Best diffusion filters in 2024: soft-focus, low-contrast filters for the cinematic look

Best diffusion filters: low contrast filters
(Image credit: Moment)

The best diffusion filters and low contrast filters provide a fantastic way to achieve a stylish, cinematic look in-camera for both video and stills. However, they do much more than that! 

Beyond achieving that movie-like look, the best diffusion filters are also flattering to skin, making them ideal complements to modern lenses (which are so sharp as to be unkind to pore structure). And, as the name suggests, low contrast filters also raise black levels by diffusing light into the shadow areas to lift dark areas of your image. 

This can be just as helpful whether you want to create a more atmospheric shot in a portrait, or you want to shoot a sunset shot where the low sun is rendering everything in shadow as a harsh silhouette. 

Still, the most common use for these filters is to capture that dreamy, hazy, "golden-age Hollywood look" with blooming highlights, lifted contrast, and even more charismatic bokeh. 

So, why would you do this in-camera, as opposed to overlaying an effect or LUT at the editing stage? The main reason is that software-driven effects simply can't recreate the same effect as these filters, which are etched to defocus illumination and spread it across the image – all while retaining crucial sharpness and contrast.

In this way, filters give otherwise crisp, clinical, modern lenses similar visual characteristics to vintage lenses, and even 35mm film. Productions like The Crown and Peaky Blinders use Tiffen diffusion filters for this very reason, to achieve that distinct period look. 

Best diffusion and low contrast filters in 2024

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(Image credit: Kim Bunermann/ Future)
The best diffusion filter by reputation – and performance

Specifications

Available sizes: 46, 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82, 86, 95, 105, 107, 125, 138mm
Available strengths: ⅛, ¼, ½, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reasons to buy

+
Delivers premium performance
+
Used by Hollywood cinematographers

Reasons to avoid

-
Not the cheapest
-
Choice can be overwhelming

Tiffen is far and away the leader in this category – and the Pro-Mist line is the reason why. Offering the brand's maximum white halation increase, with its minimum reduction in contrast and resolution, these filters provide minimal loss of detail while rendering soft, pastel-like light. This makes it ideal for striking videography or softening blemishes for beauty and portrait photography. The choice of countless cinematographers, you can't go wrong with Pro-Mist – though the sheer volume of choice on offer can be daunting. 

Read our full Tiffen Black Pro-Mist review

(Image credit: Moment)

2. Moment CineBloom

The best diffusion filter for newcomers & phone shooters

Specifications

Available sizes: 37, 49, 52, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82mm
Available strengths: 10%, 20%

Reasons to buy

+
Creates dreamy, film-like footage
+
Available for Moment's smartphone lenses
+
Thin enough to stack with other filters

Reasons to avoid

-
Only two strengths available

Moment made a name for itself with neutral density, UV and polarizing filters, and now it has entered the arena of diffusion filters with the stunning CineBloom line. Where Pro-Mist covers every possible base, offering 8 different strengths, CineBloom comes in 10% and 20%. Moment's filters create results every bit as stunning as Tifffen's, but its straightforward "subtle" and "strong" varieties won't leave you paralyzed by choice. Best of all, the 37mm size fits Moment's lenses for iPhone and Android, meaning you can get stunning video on your phone! 

(Image credit: Tiffen)

3. Tiffen Gold Diffusion / FX

For a warm, soft focus effect with ethereal glow

Specifications

Available sizes: 40.5, 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82mm
Available strengths: ½, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reasons to buy

+
Produces diffusion with a golden glow
+
Machined to professional tolerances

Reasons to avoid

-
Golden effect limits applications

Where Pro-Mist focuses primarily on white halation increase, Tiffen Gold delivers warm halation and reduce resolution to produce atmospheric bloom and glow. This creates an almost soft focus-like effect, spreading the light to create an ethereal glow  rather than hard sharpness, with added gold hues to warm your image and balance skin tones. Clarity and detail is retained, but skin is flattered and illumination is spread around highlights. 

(Image credit: K&F Concept)

4. K&F Concept Nano-X Black

An affordable alternative to Tiffen Black Pro-Mist

Specifications

Available sizes: 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77, 82mm
Available strengths: ¼

Reasons to buy

+
An affordable alternative to Tiffen
+
Ultra thin for vignette-free stacking

Reasons to avoid

-
Only available in a single strength

A prolific name in the camera accessory sphere, K&F Concept offers a lone diffusion filter in a subtle ¼ strength – but it's a doozy. The Nano-X Black Mist has similar properties to Tiffen's Black Pro-Mist range, at a lower cost. This increases black halation and reduces highlights while maintaining resolution, to soften skin imperfections and create a dream-like haze to your imagery. It also boasts K&F's anti-scratch, anti-mold, anti-oil and waterproof coatings to ensure peak performance even if you're using the filter out in the elements.

(Image credit: Kim Bunermann/ Future)
The "invisible" diffusion filter!

Specifications

Available sizes: 49, 52, 55, 58, 62, 67, 72, 77mm
Available strengths: ¼, ½, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reasons to buy

+
Filtration 'without looking like filtration'
+
Softens without affecting flare or contrast

The Tiffen Digitial filter is engineered specifically to produce softness and diffusion while with almost zero flare or contrast reduction. As such it's perfect for more subtle shooting, where you want to soften skin or smooth background details while retaining clear focus and making it look like no filter has actually been used. If you want to achieve a soft, diffused effect with other characteristics so controlled that the filtration feels almost invisible, look no further. 

Read our full Tiffen Digital Diffusion FX review

(Image credit: Lee)

6. Lee Filters Low Contrast

Got a Lee Filters 100mm System? This is the one for you

Specifications

Available sizes: 100 x 100mm / 4 x 4 inches
Available strengths: ¼, ½, ¾, 1, 1½

Reasons to buy

+
Fits Lee Filters 100mm System

Reasons to avoid

-
Requires Lee's 100mm System holder at extra cost

If you own Lee Filters' 100mm System or the recent Lee100 (which we rate as the best filter holder currently on the market), this Low Contrast filter can be used with any lens (as opposed to having to buy individual screw-ins to fit each filter thread). These white-opacity resin filters diffuse light into the shadow areas of your image to reduce contrast, while also creating subtle flaring and halation around hot spots and highlights. 

How to choose the best diffusion filter

What does a diffusion filter do?

It's very difficult to visualize what diffusion filters do. At their lowest strength, they can add subtle softness to textures, cause highlights to halo or gently raise shadows. At their strongest, they can radically reduce resolution, create brilliant bloom or lift contrast so much that shots resemble ungraded log-like footage. 

Read more: 

• Best neutral density filters
• Best variable ND filters
• Best ND grad filters
• Best polarizing filters
• Best infrared filters
• Best close-up filters
• Best light pollution filters
• Best lens protection filters

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.