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A woman on a Tokyo crossing at night, the city lights behind her blooming through a NiSi Black Mist filter

Circular Black Mist

The cinema look,
in camera.

Black Mist lowers contrast and blooms the highlights, so light sources glow, skin softens and the whole frame reads like film. Three strengths, thread sizes from 40.5mm to 95mm.

  • 3 strengths
  • 13 thread sizes
  • Kits with a case
Shop Black Mist

Before you choose

Choose your filter

Start with the strength.

Every Black Mist softens the same way. The number is how much. Pick the strength first, then match your lens thread.

A NiSi Black Mist 1/8 filter on black, showing the fine black particle pattern in the glass1/8, 1/4, 1/2

What the grade means

The effect roughly doubles with each grade. 1/8 is the most subtle, 1/2 is the strongest.

Not used one before? Start at 1/4 for still photography and 1/8 for filming.

1/8the subtle one

A hint of glow

Takes the edge off digital contrast and lifts the highlights just enough to notice. NiSi's suggested starting point for video.

49mm52mm67mm72mm77mm82mm95mm
Start here

1/4the everyday one

The one most people buy

Clear blooming around light sources and visibly softer skin, with the frame still reading as sharp. NiSi's suggested starting point for stills.

49mm52mm67mm72mm77mm82mm95mm

1/2the strongest

Full cinema haze

Highlights spread into a real halo and contrast drops away. For night scenes, heavy backlight and portrait work that wants the effect to show.

52mm67mm72mm77mm82mm95mm

The three grades, same frame

Our own test: no filter, then 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 on the same backlit shot.

Four frames of a couple in profile against a low sun: no filter, then NiSi Black Mist 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2
Couple in profile, low sunNo filter to 1/2
Which thread sizes each option comes in
Thread1/81/41/2KitProfessional Kit
40.5mm---KitPro Kit
43mm---KitPro Kit
46mm---KitPro Kit
49mm1/81/4-KitPro Kit
52mm1/81/41/2KitPro Kit
55mm---KitPro Kit
58mm---KitPro Kit
62mm---KitPro Kit
67mm1/81/41/2KitPro Kit
72mm1/81/41/2KitPro Kit
77mm1/81/41/2KitPro Kit
82mm1/81/41/2KitPro Kit
95mm1/81/41/2KitPro Kit

Scroll the table sideways for the Kit and Professional Kit columns: both are made in all 13 threads, including the six that have no single filter.

The Kit holds the 1/4 and the 1/8 with a case. The Professional Kit holds all three with a case. Shooting a Fujifilm X100? There is a dedicated Black Mist 1/4 for it in a black frame or a silver frame. Not sure which size fits? Ask our team.

Why Black Mist

The look, before you get to the edit.

A redevelopment of our cinema Allure Mist Black, built as a circular filter for stills and video.

01 / 06

Highlights that bloom

Any direct light source keeps a strong center and gains a pleasing glow around it. Street lamps, practicals and neon turn film-like instead of clipping to a hard white dot.

A figure with a clear umbrella under a street lamp at night, the lamp blooming into a soft halo

02 / 06

Skin, softened

Wrinkles, blemishes and texture are smoothed in camera, so a portrait is flattering before anything is retouched. The effect is optical, not a plugin.

A performer at a dressing room mirror ringed with bulbs, each bulb glowing softly

03 / 06

Contrast, brought down

Black Mist suppresses highlights and lifts shadows, balancing the tonal range between the two. Harsh light stops fighting the picture.

A woman silhouetted against a theater marquee of warm bulbs, the highlights held back

04 / 06

Detail that stays

Contrast and apparent sharpness are understated while resolution is maintained. The frame reads soft and still holds its detail.

A woman lying on a wooden floor in warm window light, the light spilling across the boards

05 / 06

Not just portraits

Night photography, landscape and still life all take the same cinematic atmosphere. Anywhere there is a highlight to bloom, Black Mist has something to do.

A bicycle on a dirt path at sunset, the low sun hazing across the frame

06 / 06

Done in camera

The pastel quality of the light and the smooth, buttery texture around the highlights are captured on the sensor. Nothing to add later, and nothing to undo.

A woman on a neon-lit street at night, the signs behind her softened into color

In the field

A golden hour portrait session shot on Black Mist, from our own sample set.

A backlit portrait in a garden, the sun flaring softly through the leaves A couple in a field at golden hour, the low sun blooming behind them A couple close together in warm evening light, the background dissolving into glow A couple embracing against a hazy sunset, the highlights spreading softly A couple lit from behind by the setting sun, contrast held gently in check A couple in profile among trees, the light wrapping around their faces

Filter on and off

See for yourself.

Our own test frames, shot with and without the filter. Each strip carries its own labels.

A street lamp at night

The clearest case there is: one bright source in the dark, without the filter and with the 1/4.

A figure with an umbrella under a street lamp, shown without a filter and with a NiSi Black Mist 1/4
Street lamp at nightNo filter and 1/4

A portrait under studio light

The same setup without the filter and with the 1/2. Contrast falls away and the skin smooths.

A studio portrait on a dark gray background, shown without a filter and with a NiSi Black Mist 1/2
Studio portraitNo filter and 1/2

Close up on skin

Backlit, filling the frame, so there is nowhere for the difference to hide.

A backlit close-up portrait shown without a filter and with a NiSi Black Mist 1/2
Close-up, backlitNo filter and 1/2

Neon at night

No filter, then the 1/8 and the 1/4, against a wall of colored signs.

A portrait against neon signs at night, shown without a filter, then with a NiSi Black Mist 1/8 and 1/4
Neon streetNo filter, 1/8 and 1/4

All three grades, twice over

Two more scenes run through the whole range, so you can see how far apart 1/8 and 1/2 really are.

Four frames of a couple embracing under a tree in low sun: no filter, then NiSi Black Mist 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2
Couple under a treeNo filter to 1/2
Four frames of a couple in tall grass: no filter, then NiSi Black Mist 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2
Couple in tall grassNo filter to 1/2

Specifications

The details.

TypeBlack mist diffusion filter, screw-on
OriginA redevelopment of our cinema range, Allure Mist Black
Strengths1/8, 1/4 and 1/2, with 1/2 the strongest. The effect is about twice as strong with each grade
GlassOptical glass
Sizes, single filters1/8 and 1/4: 49mm, 52mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, 95mm. 1/2: 52mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, 95mm
Sizes, kits40.5mm, 43mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, 77mm, 82mm, 95mm
Black Mist Kit1/4, 1/8 and a case
Professional Kit1/2, 1/4, 1/8 and a case
Dedicated fitFujifilm X100, X100S, X100F, X100T, X100V and X100VI, in a black or silver frame. The X100V and X100VI lens cap fits back onto it
Suggested start1/4 for still photography, 1/8 for filming

Questions

Before you buy.

What is a NiSi Black Mist filter?

A diffusion filter that adds an ethereal glow around light sources while preserving the clarity of the image. It gives you the cinema look that reduces contrast, blooms and softens the light from strong light sources, and smooths blemishes, without affecting color balance.

What does a Black Mist filter do?

It lowers high contrast and blooms highlights for a softer, smoother result under harsh light. It is used for glowing fog-like light, flattering skin, and misty atmosphere at night. The 1/8, 1/4 and 1/2 strengths let you set how much of the effect you want.

Which strength should I choose?

1/2 is the strongest and 1/8 the most subtle, and the effect roughly doubles with each grade. If you have not used a mist filter before, Start at 1/4 for still photography and 1/8 for filming.

How does a black mist filter work?

A fine pattern of black particles in the glass scatters a small amount of the light passing through it. Highlights spread into a soft halo, contrast comes down and fine texture such as skin is smoothed, all in camera rather than in post.

Does it soften the whole picture?

No. Contrast and apparent sharpness are understated while resolution is maintained, so the picture keeps its detail. The stronger the grade, the more the highlights bloom.

Which size do I need?

Match the filter thread of your lens, printed on the front of the lens or inside the lens cap next to the diameter symbol. Single Black Mist filters run from 49mm to 95mm, and the kits run from 40.5mm to 95mm.

What is the difference between the Kit and the Professional Kit?

The Black Mist Kit holds the 1/4 and the 1/8 with a case. The Professional Kit adds the 1/2, so it holds all three strengths with a case. Both are sold in 13 thread sizes from 40.5mm to 95mm.

Is there a version for the Fujifilm X100?

Yes. The Black Mist 1/4 for Fujifilm X100 Series fits the X100, X100S, X100F, X100T, X100V and X100VI, in a black or a silver frame to match the camera. The X100V and X100VI lens cap fits straight back onto it.

Why buy a NiSi Black Mist filter?

NiSi built the circular Black Mist out of its cinema range, so the look is the one used on set. The range is the widest part of it: three strengths, thread sizes from 40.5mm to 95mm, two kits with a case, and a dedicated X100 fit.

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