Soft focus Filters, which one is the best?

This is one of the most often asked FAQ's.  we start the answer, with a little knowledge of the different ways or methods of breaking up the light before it enters the razor sharp lenses of today. Currently we offer over 85 different Soft Focus Filters, in most popular filter styles. Yet we do not even sell every one that is available in the world today, Our guess there is about 150 distinct types available. 

The most common to maybe over simplify are weak fog filters. These group of softeners are sometimes called mist, frost, super mist, diffusion, diffuser or just fog. The differences between the  fogs can be in strength of the fogging and also the warmth of the filter.  The material used to make the filter effects how the light will be changed.

The next major type is the pattern type of soft focus filter. When you look at the filter very close up, a wave pattern or line pattern is visible on the surface of the filter or inside the glass sandwich, as the Tiffen's. This group differs by the count of the patterns and angles of the wave patterns. Most manufactures of filters in this group have given unique names to their products, like Tiffen's S/FX (Soft/FX), Black Diffussion FX , Gold Diffussion FX. and Glimmerglass This filter group also has some versions with additional warmth. Many of the filters in this group and the fog group do vary in the degree of softness by simple changes in the f/stop you use.

The last group consists of many very unique ways of disturbing the light images as the light passes to the final capture device. One of the worlds most famous, The Ziess Softar's is covered with tiny droplets that are lenses in themselves.Cokin has a large group of creative softeners with similar effects. Some resin filter makers now print net patterns, for more of the classic net type softners look.

All Soft Focus filters effect the light that transmits through your lens but other factors are in play when using soft focus filters. The focal length of the cameras lens and whether you are in a studio or outdoors also contributes to how the final results will be. The use of a lens hood is also critical to the outcome of your images. Unlike any other type of filter, stray light, from clouds, windows and studio lights do effect the filters. Sometimes this effect is desired and will improve the final image.

A couple of other points to consider is that the fog types usually lighten the dark colors and because of the overall diffusion with the stronger ones a dreamy effect is created. Tiffen' Black Mist filters do keep the color saturated, even to the extent of enriching the colors. The wave pattern softeners have less effect on the overall color saturation, except in parts of the photograph that has high contrast, like a black of a tux next to the white of a shirt. Generally the wave softeners keep the eyes of the person being photographed clearer. It is usually best to use a weaker softener to start out with, but this will always depend on the results you are looking for. The last group of softeners vary in effect results by the unique methods they use to break up the light. 

As you can begin to see, with so many choices no one can be maybe considered the best. A starting point for your choice is to know someone who uses soft focus filters and to see the images that they have created with their filters. If you like the effect buy the softener they have used.

If you don't have the opportunity to see actual printed images, some of our best sellers are a good starting point. The popular ones have been Tiffen's Soft/FX series in grade 2 or 3. , Cokin's Diffusers 830 or 840, Hoya's Softner A, Tiffen's Black Diffussion FX  and Tiffen's ProMIsts 

Many of our photographers have created their own custom made softeners, by using common household materials to diffuse the images. The only problem with homemade softeners sometimes you will not be able to control the effect, each time you recreate the filter. An example of this is the classic nylon stocking stretched over the lens. If you have a UV or warming filter that has seen its better day, have some fun trying different materials put on the surface of the filter.