The New PrismFX Radiant Filter Is the Most Unusual Sunburst Filter Ever
PrismFX announced their new PrismFX Radiant filter, and it seems pretty cool!
PrismFX does some pretty cool things. They brought back a lot of character that’s been engineered out of lenses. And we discussed them on an episode of Pro Camera Reviews. They recently announced the new PrismFX Radiant Filter. At first, we thought it was just a sunburst filter. But, then we looked closer and that doesn’t really seem to be the case. If you look at the effects, you’ll see it’s a lot more complicated than that.
First off, look at the filter itself in the lead image. The PrismFX Radiant Filter reminds us of a petri-dish or a seriously scratched-up filter. In this case, though, it’s intentional. Depending on where the light hits from, you’re going to get a different effect. I think that’s really cool. It’s going to be sort of randomized to a point. And being visually impaired, believe it or not, makes me think I’ll understand this filter more.
I’ve got Keratoconus. It’s a condition where the eye isn’t normally shaped. So there are sweet spots in my glasses where I see clearly. The angles are also everything. With the PrismFX Radiant Filter, that seems to be the case too.
PrismFX is saying this filter refracts and highlights the light. They’re calling it an “explosive display.” And I’m not too sure about that. It’s more of a burst of light. When I think of explosions, I’m thinking about something closer to astigmatism. But that’s not really the case here. The PrismFX Radiant Filter can also rotate like a Circular Polarizer. So as you rotate, you’ll get different renders.
Practically speaking, I can see how this may slow down a shoot, which is probably going to give you better photos. But it’s also going to annoy a model. Try holding a pose for some time while a photographer futzes around with a filter. Personally, I find that rude. Instead, while the model is doing makeup or a wardrobe change, I’d recommend testing the lights. Then you can figure out what look you’re going to go for. It’s a much more efficient use of a time.
Of course, this will work best with constant lighting. But I wonder how this will look with strobes. I’m even more curious how this will look with gelled strobes. Some of you are probably wondering why you’d do this in-camera and not in post-production. Honestly, some photographers are just sick of sitting in front of computers all day and night.
I’ve been testing some of their filters myself for a little while. And I really like them. They let you have a lot of fun. Overall though, they’re pretty pricey. However, some of these filters are doing brand new and unique things. They’re not just revamping Tiffen and Hoya filters. It’s nice to see some innovation, something completely different. The entire staff here gets bored of reviewing the otherwise very cookie-cutter photo industry.
The PrismFX Radiant Filter will come in the 77mm filter size or 4×5 square filter size. You can pre-order one for around $65. PrismFx doesn’t make a lot of smaller filters. They figured you’ll just buy a larger filter and then adapt it to a step-down ring. And that’s usually the smartest approach. Just use a good step-down ring, or else they can get stuck and caught.
All images are taken from the PrismFX listing page.