NIF’s HED science program provides experimental data that yields important information on the characteristics of materials used in nuclear weapons as they age or are subjected to the immense pressures and temperatures of a thermonuclear explosion (see NIF and Stockpile Stewardship).

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By recreating the properties of celestial objects under scaled conditions in the laboratory, NIF enables scientists to explore extreme conditions such as the hot dense plasmas found in stars (see Discovery Science). LLNL researchers have long been interested in the physical processes of stars because the prime stellar energy mechanism, thermonuclear burn, is central to the Laboratory’s core mission of maintaining the safety, security, and reliability of the nation’s nuclear weapons stockpile.

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HED experiments also support other national security-related studies on such topics as radiation hydrodynamics, system-generated electromagnetic pulses (see “NIF Experiments Help Validate Electromagnetic Pulse Codes”), and energy transport through electromagnetic waves (see “Experiments Yield Insights into Supersonic Radiation Flow”).

Data from HED experiments help inform and validate 3D weapon simulation computer codes and bring about a fuller understanding of weapon physics. Many NIF shots focus on advancing the prospect of inertial confinement fusion (ICF) ignition—a self-sustaining fusion reaction—for the Stockpile Stewardship Program.

In support of NIF’s stockpile stewardship mission, the laser system’s unique capabilities are creating unprecedented opportunities for research in the growing field of high energy density (HED) science—the study of matter under extreme states of density and pressure (about 1 Mbar to 1 Gbar, or one million to one billion times the atmospheric pressure at Earth’s surface).

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No, these problems can’t be solved just by taking off the lens hood. The solution instead lies in understanding we need to break the mentality that the darkroom and Adobe have put us in for years. We don’t need to slave away and toil for hours and hours to get good photos. We can do it in-camera. It’s not lazy, it’s efficient.

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Seriously, how many of us really complained about things like onion bokeh? Have you seen Watchmen on HBO? There’s tons of onion bokeh and the scenes look wonderful.

Take a look at the photo above. Have you ever seen a Sigma lens deliver lens flare like this? Or have you ever seen this much contrast taken out of it? Probably not! Nor have you probably seen such a pleasantly warm glow to your subjects using this filter.

First off, the build quality of the filter is better than most of the others from Prism FX because it doesn’t require you to twist anything around to change the effect. The less moving parts, the better! Now here’s a quick comparison of how the filter renders in auto white balance and daylight white balance.

Laserfluence vs intensity

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See the difference? It’s pretty large, and locking the white balance means way less work in post-production. But the color is only a small part of how this filter works.

All this aside, the Prism FX Rose Filter is looking to do two things. First off, it gives the images some haze. This softens the way people look and mutes details. It adheres to the aesthetic that Frank Ockenfels III told Pop Photo years ago about digital being too sharp. On top of that, it adds more gorgeous lens flare. If that isn’t enough, it also tints the images a shade of purplish pink. They call it rose! And be warned that your camera might try to compensate for it, so I’d recommend locking your white balance to Daylight 5200K.

The Prism FX Rose Filter is a unique lens filter that the younger me would’ve scoffed at. How little did I know the Japanese camera industry would absolutely gut the charm in lenses. Back then, around 2009, lenses were gearing up to be even more clinically clean. And today, over a decade later, that mission is still in full effect. Manufacturers show us MTF charts we care nothing for, and you’re encouraged to edit your photos for hours on end. For a few years now, I’ve been saying that all these lenses look the same. And this filter is giving them the sparkle and dazzle they’ve so desperately needed.

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Mind you, Mr. Ockenfel’s quote is pretty much why I bought this filter. And if you’ve followed this blog for some time, you know that a while ago, we went on a mission to review every single Sigma prime lens on the market. To date, we’ve got the most complete guide of any standing publication. But we’ve also stated that their lenses are super clinical with barely any character. And that’s why I bought the Prism FX Rose Filter: to specifically keep it mounted to my Sigma 24-70mm f2.8 Art DG DN lens. Let me tell you, it’s made a world of difference.

HED research is opening new frontiers in materials science research. Researchers have developed new capabilities for measuring the basic properties of matter, such as the equation of state (EOS) at the highest pressures ever achieved in a controlled laboratory experiment.

Again, it’s really nice at cutting out all the excess details and adding in character. But what’s most entertaining is using this filter with a daylight white balance in Tungsten lighting like what you see above. There’s more though!

“From microjoules to megajoules and kilobars to gigabars: Probing matter at extreme states of deformation,” Physics of Plasmas, September 17, 2015

Here’s what that looks like with a bit less lens flare, the details are still soft and muted. And here’s what it looks like when combined with a Spektrem Effects Light Speed Filter.

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I personally think photography hit peak lens with the Zeiss Milvus lineup of glass. The images were clean, sharp, and yet there was character. The lenses had micro-contrast and lens flare was easy to obtain. Plus, there were fantastic colors. But Zeiss has more or less left the photo-industry in favor of the cinema world where folks spend money on their products. After seeing Zeiss create the Otus lineup, the Japanese manufacturers obsessed over getting clinically better lenses. And they succeeded, therefore wiping the soul and character out of lenses.

NIF experiments are highly diagnosed to provide unprecedented insights into HED systems, and are complemented by other experimental facilities at LLNL and elsewhere.