Tiffen color correction filter pack for lights — selectively saturates or desaturates without altering light character. Fast on-set color matching at the fixture.
On set, you sometimes need a quick solution to adjust the color of a single light source without dismantling the entire setup. This is where you'd reach for Tiffen's Dynacolor system: a set of selective color filters that you place directly in front of the fixture, specifically saturating or desaturating certain color ranges without significantly altering the overall light temperature or intensity.
The principle is fundamentally different from classic color temperature filters (CT Blue, Orange, etc.) or dichroic systems. While those shift the entire color balance, Dynacolor filters work selectively: for example, they can saturate the reds in your light while leaving blues and greens untouched. This makes them valuable when you're juggling mixed light sources—like tungsten next to daylight—and only want to subtly adjust one source without compromising bluescreen or greenscreen work.
In practice, the filter simply slots into the barndoor frame or you tape it to the scrim with gaffer tape. This saves you considerable time, especially on documentary shoots and in industrial content creation: instead of fiddling with color correction and gels, you make adjustments directly on set. The filters are robust, colorfast, and don't noticeably affect the light beam—unlike some older color correction gels that tend to overheat and yellow.
The catch is the limited selection: Dynacolor is not a universal system. You need experience to anticipate which filter will help you with mixing. Therefore, in professional settings, it's common to carry one or two standard Dynacolor filters in your kit bag—often the neutral saturation dimmer and a warm-tone refiner. For more complex scenes or final look research, editing and the DIT station remain the tools of choice, but on set itself, Dynacolor often saves you a second round of lighting adjustments.