K&F Concept has become one of my go-to brands for quality gear at affordable prices: this filter met all my high expectations. It’s solidly build with well cut threads, which make for smooth attachment and detachment. They make a few variations of on the black mist diffusion filters, with (if I’ve done my research properly) 18 multi-coating layers on the less expensive end and 28 layers (as on this one) on the premium end.

While it’s certainly possible to experiment with home made diffusion filters—a couple classics being stretch panty hose over the lens or smear a light layer of petroleum jelly on a UV filter—I wanted to experiment with a commercial one. Two types one often sees mentioned are white mist and black mist. Based on comparative samples, I liked the look of the black mist variant more. They typically come in one of four strengths with the naming convention: 1/8 (weakest effect), 1/4, 1/2, and 1 (strongest effect)—interestingly, I’m given to understand that exactly how strong a 1/8, for example, is, depends on the manufacturer. Again, based on what I’ve seen of online samples, I thought either a 1/8 or 1/4 would be the most useful. Having now tried this one, at 1/4, I could see getting a 1/8 too, but rather doubt I’d ever use a 1/2.

Note: this works on other camera lenses too: directly for those that take 55mm filters and with an adapter ring otherwise. I know, because I tried it!