Features Tiffen T1IR and New T 1/2 IR Filters

Hauppauge, Long Island, New York, April 18, 2011 ‘ The Tiffen Company, a leading manufacturer and supplier of award winning accessories for the still imaging, motion picture and broadcast markets, began shipping today a new Far Red Control Kit, featuring the Tiffen T1 and a new T1/2 filters. The new Far Red Control Kit is available at select dealers with a list price of $695.
In 2009, Tiffen brought together an industry need with its innovative ColorCore technology to develop the T1 IR filter.   This filter was specifically designed to combat Far Red in digital cameras with an enhanced red response ‘ most notably at the time, the Sony EX1 and EX3. The newest addition to this advanced digital camera technology is the ARRI ALEXA.   After extensive testing on the ALEXA, Tiffen made further advancements and developed the New Tiffen T ½ IR Filter and has combined them, creating the New Tiffen Far Red Control Kit.

“These filters now provide the DOP with tremendous flexibility in fine tuning their Far Red control needs,” said Jill Conrad, product manager at Tiffen.

“Far Red is a moving target on the ALEXA and having the Tiffen Far Red Control Kit to correct this problem is very helpful, as I love the filmic look of the Alexa,” said Director of Photography, Alan Almond BSC, when filming episodes of “South Riding,” a BBC drama series.

With advancements in the HD camera market, and camera manufacturers using different formats, color sampling, and faster ISO capture speeds, reliably recreating true blacks in moving images has never been more challenging.   Many digital cameras, e.g. Sony EX Series and ARRI ALEXA, have very effective internal hot mirrors gradually blocking wavelengths above 700nm.   This allows the camera to preserve the red response, allowing the DOP to capture subtle hues of red never before seen digitally.   However, to preserve as much of the camera’s enhanced red response as possible, a small portion of the light must pass through the edge of the visible spectrum, causing the camera to see red where the naked eye cannot.   Opening up this color channel leaves your images vulnerable to Far Red and Near Infrared contamination.

The Tiffen T1 and T 1/2 filters have the unique ability to absorb this unwanted light while preserving the cameras increased red response. The Tiffen Far Red Control Kit provides the options needed to capture those subtle hues of red, while maintaining crisp blacks and assisting the camera in capturing the wider color gamut it was designed for ‘ with minimal light loss ‘ ½ and 2/3 stop.

These filters are made with Water White glass and are available individually in 72mm, 77mm and 82mm (thin profile wide angle ring), 95C, 105C, 138mm, 4×4, 4×5.650, 6.6×6.6. Other sizes are available upon request.   The Far Red Control Kit is available in 4×5.650 and comes in a 4 filter capacity belt loop style pouch.

The T1 IR and T ½ IR filters contain no dichroic coating; therefore, it will not vignette green, magenta or cyan at wide angles. When using ND’s we recommend using the Tiffen Full spectrum IRND’s for best results.

Tiffen has been a leading US manufacturer of glass filters and other name-brand products for digital, still, video, motion pictures and television for over 70 years. Tiffen products are used in almost every major movie and TV production around the world. Tiffen filters have earned two Technical Achievement Awards and a Scientific and Engineering Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for their ColorCore Filter Lamination Process (1985, 2000) and Ultra Contrast Filter (1993) respectively, as well as a Prime Time Emmy Award for filter engineering excellence. The Tiffen Company in addition to their optical glass filters and digital imaging software feature the following lines: Davis & Sanford, Domke, Lowel-Light, Saunders, Steadicam, Stroboframe, and Zing.