THANKS to TIFFEN and SCHNEIDER Filters for providing a set of their new Black Glimmer and Hollywood Black Magic filters for this comparison test. I also included the popular Tiffen Soft/FX and Schneider Classic Soft filters. We were looking for filters that modify resolution with a minimal effect on Contrast and Flare. See Art Adam's excellent article for a good explanation of Diffusion filters: http://provideocoalition.com/index.php/aadams/story/filter_facts/

Click on Get Original Uploaded Photo, beneath the Thumbnail, and then Click on that to get the High Resolution 3000 x 2400 pixel file.

My vivacious model is actor Keliher Walsh.

Shot with a Canon 50D, Portrait shooting mode, 400 EI, 70/200 F2.8 Sigma zoom, F4 @ around 1/125th, JPEG.

There is an anomoly with the Classic Soft 1 and to a lesser degree, the CS2. Note the bare bulb flare increasing from CS 1/8 to 1/2. Then at CS 1 the bare bulb flare lessens, but see the halation around the models shoulder?! The CS 2 has less bare bulb flare, but not the same amount of shoulder halation? Yet the diffusion on the face increase with the CS 1 and 2? Will have to check those filters of mine.