Tiffen 52mm 25 Filter (Red)

I love Tiffen because they're WAY less expensive than brands like B+W or Lee, but I've never actually seen any optical issues when using their filters.If I'm shooting black & white, I generally carry one of these Red 25s, a Yellow 8, and sometimes an Orange 16 and/or some light NDs (1, 2, and 3 stops). All of those filters that I have are Tiffen.Just a few weeks ago I used this filter when photographing a waterfall. It got me a nice long shutter speed (it cuts 3 stops), and really made the granite rocks in the photo pop.

Just what I needed for a teaching moment

Tiffen has always meant quality photo products and this filter is no different. This enhances contrast for B&W shooting, makes a clearly notable difference.

The media could not be loaded. This filter is not suitable for filming underwater video with any of the GoPro video cameras. Regardless of depth, your videos will come out completely red. That said, the lens was of fantastic quality and fit my 55mm adapter perfectly. I did not have the swirling problem that other reviewers have commented on and I'm sure that if I had an application for film, this filter would work. I give it 4 stars for its quality and because the description was accurate, I just tried to use it for something outside its intended purpose.I have attached a snorkeling video of how this filter works when shooting in shallow water. If you have seen other videos of people using a red filter with a GoPro you will know that this video is way too red. Fortunately I did not use it on any of my other footage.

Get it. Use it. Love it.

Combine this filter with an IR sensitive film like SFX 200 and shoot scenes or subjects in direct sunlight for a unique look: skin glows, skies darken a bit, sunlit foliage brightens up slightly, my blue eyes turned eerily dark, lots of neat effects. It still lets through plenty of visible light, so the photos aren’t too alien or otherworldly, but still unique and contrasty. Meter about three stops over with a handheld meter. If you want the alien look of white foliage and dark skies you’ll need a more specialized IR filter than this.

Works as it should

Set your camera to JPG, monochrome preset and forget about it…this think rocks. If shadows are too dark, simply adjust camera exposure triangle, I love this filter.