Tiffen soft-focus filter with bronze tint and glimmer particles. Creates warm skin tones and a subtle glow effect.
Technical Details
The filter is based on a plano-parallel glass disc with embedded glimmer particles (0.1-0.5mm diameter) and bronze-colored pigments. Available in strengths 1/8, 1/4, 1/2, 1, 2, and 3, with higher numbers indicating stronger diffusion. Light loss ranges from 1/3 to 1 stop depending on the strength. Standard thread sizes include 77mm, 82mm, 95mm, as well as 4x4" and 4x5.65" matte box versions. The color temperature shift is approximately 200-400K towards warm tones.
History & Development
Tiffen developed the Glimmerglass series in the early 1980s in response to the demand for subtle skin smoothing without loss of sharpness. The Bronze Glimmerglass was created in 1987 as an evolution of the classic Glimmerglass with integrated color correction. The technique is based on Hollywood tricks from the 1940s, where Vaseline and silk stockings were used in front of lenses. Modern CCD and CMOS sensors, with their high detail resolution, increased the demand for such diffusion filters again starting in the 2000s.
Practical Use in Film
Typical application for close-ups and portraits, especially for female performers over 30. Cinematographers often use Bronze Glimmerglass in romantic comedies and period pieces – for example, Cinematographer Dante Spinotti used the filter in "L.A. Confidential" (1997) for Kim Basinger's close-ups. Strength 1/2 is considered standard for digital cameras, while strength 1/4 was common with 35mm film. The filter works optimally with focal lengths from 85mm upwards and apertures between f/2.8 and f/5.6.
Comparison & Alternatives
Differs from the standard Glimmerglass by its bronze tint, and from Pro-Mist by coarser particles and less contrast loss. Black Satin filters produce similar skin smoothing without color shift. Modern digital alternatives include plug-ins like Tiffen Dfx or Resolve's internal skin smoothing tools. However, the Bronze Glimmerglass retains advantages in practical light reflections and lens flares, which are difficult to reproduce digitally. Schneider Classic Soft filters offer comparable effects with different characteristics – less bronze tint, but more uniform diffusion across the entire image field.