Disclosure
These products were kindly sent to me by WalkingWay in order to review and share my experience and thoughts on using them. The company does not claim to review this article prior to its release and everything that follows is a totally honest review. I have no economic benefit from WalkingWay for doing this review, other than the Affiliate links below. So let’s get into it.
History
Black Mist filters have been around for a long time. They are special effect filters, that are used to give images a more organic look, like they were shot with the use of vintage lenses. As mentioned in previous articles, modern lenses have such great manufacturing quality, that are very sharp and in storytelling applications, this is not the highest priority. That’s why they have been used for decades in the cinema industry, but lately they have made their way into the photographers filter kit. As more companies begun to manufacture them, they have become more affordable, so their increasing popularity, was to be expected.
They come in different intensities, that make their effect more or less apparent. Their purpose is to reduce overall contrast and glare, create a halo effect around highlights, enhance skin tones and produce a more 3-dimensional image. All effects mentioned above might be subtle, but all of them combined, enhance greatly the final image.
Features
WalkingWay Black Mist filters come in 3 different intensities, 1/2, 1/4 and 1/8, with the former having the stronger effect and the latter the most subtle. It is made of the same high quality glass, all WalkingWay filters are made. They reduce overall contrast and somewhat soften the image, but at the same time, retaining clarity and details, and thus should not be confused with the WalkingWay Soft Focus filters. This is possible, due to the fine black particles, that WalkingWay uses in the Black Mist filters. In the comparison picture, those particles can be easily seen. The 1/4 version has larger particles embedded into the glass and the 1/8 finer particles, which result in that density difference. In contrast, I have noticed, other filters sometimes use larger grain particles and look like they are dirty and also cannot achieve a subtle effect. The glass coated with multiple protective layers, thus making it water repellent and scratch resistant. The frame is made of aluminum, as usual, the sizes available, range from 43mm to 95mm and the price ranges between 25,63–68,46 $, depending on its size.
In use
WalkingWay was kind enough, to provide the 1/4 and 1/8 for this test. I have always found that special effect filters like these, have to be used with subtlety. Just enough to enhance the final image, but not so much that can be distracting. With that in mind, I will conduct this review in the most technical approach I can, by comparing images of the same subject, side by side. If I presented different scenes, shot with different filters, it would only lead to an artistic appreciation of the filter, rather than a subjective feature presentation. The following shots, imitate some of the most common shooting scenarios. The comparison pictures show, from left to right, the unfiltered shot, the one shot with the 1/8 Black Mist filter and the one shot with the 1/4 filter. As usual, all images were shot in JPEG format and are unedited straight out of camera. That way, you can tell that they have not been enhanced or altered in any way, so the final result is due to the filter use.
The first shot represents a common front light subject. As we can see, the filter definitely reduces contrast and produces softer highlights. The fine details are retained, as we can see on the cloth surface the ninja warrior stands on, and there is no visible color shift. Most of the effect can be seen on the shadow falloff, where without the filter is harsher and with the filter it is a bit softer.
The second shot, shows a back light subject, with the highlights of the light source included in the frame. Although it is clear from the previous comparison, here too, the sharpness of the image is retained. As we can see, the texture of the cloth at the bottom of the pictures, is unchanged from shot to shot. The contrast reduction is more visible in this example also. At the top of the head of the green ninja, the shadow falloff is way smoother that the original. Lastly the filters produce a halo around the light source. In the case of the 1/4 Black Mist filter, we can see a more prominent effect and although there is a yellowish tint halo, it does not effect any other part of the image. I came to conclusion that this yellow tint, is a byproduct of the intensity of the light source itself.
The last shot, is a mixed bag of elements. Shadows, highlights, multiple light sources and colors. In this case the halo on both WalkingWay Black Mist filters, produces similar results in terms shape and color. The contrast is reduced throughout the picture and it is not only visible in some parts of the image. The sharpness is also retained, as in previous shots.
Who is this for
All special effect filters are used for enhancing shots. Among those, Black Mist filters have been the most widely used, accepted and most importantly, proved. So they are a safe bet, when purchasing filters towards that goal. If you are someone who shoots either photos or video, they are the way to improve your shots. Especially if you use modern lenses, they will offer a more organic look, with less contrast and pastel like colors. So if you want to experiment with the use of Black Mist filters, or just add another density filter, in addition to those you already own, the cost is quite affordable to do so. Nowhere near to the cost of a new lens.
Conclusion
Black Mist filters are known to cinematographers many decades now and for a good reason. When making a deliberate effort for producing the best image possible, you are going to use all tools at your disposal. That’s why Black Mist filters are definitely worth considering. When you want to implement their unique visual characteristics to your image, there is no way around them. At a fraction of the cost of a cinema lens, let alone a lens set, they allow you to mimic their look and enhance your images.
For the price mentioned above, you could order yourself a full set of WalkingWay Black Mist filters and start experimenting with them. If you want to start with one, I would recommend the 1/4 density option. Although I have not used the 1/2 version, I find it adequate regarding the intensity of its effect and in most cases medium intensity filters, strike a balance between the 1/8 density and the 1/2 density. Either way, you cannot go wrong with Black Mist filters, as they will improve your final images. So give them a try and see for yourself the benefit from using them.
If you are interested in the WalkingWay Black Mist filters, you could find out more at https://walkingwayfoto.com/?ref=dimoudimitris.com You could also navigate through the website to get familiar with the whole product range. Buying through the above Affiliate link, will provide me with a small commission that help me keep these reviews going, without any extra cost to you.