Warm yellow-orange gels for extreme color temperature shifts — create a warm sunset look.
Definition
The Color Temperature Straw is a color correction filter made of yellowish material to reduce the color temperature of artificial light. The filter shifts cool light (5600K) towards warm light (3200K).
Practical Application
This lighting element is used in various professional scenarios:
- Color Correction: Adjusting color temperatures between different light sources
- Light Control: Precise control of light intensity and quality
- Effect Design: Creating specific visual atmospheres
- Efficiency Improvement: Reducing post-production effort through precise on-set control
Technical Details
Important technical features include:
- Available in CTO (Color Temperature Orange) gradations: 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 3/4, and Full CTO
- Reduces light output by 0.3 to 1.3 f-stops depending on strength
- Polyester or gelatin material for durability with studio lights
- Standard sizes for barndoors, softboxes, and filter frames
Practical Tips
- Use a color temperature meter to precisely determine the required CTO strength
- Factor in exposure compensation: Full CTO costs approximately 1 f-stop
- Position the filter in front of the light source, not in front of the camera
- Check heat resistance for halogen lamps over 1000W
Professional Standards
In professional film and television production, standardized color filters are essential for:
- Consistent color reproduction in mixed-lighting setups
- Quick light adjustments without changing bulbs
- Compatibility with digital camera color profiles
- Reproducible results across multiple shooting days
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