If you're a photographer looking to enhance the warmth and richness of your images, the 58mm 81A Warming Glass Filter is an indispensable tool. This high-quality filter from the reputable brand Tiffen is designed to reduce excess blue tones that can affect daylight film, particularly when shooting sky or sea scenes or engaging in high-altitude photography. This versatile filter is also highly effective in balancing 'cool' flash exposures, making it an essential accessory for both natural and artificial lighting conditions. The 'A' in 81A signifies the mildest strength in the 81 series, with a filter factor of 1.4, requiring an additional 1/2 f-stop of light.
The 58mm 81A Warming Glass Filter is part of a broader range of color correcting filters, each designed to 'warm', 'cool', or correct for the diverse lighting variations you may encounter in your photography journey. Each filter in this series has a specific 'filter factor', a measure of the light it absorbs. For cameras with internal metering, this filter will automatically adjust the exposure. If you're using external or handheld meters, you'll need to account for this factor. It's important to note that modern strobes or flash approximate midday sun, so any warming or cooling filtration with flash should be based on 'daylight'.
The 81 series warming filters are available in several strengths and sizes, including the 81B, which is slightly stronger than the 81A, the 81C with twice the warming effect of the 81B, and the 81EF with an extremely strong warming effect. Other useful color correcting filters in this series include the 82 series for a cooling effect, the 80 series for using daylight film in tungsten lighting, the 85 series for using tungsten film in daylight, and the FL-D and FL-B for using daylight and tungsten film in fluorescent lighting, respectively.
In conclusion, the 58mm 81A Warming Glass Filter is a durable, effective, and affordable solution for photographers seeking to add a touch of warmth to their images.