Tiffen Announces New Innovation In Infrared Technology

The Tiffen Company, a leading company in the provision of photographic glass filters for the Motion Picture and Broadcast industries for almost 70 years, again leads the way with its latest innovation in filter technology.
Since the advent of digital cameras to the professional Motion Picture industry, the infrared light spectrum has changed the formal quality of the final image creating, in some instances, very notable colour shifts. As High Definition cameras begin to replace film as the medium of choice for more productions, the sensitivity of the imaging sensors to IR has become a challenge.
This is particularly evident when using neutral density filters that absorb visible light but pass infrared.
Unlike many photographic films, the CCD or CMOS of a digital camera is inherently susceptible to infrared contamination, even when the manufacturer attempts to reduce this problem by adding an infrared absorbing filter on top of the image sensor. Because these filters do not have a sharp cutoff at the infrared wavelengths there has to be a compromise in order not to exclude visible red wavelengths. This results in some infrared wavelengths being allowed to pass. While minor infrared contamination does not normally cause much of a problem for visible images, when using conventional neutral density filters especially denser grades, this issue is multiplied by the filter factor.
Tiffen says that it has now addressed this problem with the introduction of its exclusive line of IR ND and IR 85ND series filters. Using Tiffen's exclusive ColorCore filter technology, Tiffen engineers have been able to eliminate infrared bleed above 700nm. This is particularly important as it now allows for the use of the denser grades of Neutral Density filters needed for these light sensitive cameras while, at the same time, maintaining complete colour balance.
Tiffen's new IR ND filters are available in ND.3, ND.6, ND.9, ND1.2, ND1.5, ND1.8, and new ND2.1. The IR 85ND filters are available in 85ND.3, 85ND.6, 85ND.9 and 85ND1.2, rendering true color throughout the spectrum.
The Tiffen IR ND series is produced using Water White glass. As with all Tiffen filters, IR ND filters are ground and polished to provide the greatest level of flatness and parallelism. This, together with their exclusive ColourCore technology, ensures the highest level of optical quality.
The IR ND and IR 85ND filters are available in Panavision 4x5.650 sizes.
Tiffen's corporate headquarters are located in Hauppauge, New York, with factories in both Hauppauge and Glendale, California and offices in Rochester, New York and the UK.
Tiffen will be exhibiting at NAB 2008 in Las Vegas at Stand SU8514.
Further information is available at: www.tiffen.com.
(KMcA/JM)