I remember the early days of shooting black and white, often feeling a pang of disappointment when reviewing the negatives or digital files. Skies would be washed out, lacking drama, and subjects sometimes blended too much with their backgrounds. It felt like the potential for truly impactful, expressive monochrome images was just out of reach. This flatness in contrast wasn’t just a minor annoyance; it fundamentally compromised the mood and message I wanted my photographs to convey. If this problem wasn’t addressed, my black and white work would remain merely adequate, never reaching the dramatic depth and separation that defines classic monochrome photography. Finding something like the Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red) would have been a significant step towards solving that initial hurdle.
- Medium red filter
- Darkens blue sky creating dramatic contrast with clouds
- 67mm diameter
Factors to Weigh Before Purchasing a Contrast Filter
Before diving into specific gear, it’s essential to understand why contrast filters for black and white photography exist and who benefits most from them. At their core, these filters work by absorbing certain wavelengths of light while allowing others to pass through, effectively altering how different colours are rendered in shades of grey. A red filter, for instance, strongly absorbs blue and green light, making blue skies appear much darker and green foliage lighter. This dramatically increases contrast, helps separate subjects from cluttered backgrounds, and can add significant mood to a scene.
The ideal customer for black and white contrast filters is someone dedicated to monochrome photography, whether shooting film or using digital cameras set to monochrome mode or converted in post-processing. Landscape, architectural, and portrait photographers often find them invaluable for controlling tonal relationships. Someone seeking strong, dramatic skies or needing to make specific elements pop will benefit greatly. Conversely, someone who only shoots colour will find these filters unsuitable unless they are experimenting with extreme colour shifts. Similarly, beginners might want to master basic exposure and composition first, or rely on digital post-processing to simulate filter effects before investing in physical filters. Key considerations before buying include determining the filter thread size of your lenses, understanding the specific effect the filter colour provides (yellow, orange, red, green each offer different contrast changes), assessing the material and optical quality, considering the brand reputation, and evaluating the cost.
- 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 67mm 25 Red Filter
The Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red) is essentially a medium red filter specifically designed to enhance contrast in black and white photography. It promises to darken blue skies dramatically, creating powerful contrast with clouds, and increase separation between foliage and flowers. When you purchase it, you typically receive the filter itself, often in a simple plastic case for protection. While Tiffen is known for offering value, premium brands like B+W might use brass rings or more advanced coatings (though the #25 red filter specifically tends to be uncoated, including Tiffen’s), but in my experience, Tiffen provides excellent optical quality for the price. This specific photo filter is squarely aimed at monochrome photographers looking for classic contrast effects, landscape photographers wanting dramatic skies, and those experimenting with infrared film or digital conversions. It is definitively not for colour photographers who don’t want a strong red cast, nor for specific niche applications like underwater video (which a user pointed out results in completely red footage).
Here’s a quick look at the pros and cons based on my long-term use:
Pros:
* Delivers classic, dramatic sky darkening for black and white.
* Significantly enhances contrast between colours (like greens and reds) when converted to grey.
* Useful for certain types of infrared photography.
* More affordable than many competing brands while maintaining good optical quality.
* Durable plastic ring and clear glass (in my experience).
Cons:
* The effect can be quite strong, potentially leading to *too* much contrast in some scenes.
* Requires significant exposure compensation (around 3 stops).
* Not suitable for colour photography or some specific applications like underwater video.
* Potential for minor quality control issues (though rare, as noted by another user).
Deep Dive into Performance and Advantages
Over years of shooting black and white film and digital, the Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red) has become one of the most frequently used filters in my kit. It’s a tool that fundamentally changes the dynamic range of a scene as captured in monochrome, allowing for creative control that is difficult, though not impossible, to replicate perfectly in post-processing.
The Dramatic Effect on Blue Skies
This is arguably the most classic use of a red filter in black and white photography, and the Tiffen 25 delivers on this promise exceptionally well. Standing under a bright blue sky with scattered clouds, attaching this filter to my lens instantly transforms the scene when viewed through the viewfinder (if shooting film) or in live view (if shooting digital). The bright blue turns into a deep, almost black tone, while the white clouds remain bright, creating a separation that is visually striking. Think of classic Ansel Adams landscapes – many of those dramatic skies were achieved with red filters. Using this Tiffen filter consistently has taught me to scout for scenes with interesting cloud formations, knowing that the filter will elevate them from background elements to dominant features. The level of contrast can be intense, which is exactly what I often seek for a strong, moody feel. It’s not for every sky, but for those clear or partly cloudy days, it’s indispensable.
Enhancing Contrast in Foliage and Flowers
Beyond skies, the #25 red filter has a pronounced effect on green and red elements within a scene, which translate into lighter and darker grey tones respectively. Green foliage, which can often render as a muddy mid-grey in black and white without a filter, becomes significantly lighter, almost glowing depending on the specific shade of green and intensity of light. This helps separate trees from a darker sky or adds definition within a wooded scene. Red flowers, on the other hand, darken considerably, almost disappearing against a light background, or becoming deep, velvety patches against mid-tones. I’ve used this effectively when photographing gardens or landscapes with prominent vegetation. The way the red filter manipulates these tones provides a level of textural separation and depth that is often surprising and always welcome in a monochrome image. It helps break down the scene into distinct tonal zones, guiding the viewer’s eye through the frame.
Applications in Infrared Photography
While the Tiffen 25 Red isn’t a dedicated deep infrared filter, it serves as an excellent starting point or a partial filter for those interested in capturing the unique look of infrared photography. When used with infrared-sensitive film, like Kodak SFX 200, or with a full-spectrum digital camera, the filter blocks much of the visible light, allowing the infrared wavelengths to dominate. This creates the characteristic “wood effect,” where green foliage appears white or very light, and skies become very dark. It’s a less extreme effect than a true IR filter (like a Hoya R72), resulting in images that feel otherworldly but still somewhat grounded in reality, as a significant amount of visible red light still passes through. I’ve experimented with this on my full-spectrum converted camera, and the results are compelling – glowing skin tones, eerie dark eyes, and light foliage contrast beautifully with the darkened sky. Metering requires careful attention here, often needing more than the standard 3-stop compensation when capturing infrared, usually around 5-6 stops depending on the scene and equipment. But for exploring the edge of the visible spectrum without committing to a dedicated IR filter, this Tiffen filter is surprisingly effective.
Navigating Exposure Compensation
One of the critical aspects of using any dense filter like a medium red filter is understanding exposure compensation, also known as the filter factor. For the Tiffen 25, this is typically around 3 stops. This means the filter blocks so much light that you need to allow approximately eight times more light to reach the sensor or film than you would without the filter. Initially, this can be tricky. I found the most reliable method is to meter the scene *without* the filter attached, then manually adjust my exposure (either shutter speed or aperture) to compensate by three stops. For example, if the meter suggests 1/125th of a second at f/8, with the filter on, I’d set it to 1/15th of a second at f/8 (3 stops slower shutter speed). Modern cameras with through-the-lens (TTL) metering can often meter accurately with the filter attached, but I always double-check or bracket my exposures, especially when shooting film, where correcting mistakes isn’t an option. This necessary exposure adjustment can also be a benefit; it forces slower shutter speeds, which can be creatively used to blur motion, such as smoothing water in waterfalls or rivers, adding another layer of artistic control to the image.
Build Quality and Handling
The Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red) features a lightweight plastic ring and, in my experience, clear and well-manufactured glass. While some premium filters boast brass rings for supposedly smoother mounting and greater durability, the plastic ring on the Tiffen is perfectly functional. It screws onto lenses with a 67mm filter thread smoothly and securely. I haven’t experienced any issues with binding or cross-threading over years of regular use. The glass itself has remained scratch-free with proper care, and I haven’t detected any significant loss of sharpness or introduction of unwanted artefacts like haze or swirling patterns in my images. While I did see a user review mentioning a quality control issue with cracking within the glass, this is not representative of my experience with multiple Tiffen filters, including this one. It seems like an unfortunate, isolated incident rather than a common flaw. The filter is thin enough that it doesn’t usually cause vignetting on most lenses, though this can depend on the lens’s focal length and design, especially on wider angles. Using step-up or step-down rings allows this 67mm filter to be used on lenses with different thread sizes, increasing its versatility across my collection.
Limitations and Considerations
While incredibly useful, the #25 red filter is not a universal tool. Its strong effect means it’s primarily for black and white; using it for colour photography will result in a dominant red cast that is rarely desirable unless specifically going for an artistic effect. The significant light reduction requires adjusting exposure, which can be challenging in rapidly changing light conditions or when shooting handheld in low light, potentially necessitating a tripod. As highlighted by a user review, it’s also completely unsuitable for certain niche applications like underwater video, where the red light it transmits renders everything in an unnatural monochrome red hue regardless of depth. Understanding these limitations is key to using the Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red) effectively; it excels at specific tasks, but it’s not a filter you’d leave on your lens constantly.
Voices from Other Users
Having scoured online forums and reviews, it’s clear that my positive long-term experience with this filter is shared by many. Users frequently praise the Tiffen filter for its effectiveness in boosting contrast for black and white, particularly for landscape photography and creating dramatic skies. Several reviewers specifically mention its excellent value compared to more expensive brands, noting that the optical quality is more than sufficient for their needs. Some also highlight its usefulness for experimental techniques like infrared photography. While one review did mention a concerning quality control issue with internal glass damage, this appears to be an outlier. Another helpful note from users confirms its unsuitability for unexpected uses like underwater video.
Final Thoughts on Enhanced Black and White
The frustration of producing flat, uninspired black and white photographs that lack depth and drama is a common one. Without tools to control tonal separation, skies can be lifeless, and subjects can merge indistinctly with their surroundings, diminishing the impact of the image. The need to solve this isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about achieving the expressive potential that monochrome photography holds. The Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red) is a great fit for this challenge because it offers a simple, effective way to achieve dramatic sky contrast, enhances tonal separation in landscapes and portraits, and opens up possibilities for experimenting with infrared effects. It’s a classic tool that consistently delivers classic results. If you’re looking to elevate your black and white photography with tangible, in-camera effects, Click here to check out the Tiffen 67mm 25 Filter (Red).
Last update on 2025-07-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API