Tokina Makes Rain Dispersion Filter

One of the major problems with videography is the unpredictability of the weather.  Wet weather can mean extra cost for production due to the fact that the majority of the day is spent trying to wipe the camera lens clean. Eventually the cloth stops working as it’s saturated with rain water and all that’s left are unusable, rain smeared shots. Crew and cast get more and more fed up as the day goes on and the whole project can seem like a drag. Now though, the Japanese lens manufacturer Tokina is bringing the first rain dispersion filter to the market to put an end to drippy frames once and for all.

Rain-X Style Lens

The rain dispersion filter is treated with a special substance that has a similar effect to the lenses as Rain X does to car windshields. The full purpose is to stop water droplets from collecting on the lens and disrupting the filming process.

In a video demonstration on newshooter.com shows the filter being sprayed with water and leaving hardly any trace of water at all. More amazingly, the camera man’s view was even clearer than anyone would expect. The lens was cleared of water so quickly that the eye can barely tell if the water has hit it at all properly.

Details

Tokina have partnered with Japanese broadcasting company NHK to help develop the rain cover like filter. It’s thought that the ease of use and the incredible ability for the filters to protect the lens from wet weather will make the filters incredibly popular in the professional world of videography and photography. Up until now, professionals have had to make do with mechanical solutions and rain covers which don’t stand up to the more testing environments.

Manufacturers expect and hope to be shipping the filters early 2014 and early suggestion is that the filters will come in a range of sizes including 77mm, 82mm, 86mm, 95mm.

Tokina Rain Dispersion Filter. No more rain on your lens! from Matthew Allard on Vimeo.

[Image via Vimeo]