Tiffen Soft FX Filters

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Nikkor AIS 28mm f/2.8 - No Filter

Nikkor AIS 28mm f/2.8 - Soft FX1

Nikkor AIS 28mm f/2.8 - Soft FX2

Nikkor AIS 28mm f/2.8 - Soft FX3

Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.8 - No Filter

Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.8 - Soft FX1

Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.8 - Soft FX2

Nikkor AIS 50mm f/1.8 - Soft FX3

Nikkor AIS 85mm f/2 - No Filter

Nikkor AIS 85mm f/2 - Soft FX1

Nikkor AIS 85mm f/2 - Soft FX2

Nikkor AIS 85mm f/2 - Soft FX3

These days, it seems like a lot of people are using Black Pro Mist filters. If I’m honest, I’ve never been into the look. It makes my eyes work harder to focus, rather than allowing my brain to accept that the world in the video I am watching is a little softer and a little more mysterious. I realize that that is a highly subjective statement.

But that’s not say that filters don’t add something. I’ve been some research and liked what I was seeing from Tiffen Soft FX filters, so I purchased a set of three (Soft FX1, FX2, and FX3) and put them on trusty Nikkor primes and set up a moody scene to see what I would get.

Rather than using higher strength filters with higher focal lengths, I was surprised to find that I really liked Soft FX2 best at all three focal lengths. Soft FX1 is barely noticeable, and Soft FX3 is a little too dreamy, but Soft FX2 is just the right balance of sharpness, mystery, and a little additional halation around the point source without being overwhelming. At least to my eye.

It’s hard to view in this gallery view. You may have better luck opening each image in a new tab and clicking between them.