Gel Filters

A gel filter is a piece of heat-resistant transparent plastic, containing translucent color, used to filter light. You can get gels made using different manufacturing processes – which will give you different characteristics. For instance, you can get surfact coating clear plastic film, deep-dying of clear plastic film or dye mixed throughout plastic during its manufacture. Of note, is the fact that the deeper the dye in the film, the more heat stable and long lasting a color filter you will have.

If you aren't sure how to use gel filters or want to find out how to use Nikon gel filters, check online and find forums that discuss this topic. It's totally amazing what you will find on the Net. If by chance you happen to be doing tricolor/color separation work, then you are going to want to track down something called the infrared Wratten gel filter. You can get them from Kodak, but there are other places online you can choose from as well.

Lee gel filters are noted for being quality products. In fact, they are gel filter manufacturers. You can't have gels with having a holder for them. So once you get your project together and decide what you want to do with it, check out holders. If you happen to use a Pentax camera, then you would hunt for a Pentax gel filter holder.

One of the good things about gels is that they come in an amazing variety of colors. They are also made to function well in front of hot lights. The material is actually so flexible, you can roll it up (carefully) and you can even cut them with scissors, a knife or paper cutter. And one other really neat advantage of gels is that you can stack several to get different colors.

Are there some drawbacks to gels? Oh you bet, but not that many. For instance, you need to normally get gels from theatre lighting or DJ supply places and you usually have to buy a BIG sheet, even if you only want just a small piece. But, it could be worse.

How do you know what colors you want? Easy, there are usually sample swatch books with small pieces of gels of all the colors available. Okay, so gels are not magical, despite what they can do with lighting for you. They will melt and or burn if your lamp is too hot. All you have to do is just watch the temperature of your lamp.