Lee 205

Overview

LEE 205 is a lighting filter (color gel) from the British manufacturer LEE Filters, designated Half C.T. Orange (short: Half CTO). It is a conversion filter from the CTO family, which lowers the color temperature of a light source, making the light warmer (more orange). The designation "Half" indicates half the correction strength compared to a full CTO (LEE 204); weaker gradations in the same series include 1/4 CTO (LEE 206) and 1/8 CTO (LEE 223).

In set and studio work, the filter is used to match daylight sources (daylight HMI, LEDs in daylight mode, or incident sunlight/sky light) to the warmer light mood of artificial light (tungsten) or to intentionally create a warm look.

Technical Data

The filter lowers the color temperature by approximately half the full CTO correction. The following values are from the manufacturer's specifications by LEE Filters:

The filter is made of heat-resistant polyester and is available as a sheet as well as in various roll widths.

Use on Set

The primary application is color temperature conversion: stretched in front of a daylight source, the Half CTO partially matches it to artificial light. Because it is half strength, it is particularly suitable where a full CTO would be too strong and would make the image too warm, for example, when subtly warming up daylight LEDs or when mixing mixed lighting situations.

• Matching daylight HMI or daylight LEDs to warmer tungsten moods
• Subtle warming of window light or sky light for a friendlier appearance
• Fine-tuning color temperature in mixed lighting situations when full CTO would be too intense

The gel is typically stretched in a filter frame or clamped directly in front of the light source (e.g., on the barndoors). Like all lighting gels, it should be mounted with a distance from the lamp and not directly on hot bulbs to avoid heat damage.