PolarPro’s Split 50 Is Only Half a Filter, and That’s the Entire Point

PolarPro has introduced a new creative lens filter that intentionally leaves half the glass uncovered, and that unusual design is exactly what gives the filter its cinematic effect. The new PolarPro Split 50 is a split diopter filter designed to place two subjects at different distances into focus within the same frame, creating a distinctive look long associated with classic Hollywood filmmaking.

A Classic Cinema Effect Comes to Modern Creators

At first glance, the PolarPro Split 50 almost looks incomplete. One side of the circular filter contains optical glass while the other half remains clear, creating a sharp divide across the image. But that asymmetrical design is what allows the filter to generate two separate focal planes simultaneously.

Split diopters have been used in filmmaking for decades to create shots where foreground and background subjects remain sharp at the same time, even when shot at wide apertures. The effect became especially popular in films like Citizen Kane, All the President’s Men, Reservoir Dogs, and The Untouchables, where cinematographers used the technique to create tension, visual separation, and layered compositions inside a single frame.

PolarPro’s new Split 50 adapts that same cinematic approach into a compact circular filter designed for both photographers and filmmakers.

How the Split 50 Works

The filter uses a +2 diopter on one half of the glass while leaving the other side optically unchanged. The magnified side effectively shifts the focal distance of part of the image, allowing close foreground subjects and more distant background subjects to appear sharp simultaneously.

The result is a split-focus effect where two subjects at very different distances can exist together in focus while still maintaining shallow depth-of-field characteristics elsewhere in the frame.

PolarPro says the effect works best between f/1.2 and f/4, where the transition between the two focal planes remains smooth and cinematic. The filter can also exaggerate focus separation and produce more stylized compositions with dramatic bokeh and visual tension.

Importantly, the Split 50 is rotatable, allowing creators to precisely position the split across the frame depending on composition and subject placement.

Built for Cinematic Photography and Video

While split diopters are traditionally associated with cinema production, the effect has become increasingly popular among photographers looking for more experimental in-camera techniques rather than relying solely on digital compositing or post-production effects.

The Split 50 appears aimed directly at that growing audience of creators who want more practical optical tools for storytelling. The ability to create layered compositions entirely in-camera can produce a more natural and organic look than digitally blending focus planes later in editing.

PolarPro says the filter is built using its Cinema Series optical glass with scratch-resistant, anti-reflective, and low-dispersion coatings. The housing itself is constructed from CNC-machined aluminum with a matte black anodized finish designed to reduce reflections.

Available in Multiple Sizes Including Helix MagLock

The PolarPro Split 50 are available for pre-order in traditional threaded sizes including 49mm, 67mm, 77mm, and 82mm versions, including one compatible with its Helix MagLock magnetic filter system, though that model requires a separately sold base plate. Pricing starts at $80 for the 49mm version, while the 67mm, 77mm, and 82mm filters are priced at $100. The Helix MagLock version comes in at $150.

Image credits: PolarPro