, at least the tiffen one aren't a new line of filters, for instance, there won't be hi-def polarizer filters. What hi-def filters are is basically a tool to limit the sharpness of HD, I think. If you watch second unit TV's filter episode they go over it

Dean Sensui · September 24th, 2006, 10:00 PM

If these same filters are good enough for a 4x5 view camera, it's certainly more than enough for any digital format.

David Mullen · September 25th, 2006, 10:32 PM

Tiffen has a set of "Digital Diffusion-FX" or something, which is basically their Gold or Black Diffusion-FX filter with the pattern of gold or black dots removed, since the deeper focus of some video cameras risk having the pattern come into focus. The removal of the dots just means that the filter has a slight contrast-lowering effect besides the softening.

September 19th, 2006, 09:03 PM	#1
Dennis Stevens Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 425	High Def Filters I've seen filters advertised as High Def filters, like the Formatt High Def filter I saw on b&h: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/cont...goryNavigation I think Tiffen has a filter set advertised as 'HD'. Just wondering if anyone had tried these, and genuinely found them better for HD cameras than other filters?

September 24th, 2006, 10:00 PM	#4
Dean Sensui Inner Circle Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Honolulu, HI Posts: 2,054	If these same filters are good enough for a 4x5 view camera, it's certainly more than enough for any digital format. __________________ Dean Sensui Exec Producer, Hawaii Goes Fishing

September 25th, 2006, 10:32 PM	#5
David Mullen American Society of Cinematographers Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 123	Tiffen has a set of "Digital Diffusion-FX" or something, which is basically their Gold or Black Diffusion-FX filter with the pattern of gold or black dots removed, since the deeper focus of some video cameras risk having the pattern come into focus. The removal of the dots just means that the filter has a slight contrast-lowering effect besides the softening. __________________ David Mullen, ASC Los Angeles

September 20th, 2006, 12:01 PM	#2
Jaron Berman Major Player Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 439	I could be totally off, but for the last ? years, filmmakers have been using good ol' regular filters. Not sure what about the glass may have changed to make them up to HD standards. Good glass filters are good glass filters. 6x6's seem to be fine for 35mm scanned at 4k, not sure why you would need better for HD. I understand that lenses for small format cameras must be far sharper than those lenses for 35mm, but I can't see why filters would. Sounds like marketing to me

September 23rd, 2006, 06:41 PM	#3
Colin McAuliffe Regular Crew Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: San Francisco, CA Posts: 71	Hi Def filters, at least the tiffen one aren't a new line of filters, for instance, there won't be hi-def polarizer filters. What hi-def filters are is basically a tool to limit the sharpness of HD, I think. If you watch second unit TV's filter episode they go over it