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Two years in the making, Lee Filters has just announced that it is bringing its highly-regarded ProGlass IRND cinematography filters to the world of stills photography. The company calls these ‘a new standard’ in ND filters, claiming they are, “remarkably neutral, with almost no color shift and extremely accurate stop values.”
The high-end filters will be available through the Seven5, 100mm and SW150 systems, and since they block both IR and UV pollution, they should deliver cleaner colors that require far less work in post-production.
This example, available in interactive form on the Lee website, comes from an unedited RAW file:
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The new line will come in six different strengths: 2-stop, 3-stop, 4-stop, 6-stop, 10-stop, all the way up to an impressive 15-stop filter. And the 6, 10, and 15-stop models each feature additional foam light insulation to ensure there are no light leaks, no matter how long the exposure.
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| Shot with a 0.6ND medium grad | Shot with a 0.6ND medium grad and the 4.5ND (15-stop) ProGlass IRND |
For more information, and to watch a demo video, visit the Lee Filters website. The ProGlass IRND Filter systems are available to stills shooters today in Seven5, 100mm and SW150 versions for £132.00 ($ 172 USD), £150.00 ($ 195 USD), and £346.00 ($ 450 USD), respectively.
Press Release
ProGlass IRND Filters
Two years in the making, the ProGlass IRND range from LEE Filters sets a new standard in neutral-density filters.
ProGlass IRND filters were originally designed for the film industry, to meet the exacting needs of the world’s leading cinematographers, and have already been hailed as the best neutral-density filters on the market. Now, they are available to the stills photographer, in sizes to fit the LEE Filters Seven5, 100mm and SW150 systems.
Advances in coating technology mean that the filters, which are manufactured from 2mm-thick, optically flat glass, are available not only in strengths of two (0.6ND), three (0.9ND), four (1.2ND) and six (1.8ND) stops, but also in ultra-long 10 (3ND) and 15-stop (4.5ND) versions. Not only this, but all filters in the range – whatever their strength – are designed to be free of colour casts, with extremely accurate stop values, ensuring consistency in all shooting conditions and allowing for absolute precision when exposing images. Their neutrality also means less time spent tweaking colour balances in postproduction.
In addition, filters in the ProGlass IRND range are designed to block both infrared and ultraviolet pollution. As a result, blacks are rendered truly black, whites are clean, and results reveal a crispness that is second to none.
The 6, 10 and 15-stop versions of the ProGlass IRND filters come with a foam seal to prevent light leaks during long exposures, and should be placed into the filter slot closest to the lens. While the 2, 3, 4 and 6-stop versions do not feature a foam seal, it is still recommended also to place them into the slot closest to the lens.
All filters in the ProGlass IRND range can be used in conjunction with other filters, including neutral-density grads and the polariser.
Pricing
ProGlass IRND Filter (Seven5 System) – £132.00 each (Excl VAT)
ProGlass IRND Filter (100mm System) – £150.00 each (Excl VAT)
ProGlass IRND Filter (SW150 System) – £346.00 each (Excl VAT)
For further information, contact LEE Filters on +44 (0) 1264 366245; sales@leefilters.com; www.leefilters.com
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)