rscheffler wrote:
Thanks for confirming! What strengths are you using? If you have the chance, maybe you could add your findings to this 'diffusion' thread: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1695216
I've been looking at adding some BPM type diffusion for portraits but the options are kind of confusing...
For BPM, i use 1/4 also has one 1/8. for Black Satin, I use 1. TBH, I never had time to really evaluate the difference as I have different filter thread size and I just put them on lenses. i have 46mm for Leica M, 58m for Fuji, ZE, 72mm for contax 645 and ZE, 77mm for Hasselblad and Leica S through 82 to 77 adapter. They are quite similar for the output with minor difference.
Here are a few thumb of rules that you may have known. you get strong effect with longer focal length. 35 need one level up to get the same 85 diffusion effect. for modern lens, you can use stronger one and for classic lens such as Leica 35mm pre ASPH you can leave them out or use weaker one. The key effect are: reduce contrast, no more or reduced hard blow out highlight, no more deep black. The effect is especially useful for back light condition. Front light condition help with skin tone rendering, it kill micro contrast without lose much definition as far as I can see. The major attraction for you I think is it might save you time for PP.
Black Satin and BPM are quite similar, but Black Satin can contaminate bokeh highlight more than BPM from what I see. BPM seems have effect on broader light spectrum but Black Satin seems affect more on high light. BPM was introduced earlier and more popular over the years and Black Satin is newer. I bought Black Satin is because I really liked cinema photography of The Queen's Gambit, they use Black Satin 1 with Zeiss supreme prime through out that series. I found the bokeh rendering was I am after and one of best I ever watched.
There is no really right or wrong here or I think it matters much if you selected one level down or up. The main attraction is it give me good starting point. You can always combine PP to get the effect you want if you feel they are too strong or weak. I watch a few vimeo and youtube to see the strength difference to get a starting point. BPM 1/4 and Black Satin 1 are good to start and I have no plan to get stronger ones. Nowadays, most my photo shooting are involve family so I default use those filter as UV filter to protect my lenses For landscape, I think you could use them as well as there is really no right or wrong here, it is all about what kind of look you want represent.
Here is one with 35mm distagon f1.4, BPM1/4 and GFX100s JPEG (Provia) out of camera.
For landscape, I think you could use them as well as there is really no right or wrong here, it is all about what kind of look you want represent. 