PolarPro’s New Split 50 Filter

credits: PolarPro

PolarPro has introduced a new filter called the Split 50, and visually it looks a little strange at first. Half of the filter contains optical glass while the other half is left completely clear, creating a hard split across the frame. That design is intentional, though, since the filter is built around the classic split diopter effect.

The filter uses a +2 diopter element on one side while leaving the opposite side optically unchanged. The magnified section changes the focal distance for only part of the frame, allowing a foreground subject and a more distant background subject to both appear sharp, even when shooting at fairly wide apertures. According to PolarPro, the effect works best somewhere between f/1.2 and f/4, where the transition between the two focal planes stays softer and more natural-looking. Since the filter is also rotatable, you can move the split line around the frame depending on composition and subject placement.

Split diopters have traditionally been used more in cinema, where cinematographers used the effect to create layered compositions and visual tension without relying on deep focus. PolarPro’s version brings that same idea into a standard circular filter format for both photographers and video shooters. The filter uses the company’s Cinema Series optical glass with anti-reflective, scratch-resistant, and low-dispersion coatings, housed inside a CNC-machined aluminium frame. The Split 50 will be available in 49mm, 67mm, 77mm, and 82mm threaded sizes, along with a version compatible with PolarPro’s Helix MagLock system. Pricing starts at (a pretty expensive) $80 for the 49mm version, while larger sizes cost $100, and the Helix version is priced at $150.