Impression Filters

Impression V for vintage looks

Launching the new line of ARRI Impression Filters are eight Impression V Filters that give a vintage feel to Signature Prime and Zoom lenses. The four negative and four positive diopter filters incrementally shift the focus characteristics of the image, allowing a range of detuned looks to be created with one set of Signature lenses.

Check out the new Image Comparison Tool for Impression V Filter

Match a filter to your style!

Find out more...

Picture showing two versions of a picture in a split-image.

Impression V features

Exciting new creative option

Cost-effective way to achieve multiple looks with a single lens set
Positive and negative filters affect bokeh in different ways
Controllable, repeatable detuning of Signature lenses on set
Images can be made more glamorous, or grittier
Incremental deconstruction of the digital image

ARRI Signature Prime Lens Example on skin tone capture.

Easily exchangeable rear filters

Set of eight diopters: four positive and four negative
Fast to exchange via magnetic rear filter adapter on all Signature lenses
Rear filters have a different effect from matte box filters
Decide on a look in prep, or change the look on set
Signatures can be returned to their native look in minutes

Kit includes everything you need

All eight filter strengths, plus shims for negative filters
High-end adjustable torque screwdriver
Inscribable Velcro tabs for labeling filtered lenses
Kit packaged in a specially designed aluminum flight case
Filters, shims, and Velcro tabs can be purchased separately

Compatible with most ARRI ALEXA cameras

ALEXA 35
ALEXA Mini LF / ALEXA LF
ALEXA 65
ALEXA Classic / ALEXA XT / ALEXA SXT
Third-party LPL adapters require testing

Precision-made optics

Manufactured from the highest-quality optical glass
Lens scales remain useable at T1.8 (negative filters must be shimmed)
Made to the most exacting standards and tolerances
Consistent optical performance
ARRI durability and reliability

signature_primes_first_customer_shipment

Example Footage of ARRI Cine Signature Prime Lenses.

Positive filters

Drag the slider to compare a clean image with the strongest positive filter

ARRI Impression Filters | "The Impressionists" NYC | Positive filter 330P

ARRI Impression Filters | "The Impressionists" NYC | Without filter

Image without a filter on the LEFT and with Impression V Filter IV 330P on the RIGHT. Captured with an ALEXA Mini LF and 47 mm Signature Prime at T1.8.

Positive strength Impression V Filters produce 'bauble' bokeh in the background, where out-of-focus highlights are bright in the middle and blurry at the edges. Bokeh at the edges of the image becomes more stretched and pointier.

Positive filters

Drag the slider to compare a clean image with the strongest positive filter

Image without a filter on the LEFT and with Impression V Filter IV 330P on the RIGHT. Captured with an ALEXA Mini LF and 47 mm Signature Prime at T1.8.

Negative filters

Drag the slider to compare a clean image with the strongest negative filter

ARRI Impression Filters | "The Impressionists" NYC | With filter 290N

Image without a filter on the LEFT and with Impression V Filter IV 290N on the RIGHT. Captured with an ALEXA Mini LF and 47 mm Signature Prime at T1.8.

Negative strength Impression V Filters have the opposite effect to positive filters. In the background, 'donut' bokeh gives out-of-focus highlights a bright ring around the edges, making them appear sharper.

Negative filters

Drag the slider to compare a clean image with the strongest negative filter

Image without a filter on the LEFT and with Impression V Filter IV 290N on the RIGHT. Captured with an ALEXA Mini LF and 47 mm Signature Prime at T1.8.

Quotes

The Impression V Filters are a great tool for creating pictorial images with a subtle disconnection from reality that helps you get closer to subjectivity. They make the Signature Primes even more versatile, giving you different looks with a single set of lenses.

Cinematographer Pablo Rosso AEC

I love that you basically have three lens sets in one, varying from organic clean to a vintage look without losing the comfort of modern mechanics and LDS. Changing between looks is fast and easy, and the strength can be adjusted based on the shot or focal length.

Cinematographer Lorenzo Scudiero

With the Impression V Filters, you now have the ability to finely adjust the characteristics of the lenses and thereby influence the dramaturgy.

Director of photography Micky Graeter

Both the positive and negative Impression V Filters soften faces very gently, more like a texture than traditional diffusion, and I particularly love the positive filters for close-ups. For me, these filters get us even closer to the filmic look of 35 mm negative.

Cinematographer Ugur Icbak GYD

As DPs, we are fully engaged in creating interesting images. The idea of filters that can enrich the character of our lenses is exciting, and this is exactly what the Impression V Filters do. They definitely provide another creative option for us.

Producer/director/cinematographer O Sing Pui HKSC

Meet the Impression Filters

Handheld camera control unit ARRI hi-5 Introductory video.

Feb. 22, 2023

ARRI Impression V Filters Guided Tour

ARRI is launching its new line of Impression Filters with eight Impression V Filters that give a vintage feel to Signature Prime and Signature Zoom lenses. Watch our guided tour and discover how the four negative and four positive diopter filters incrementally shift the focus characteristics of the image, allowing a range of detuned looks to be created for Super 35 or large format with one set of Signature lenses.

Feb. 22, 2023

ARRI Tech Talk: Impression Filters

ARRI’s new Impression V Filters provide a cost-effective way to deconstruct the digital image and achieve multiple creative looks with just one set of Signature lenses. In this Tech Talk, cinematographer and ARRI Cinema Lens Specialist Art Adams introduces a new line of Impression Filters and demonstrates how these additional optical elements can detune the lenses in a controllable way.

Feb. 22, 2023

ARRI Tech Talk: How to shim Signatures for Impression Filters

Joachim Jäger, ARRI Service Manager Optics, shows how easy it is to shim Signature lenses for our negative Impression V Filters IV 050N, IV 100N, IV 200N, and IV 290N.

Short film series "The Impressionists"

The Impressionists – Germany

Shot with ALEXA 35, Signature Primes (21 mm I 29 mm I 35 mm I 58 mm I 75 mm) and Impression V Filters (230P I 240P).

“With the Impression V Filters, you now have the ability to finely adjust the characteristics of the lenses and thereby influence the dramaturgy.”
- DP Micky Graeter

“The Impressionists” is a short film series commissioned by ARRI for the launch of the Impression V...

The Impressionists – Italy

Shot with ALEXA Mini LF, Signature Primes (25mm I 40 mm I 75 mm) and Impression V Filters (140P I 230P).

“I love that you basically have three lens sets in one, varying from organic clean to a vintage look without losing the comfort of modern mechanics and LDS. Changing between looks is fast and easy, and the strength can be adjusted based on the shot or focal length.”
- DP Lorenzo...

The Impressionists - Spain

Shot with ALEXA 35, Signature Primes (18mm I 21mm I 35mm I 47mm I 58mm I 75mm I 95mm) and Impression V Filters (290N I 330P).
“The Impression V Filters are a great tool for creating pictorial images with a subtle disconnection from reality that helps you get closer to subjectivity. They make the Signature Primes even more versatile, giving you different looks with a single set of lenses.”...

The Impressionists - Hong Kong

Shot with ALEXA Mini LF, Signature Primes (21 mm I 40 mm I 95 mm I 150 mm), Signature Zooms (45-135 mm I 65-300 mm) and Impression V Filters (050N I 100N I 200N I 290N I 070P I 140 P I 200P I 230P I 330P).
“As DPs, we are fully engaged in creating interesting images. The idea of filters that can enrich the character of our lenses is exciting, and this is exactly what the Impression V...

The Impressionists – India

"Shot with ALEXA Mini LF, Signature Primes (18 mm I 25 mm I 35 mm I 47 mm I 75 mm | 95 mm | 125 mm), Signature Zooms (16-32 mm I 65-300 mm), and Impression V Filters (140P I 230P I 330P).
""The Impression V Filters, with the Signature lens series, gave me unprecedented control over the final image's optical characteristics, including edge sharpness and bokeh. I was able to paint and add a...

The Impressionists – Turkey

Shot with ALEXA 35, Signature Primes (25 mm I 35 mm I 47 mm I 58 mm I 75 mm) and Impression V Filters (070P I 140P I 230P | 330P I 050N | 100N I 200N | 290N).
“Both the positive and negative Impression V Filters soften faces very gently, more like a texture than traditional diffusion, and I particularly love the positive filters for close-ups. For me, these filters get us even closer to the...

News & Reviews

Jun. 9, 2023

Film and Digital Times | Tiffen Rear Filters for ARRI Signature Primes

Tiffen Magnetic Rear Filters for ARRI Signature Prime Lenses are now approved, tested and authorized by ARRI. They come in many of the popular Tiffen looks and grades: Glimmerglass, Promist, Fog, Black Satin, etc.

May 23, 2023

Music video | Zara Larsson - End Of Time

ARRI Signature lenses, paired with the ARRI Impression V Filter IV 330P, were chosen by DP Ian Rigby for a beautiful, vintage look on Zara Larsson's latest clip.

1-cinematographer-emanuele-zarlenga-interview-arri-cameras

Apr. 14, 2023

ARRI tools are important allies for Emanuele Zarlenga’s commercials

ALEXA Mini LF with Signature Primes, TRINITY stabilizer, and ARRI lights: Cinematographer Emanuele Zarlenga has made extensive use of ARRI tools in his latest commercials.

Mar. 1, 2023

Film and Digital Times | ARRI Impression V Filters for Signature Lenses

ARRI Impression Filters attach magnetically to the rear of Signature Primes. They launch in February at BSC Expo with a set of 8 Impression V rear diopter filters. V might stand for Vintage as these rear diopters add a soupçon of vintage look
by adding aberrations that the Signature Prime lens designers diligently had removed. Thorsten Meywald, ARRI Product Manager Optical Systems, explains the Impression Filter system.

Feb. 23, 2023

CineD | ARRI Impression V Filters

ARRI just introduced a new line of 8 diopter filters specifically designed to complement their Signature Prime and Zoom series. The new ARRI Impression V Filters act on the image’s out-of-focus areas, allowing cinematographers to achieve a vintage, detuned look.

Feb. 22, 2023

Newsshooter | ARRI Impression V Filters

ARRI has announced a new series of Impression V Filters for its Signature zooms and primes. These filters were designed to slightly detune Signature Prime and Zoom lenses and give them a slightly vintage look and feel.

Compatibility of Impression Filters

Technical data

When using Impression V Filters with Signature Primes and Signature Zooms, some basic parameters of the lens system will change. Similar to using a weak extender, the focal length and aperture of the lens will be slightly altered. The factors by which parameters such as focal length have to be multiplied in order to obtain effective values are given in the table below. The table also shows the impact of the aperture change on the T-stop.

Filter	Focal length multiplier	Image circle multiplier	T-stop multiplier	Exposure change (stops)	Open aperture for T1.8 lens
290N	1.068	1.068	1.068	-0.19	1.92
200N	1.050	1.050	1.050	-0.14	1.89
100N	1.027	1.027	1.027	-0.08	1.85
050N	1.015	1.015	1.015	-0.04	1.83
no filter	1.000	1.000	1.000	0.00	1.80
070P	0.980	0.980	0.980	0.06	1.76
140P	0.968	0.968	0.968	0.09	1.74
230P	0.950	0.950	0.950	0.15	1.71
330P	0.929	0.929	0.929	0.21	1.67

Shimming depending on T-stop

In case you only use the positive Impression V Filters at a T-stop of T1.8, no shimming is required. You can easily exchange between the different positive filter types with lens scales remaining accurate. In case you want to use the negative Impression V Filters at a T-stop of T1.8, you only have to shim once with the included 2 mm shim. After shimming you can also easily exchange between the different negative filter types.

When working in a stopped down configuration, the required shimming depends on which filter type and T-stop shall be used for the upcoming shoot. Please see the following table for detailed information on required shim thicknesses. In case of the negative filters, please note that for each T-stop / filter combination 2 values are listed. The first value refers to the LPL mount shim 1.85 mm which is provided in the Impression V Shim Set. The second value refers to the required thickness of individual shims.

FAQ

IV stands for Impression V. The number 330 refers to the strength of the filter (in this case: 330 = 3.30 diopters). The letter behind the number tells you if it is a positive diopter filter (P) or a negative diopter filter (N).

ARRI is offering an Impression V Filter Kit that contains all eight filter types, 4 positive and 4 negative filters. All necessary shims and a torque screwdriver, as well as an inscribable Velcro set to label filtered lenses on set, are included in the kit.

Each filter type can be ordered individually as an ARRI Impression V Filter Pack. Each of these packs contains 3 filters of the same type.

As negative filters need to be shimmed with one additional shim when shooting at open aperture (T1.8), packs containing a negative filter type will also include a set of shims. In addition, both the negative and the positive filter packs also include sets of inscribable Velcro tabs.

It is also possible to buy separate Impression V Shim Packs and Impression V Velcro Packs. Please see the product configuration overview in the download section for more information.

No, to properly attach the rear lens cap to the mount, the Impression V filter must first be removed from the lens. With this procedure we want to make sure the Impression Filter is not forgotten on the rear side of the lens.