As a photographer constantly seeking to push the boundaries of my black and white work, I often recall frustrating moments. I longed for skies with dramatic, brooding clouds that stood out vividly against a darkened backdrop, or for landscapes where green foliage didn’t just melt into a muddy grey mass. The absence of such control felt limiting, knowing that neglecting these elements meant missing out on truly impactful monochrome images.
- Medium red filter
- Darkens blue sky creating dramatic contrast with clouds
- Primarily for black-and-white images
Considering Your Needs Before Investing in a Lens Filter
Before diving into the world of lens filters, particularly those designed for specific effects, it’s crucial to consider your photographic goals and current equipment. These filters are primarily sought by photographers shooting film or digital black and white, looking to manipulate tonal contrast directly during capture rather than relying solely on post-processing. An ideal candidate might be someone dedicated to traditional film photography, a digital shooter who prefers a “straight out of camera” black and white aesthetic, or someone experimenting with infrared effects. If you shoot primarily in colour and do extensive post-processing, or if you rely heavily on automatic camera settings that can be confused by extreme filters, this specific type of filter might not be the best fit. For colour work, different filters or digital adjustments are usually more appropriate. Before purchasing any filter, always check your lens’s filter thread size – this Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red), for instance, requires a 46mm thread, but step-up or step-down rings can sometimes adapt it to other sizes. Think about the specific effects you want to achieve; a red filter dramatically alters contrast, unlike a yellow or orange one.
- Includes #6, #13, & #25 Contrast Filters
- 【58mm Color Filter Kit】 This kit includes 9 pieces 58mm color filters (red, orange, blue, yellow, green, brown, purple, pink, and gray filter), 2 filter pouches, and a cleaning cloth
Introducing the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red)
The Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) is a dedicated red contrast filter crafted from optical glass. Its core promise is to enhance black and white photography by selectively blocking shorter wavelengths of light (blues and greens) while allowing red light to pass through, thus creating strong tonal separation. When you acquire this filter, you typically receive the filter itself, designed with a 46mm thread size, in a protective case. Compared to higher-end brands like B+W or Lee, Tiffen filters often offer a more budget-friendly entry point into creative filtering, while generally aiming to provide commendable optical quality. This specific #25 red filter is a standard grade, well-known for its strong effect, distinct from milder red filters (#23A) or more extreme dark red/infrared filters. It’s perfectly suited for black and white enthusiasts looking for dramatic skies, punchy landscapes, and unique portrait effects. It’s less suitable for general-purpose photography or for situations where maintaining natural tonal relationships is paramount.
Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons based on my experience and common feedback:
* Pros:
* Creates dramatic black and white contrast, particularly with skies and foliage.
* Effective for conventional red filter effects and introductory infrared work.
* Constructed from optical glass.
* Generally more affordable than premium filter brands.
* 46mm thread size fits many lenses, especially older manual focus ones.
* Cons:
* Can cause a significant exposure loss (approx. 3 stops).
* Strong effect requires careful metering and understanding.
* May introduce minor optical issues on certain lenses (e.g., affecting manual focus).
* Occasional reports of quality control inconsistencies.
* Not suitable for specific applications like underwater videography.
Features & Benefits in Depth
Delving deeper into what the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) brings to the table reveals its true value for monochrome image-makers.
Creating Dramatic Skies
One of the most celebrated effects of using a strong red filter like the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) is its ability to transform a bland sky into a dramatic backdrop. By absorbing blue light, the filter renders blue skies much darker, sometimes almost black depending on the original sky’s brightness and the film/sensor sensitivity. White clouds, reflecting all colours, remain relatively bright, resulting in incredible separation and contrast between the clouds and the sky. This doesn’t just look good; it adds a layer of mood and intensity to landscapes and architectural shots that is difficult to replicate convincingly in post-processing while maintaining fine detail. It makes the sky a dynamic element of the composition rather than just empty space.
Enhancing Contrast in Landscapes
Beyond the sky, this filter fundamentally alters the way different colours are translated into shades of grey. Green foliage, which often appears as a muddy grey in black and white photos without filtration, becomes significantly lighter when using a red filter. This is because green light is strongly absorbed by the filter. Conversely, red or orange elements in the scene, like flowers or autumn leaves, will appear lighter. Blue elements, like water, become darker. This differential darkening and lightening creates greater overall contrast within the scene, making textures and shapes pop. A landscape that might look flat and undifferentiated in monochrome suddenly gains depth and structure, with foliage separating clearly from darker backgrounds and brighter elements standing out.
Optimized for Black and White Imaging
It’s crucial to understand that the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) is primarily designed for black and white photography. While you *can* use it with colour film or sensors, the resulting image will have an overwhelmingly red cast, which is rarely desirable for standard colour representation. Its effectiveness lies in how it manipulates the grayscale rendition of colours. For photographers dedicated to black and white, this filter provides a powerful tool to control tonal relationships at the point of capture, influencing the mood and impact of the final image before any post-processing begins. This is particularly valuable for film shooters where post-processing options are more limited compared to digital.
Exploring Infrared Effects
While not a true infrared-only filter (like an R72 or even darker), the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) does block a significant amount of visible light and allows some near-infrared light to pass through. When combined with infrared-sensitive film (like Ilford SFX 200) or used on a camera modified for full-spectrum capture, it can produce images with characteristics associated with infrared photography, such as glowing skin, lightened foliage, and darkened skies, though the effect is less pronounced than with a dedicated IR filter. This makes it a decent starting point for photographers curious about dipping their toes into the world of infrared without committing to more expensive or specialized filters. The exact effect will vary depending on the specific film or digital sensor used.
Optical Quality and Construction
The use of optical glass is standard for quality filters, and the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) is made from it. This is important because you’re placing a piece of glass directly in front of your lens, and its quality can impact the sharpness and clarity of the final image. A poorly made filter can introduce haze, reflections, or reduce overall definition. While this filter lacks advanced multi-coatings found on more expensive alternatives (as indicated by “No Coating” in the description), which can sometimes lead to internal reflections or flare when shooting into bright light sources, for typical black and white contrast work, this is often less of a concern than with colour or general-purpose filters. The frame itself is typically metal, designed to screw smoothly onto a compatible lens thread.
Exposure Compensation
A significant consideration when using this filter is the exposure compensation required. Because it blocks a large portion of the visible spectrum, specifically blue and green light, much less light reaches the film or sensor. A red #25 filter typically requires an exposure increase of about 3 stops. This means if your meter reads 1/125s at f/8 without the filter, you’d need to shoot at roughly 1/15s at f/8 or 1/125s at f/2.8 with the filter attached. Modern cameras with through-the-lens metering will usually compensate automatically, but knowing the filter factor is essential if metering externally or when using older cameras without TTL metering. This reduced light transmission can sometimes be an advantage, allowing for slower shutter speeds in bright light to capture motion blur, like smoothing out water in a waterfall.
Potential Drawbacks and Considerations
While effective, the Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) isn’t without its potential downsides. As mentioned earlier, some users have reported quality control issues, such as internal flaws in the glass. While these instances seem relatively uncommon based on overall feedback, it’s a possibility. The lack of advanced coatings can, in some challenging lighting situations, potentially lead to slight decreases in contrast or introduce flare. For users of older manual focus lenses, the strong filtration can sometimes make focusing more challenging as it reduces the overall brightness of the image in the viewfinder and changes the colour balance, potentially affecting the accuracy of split-prism or micro-prism focusing aids. Furthermore, its specific light-blocking properties make it entirely unsuitable for certain applications, such as correcting colour cast when shooting underwater video with cameras like a GoPro, where it results in footage that is completely red.
What Others Have Experienced (User Insights)
Looking at feedback from other photographers who have used this Tiffen red filter confirms many of my own observations and highlights common use cases. Many users praise its effectiveness in creating high-contrast black and white images, specifically noting the dramatic impact on sky and cloud separation. Some have successfully used it in conjunction with infrared-sensitive film, appreciating the unique tonal shifts it provides without going to the extreme of a dedicated IR filter. The value proposition is frequently mentioned, with many finding Tiffen filters to offer excellent performance for their cost compared to premium alternatives. However, there are occasional reports citing concerns about quality control, such as unexpected flaws in the glass upon receipt. There are also specific examples of where the filter is *not* suitable, like its complete ineffectiveness for underwater colour correction, despite fitting certain underwater housings. Overall, the sentiment leans positive for its intended use in creative black and white and near-infrared photography.
Bringing It All Together
Recalling the initial frustrations of flat black and white images, the importance of controlling contrast at the point of capture becomes clear. Without it, achieving those striking visuals of dramatic skies or tonally rich landscapes requires significant effort, often with compromises, in post-processing. The Tiffen 46mm 25 Filter (Red) offers a direct and effective solution. It’s a great fit because it provides powerful contrast enhancement specifically tailored for monochrome work, it offers a path into experimental infrared effects, and it does so at a price point that makes it accessible to a wide range of photographers. If you’re serious about expanding your black and white creative toolkit and want to achieve impactful tonal separation in-camera, this filter is definitely worth considering. To learn more and check it out for yourself, click here.
Last update on 2025-07-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API