Lee 261

Overview

Lee 261 is a diffusion filter (diffusion film/fabric) from the manufacturer LEE Filters and is officially designated Tough Spun FR – Full. It is the full (strongest) grade in the Tough Spun range, a non-yellowing, flame-retardant spun polyester fleece. Unlike classic frost or opal films, Tough Spun diffuses light not through a matte surface, but through the fiber structure of the material.

It is characterized by the material strongly scattering light and softening shadows while largely maintaining the directional character of the light beam. Thus, Tough Spun occupies an intermediate position between pure fill light and hard, clearly directed lighting.

Technical Data

The values correspond to the manufacturer's specifications from LEE Filters for the full grade (261):

Lee 261, like other lighting filters, is offered as individual sheets and in rolls. Within the Tough Spun family, there are graduated strengths for finer control, including 263 (1/2 Tough Spun), 264 (3/8), 265 (1/4), and 229 (1/4), as well as glass variants (e.g., 215 Half Tough Spun Glass).

Set Usage

Lee 261 is typically stretched directly in front of the light source – on barndoors, in a filter frame, or on a frame – to break up hard spotlights. The full grade provides strong diffusion and is used when soft shadows are desired but the light should still maintain a direction.

• Softening hard key shadows in actor and interview lighting.
• Mitigating highlights and reflections on faces and glossy surfaces.
• Enlarging the apparent light source for a softer light image.

Since the light loss for the full grade is around two stops, more light output needs to be factored into exposure and power planning. For finer control of diffusion, weaker grades in the same series are used.