Tokina has developed a new filter which is treated with a special “Rain Dispersion” coating (think of it like Rain-X, except for your lens and not your windshield) which allows you to shoot in rain without water effecting the image. Take a look at the video below for full details.
I live in a pretty wet climate for the majority of the year, Oregon is known for this and that is what makes these new filters particularly interesting for me. Having the ability to shoot in the rain with minimal effect to image quality would be a great advantage, especially to a sports shooter like myself who can’t just wait for the rain to go away.
The Tokina representative in the video mentioned that the filters will come in the square size shown in the video as well as several other sizes starting at 77mm, 82mm, 86mm, and 95mm. Though he did mention that the sizes are not finalized and so there may be room for them to go further down the spectrum.
It should be noted that these filters have been developed for use primarily in broadcast situations, such a TV news crews. This explains the rather high, by DSLR lens standards, starting filter size of 77mm. But assuming the 77mm size is standard, then a simple step up ring will allow you to use one of these filters on your smaller DSLR lenses.
What are your thoughts on this new rain dispersion technology from Tokina? Do you see yourself needing or using a filter such as this? Let us know in a comment below.
[via NewsShooter.com]
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Actually I think the RainX analogy is backwards. RainX is a hydrophobic approach. This is hydrophilic which appears to make the water quickly spread out into a very thin layer, rather than bead up and slide off.
You are probably correct John. When I mentioned the RainX analogy I was mostly hoping to create a link for people to get the general idea and purpose of the product. While you are right that they go about what they do differently, the result is pretty much the same, you can see through the glass where you would not have been able to before. Thanks for the comment.
I too live in Oregon, on the coast though, and for the same reasons you find this intriguing, I do as well. Primarily a landscape shooter though, but I don’t let the weather keep me in since the winter storms and rain can create some great shots. If this works pretty well, it’ll be high on my wishlist.