Earlier this year, I flew to London to spend a week exploring the city and doing street photography. Since I would walk quite a bit there, I kept my gear minimal. That included the Fujifilm X-E4, my current travel and street photography camera, the 35mm f/2, which is compact but also a superb lens, and the 18-55mm f/2.8 for more range if needed while not being too big of a lens. For the 18-55mm, I also brought the Moment CineBloom Diffusion Filter with a 10% diffusion, which I had ordered online from Moment.

What is a CineBloom Filter?

The CineBloom filter minimizes the hard edges in photos while providing a slight haze to photos. The effects are most notable when used at night with a light source in the frame, like a street light, neon sign, or car lights. This filter creates an aura around highlights that removes harshness from the light source, giving the photo a more dreamy and somewhat muted look. This CineBloom at 10% is quite subtle in the middle of the range of what’s available. There is also a 5% diffusion as well as a 20%.

My Thoughts

The CineBloom is known for producing photos with a dreamy and ethereal quality. From my experience with the CineBloom 10%, I find that the effect reduces sharpness in the photo, creating a soft atmosphere by diffusing the light. This effect is most notable on the edges of lit areas, such as illuminated signs, as in the examples included here.

I found a common comparison is between the CineBloom and the Black Pro-Mist filter. I have not been able to compare the two, but from what I understand, they can be quite similar. The Black Pro-Mist reduces overall contrast and softens the image like the CineBloom, but from what I have read, the Black Pro-Mist seems to lean toward a more nostalgic look. I believe that both filters are worth experimenting with to see if there is one that has a more favourable aesthetic for the look you are going for.

Also, if you use either of these filters in combination with a Fujifilm film simulation, it can add to that film look by reducing the sharpness and overall contrast while layering with one of Fuji’s simulations. As all simulations have unique characteristics, they can create a distinctive look.

Options and Build Quality

The filter is available to purchase in a range of sizes from as small as 37mm up to 82mm, although there is no 43mm size. The thread size of the Fujifilm is 35mm f/2. This is a popular lens choice for street photographers due to its low-light capabilities and compact size, and it would be nice to have that option.

The filter is constructed from premium, uncoated glass to create superior image clarity and blooming effect. In my opinion, the filter material has a nice feel that presents itself as a quality filter. I’ve used cheaper filters in the past, and I have found that some have inferior build quality, making the thread operation difficult. These filters can also be difficult to remove and tend to get stuck on the lens, even with minimal tightening. I’m happy to report that the CineBloom filter is far better and does not have these unfortunate characteristics. It fits nicely on the thread and has smooth operation, and I have never experienced difficulty removing the filter from the lens. But it would be best to be cautious about attaching any lens filters too tight as they can damage the lens when you attempt to remove them.

Summary

The Moment CineBloom filter is a quality lens at an affordable price that allows unique effects to photos in camera. I'll continue to use CineBloom filters in my street photography. It won’t be an everyday thing and will be reserved as something I use periodically. Still, I will consider attaching this filter if I’m in a location at night and have some extended time to experiment.