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Diffusion filters for the Ricoh GR
A diffusion filter is how you get the soft film glow that settings alone cannot fully fake: highlights bloom, contrast eases, skin smooths. It is the one piece of glass that changes how a recipe renders, which is why Reggie's Color Negative, one of the most-saved recipes on the site, is shot through one.
Every filter here is a 49mm screw-in, so it needs a filter adapter on the camera first - those are on the hoods and filter adapters page, one per body, and every Buy button below says so. The HDF models are the exception: they have a diffusion filter built in, so there is no point stacking one of these on top.
Strength is taste. The community calls 10% (or a 1/4) the sweet spot, 5% (or a 1/8) the quiet everyday option, and 20% the full dream.
Most Buy buttons go to Amazon and are affiliate links - as an Amazon Associate, RicohCookBook earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. It never changes the order.
4 picks · most popular first
| # | Pick | Fits | Buy clicks |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CineBloom diffusion filter by Moment | 49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF | 111 |
| 2 | Black Pro-Mist 1/8 (49mm) by Tiffen | 49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF | 72 |
| 3 | Black Mist 1/4 (49mm) by K&F Concept | 49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF | 4 |
| 4 | Black Pro-Mist 1/4 (49mm) by Tiffen | 49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF | 4 |
- #1 · Diffusion filter49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF111
CineBloom diffusion filter
by Moment
The halation filter Reggie shoots on his Color Negative recipe. He runs 5%, the community's sweet spot is 10%, and 20% is the full dreamy bloom - the Buy button goes to 20%, the only strength Amazon currently stocks. For the subtler strengths, the Black Pro-Mist below is the in-stock equivalent.
- #2 · Diffusion filter49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF72
Black Pro-Mist 1/8 (49mm)
by Tiffen
The subtle strength - Moment's comparison maps this 1/8 to the CineBloom 5% Reggie actually shoots, which has vanished from Amazon. Same quiet film softness, in stock.
- #3 · Diffusion filter49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF4
Black Mist 1/4 (49mm)
by K&F Concept
The budget mist - about half the CineBloom's price for a similar halation-and-glow effect.
- #4 · Diffusion filter49mm, through a filter adapter · skip on an HDF4
Black Pro-Mist 1/4 (49mm)
by Tiffen
The original cinema mist, at the community's sweet-spot strength: Moment's own comparison maps this 1/4 to the CineBloom 10% - and unlike the CineBloom it's cheaper and reliably in stock.
Before you buy
- Strengths map across brands, per Moment's own comparison: CineBloom 5% = Black Pro-Mist 1/8, 10% = 1/4, 20% = 1/2.
- All of these are 49mm and need a filter adapter. The adapters are per body and not interchangeable.
- HDF bodies have diffusion built in. The adapter fits an HDF; these filters just have nothing to add there.
- The effect costs contrast - that is the effect. Blacks lift and highlights glow.
- Black Pro-Mist keeps shadows a little deeper and halation tighter; CineBloom drifts warmer and more matte.
Questions people ask
What strength diffusion filter should I get for a Ricoh GR?
If you want it on the camera all day, the subtle one: CineBloom 5% or Black Pro-Mist 1/8. If you want the look people mean when they say film glow, the community's sweet spot is 10%, or a 1/4. The 20% is the full dreamy bloom and reads as an effect. If you are unsure, the cheap K&F 1/4 is the way to find out whether the look sticks before spending more.
CineBloom or Black Pro-Mist?
Same idea, slightly different flavor. CineBloom is the name the GR community uses for the whole effect, and it drifts warmer and more matte. Tiffen's Black Pro-Mist is the filter every other mist filter gets compared to: its black specs keep shadows deeper and the halation a touch tighter. Practically, the Pro-Mist costs less and Amazon keeps it in stock more reliably, while the subtler CineBloom strengths have been hard to find there.
Do I need a diffusion filter with the GR IV HDF?
No. The HDF models have a highlight diffusion filter built in, which is the point of them. The adapter itself fits an HDF (for ND or a polarizer), but a mist filter on top of built-in diffusion is doubling up.
What do I need to mount a filter on a Ricoh GR?
A 49mm filter adapter for your exact body: GA-1 or NiSi for the GR III, GA-2 or NiSi PR-12 MK II for the GR IIIx, GA-3 or a bayonet equivalent for the GR IV. The filter then screws into the adapter like on any lens.
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Some “Buy” links are affiliate links - as an Amazon Associate, RicohCookBook earns from qualifying purchases, at no extra cost to you. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Ricoh.