Filtration Types Explained

While lens colour often attracts the most attention, the filtration design plays an equally important role in how a lens performs.

Solid Filtration

Solid filtration uses a consistent filter throughout the entire lens.  Because the filtration remains uniform from edge to edge, the sight picture stays stable and predictable regardless of where you’re looking through the lens. This makes solid filtration the most popular choice for general clay shooting, game shooting and competition use.
What this means in use is it provides a consistent visual experience across the entire lens and performs exceptionally well when lighting conditions remain relatively stable.

Progressive Filtration

Progressive filtration gradually changes from one part of the lens to another, typically becoming darker towards the top of the lens and lighter towards the bottom.  This helps manage situations where the brightness of the sky differs significantly from the ground or background.
This can provide greater flexibility when shooting targets at varying elevations or when dealing with changing light throughout a round.

CGR (Contrast Gradient Resolution)

CGR is an advanced filtration design developed to balance brightness, contrast and colour separation across the lens.  Rather than focusing on a single lighting condition, CGR aims to deliver a highly adaptable sight picture across a broader range of environments.
This is particularly useful when conditions are inconsistent and shooters require a lens capable of maintaining contrast and target definition throughout the day.

Understanding Pilla Lens Names

At first glance, Pilla lens names can appear complex. However, they follow a logical structure that provides useful information about the lens.

Light Transmission

The number at the beginning of the lens name refers to the approximate percentage of visible light transmitted through the lens.

As a general rule:

• Lower numbers (approximately 7–25) are designed for bright sunlight.
• Mid-range numbers (approximately 26–55) are suited to mixed or variable light.
• Higher numbers (approximately 56+) are designed for diminishing light, overcast conditions and indoor shooting.

For example:

• 12CIBB transmits approximately 12% of visible light and is intended for bright conditions.
• 44CMX sits in the middle of the range and is suited to moderate lighting.
• 92CIL is designed for very low-light and indoor environments.

Selecting the appropriate transmission level is one of the most important factors when choosing a lens.

Understanding the Letters

The letters following the transmission value identify the technologies and filtration profiles incorporated into the lens. Common examples include:

• C – Chromashift
• I – Infra Red
• ED – Enhanced Definition
• HC – High Contrast
• MX – Max Orange
• N – Neutraliser

However, lens names should not always be interpreted one letter at a time.  Some letter combinations represent specific lens profiles rather than individual technologies. Examples include:

• MOS – Max Orange Series
• GP – Ghost Pepper

As a result, lens names are best viewed as model identifiers that describe the overall lens profile rather than a simple collection of individual technologies.

Lens Technologies Explained

All modern Pilla lenses incorporate ICE technology as standard, providing advanced coating performance for everyday use. The coating helps repel water, oil and debris while reducing fogging and maintaining optical clarity in challenging conditions.In addition to ICE, Pilla lenses use a range of proprietary technologies to influence colour recognition, contrast enhancement and overall visual performance.

Chromashift technology selectively enhances specific colours within the visual spectrum to help targets stand out more clearly against their surroundings.Rather than simply increasing colour saturation, Chromashift is designed to improve colour separation and target recognition while maintaining a natural sight picture.

Infra Red™ (I)

Infra Red technology enhances colour richness and visual intensity across the image.The result is a more vibrant sight picture with improved colour perception and greater visual depth, particularly in bright or visually complex environments.

Enhanced Definition (ED)

Enhanced Definition lenses focus on clarity, sharpness and image resolution.These lenses provide excellent detail recognition and depth perception while maintaining a balanced and natural colour profile.

High Contrast (HC)

High Contrast technology increases separation between the target and the background. It helps shooters maintain target visibility against cluttered, busy or variable backgrounds where targets might otherwise blend into their surroundings.

Max Orange (MX)

Max Orange technology boosts orange and pink tones within the visual spectrum to make targets stand out more clearly. By increasing target visibility and colour separation, MX lenses help shooters acquire targets faster and track them more confidently.

Neutraliser (N)

Neutraliser technology suppresses dominant green backgrounds such as trees, foliage and grass. By reducing the visual impact of surrounding greenery, it helps targets stand out more clearly and improves both target separation and visual comfort in woodland environments.

Understanding Lens Colours

While filtration technology determines how a lens manages light and contrast, lens colour also contributes to the overall visual experience.  Different colour families are often associated with different shooting environments and visual objectives.It’s important to note that lens colour alone does not determine how a lens performs.  The combination of light transmission, filtration type and underlying technologies has a much greater influence on the final visual result than colour alone.

Brown & Amber

Brown and amber lenses control glare and maintain natural colour balance in bright conditions. They deliver a comfortable, balanced sight picture and excel in open environments, bright sunlight and high-glare situations.

Orange & Red

Orange and red lenses maximise target visibility and increase separation against open backgrounds. They help shooters acquire targets quickly and confidently, making them a popular choice for sporting clays and other disciplines where target recognition speed is critical.

Purple & Pink

Purple and pink lenses suppress dominant green backgrounds and increase target separation in woodland environments. They help orange and pink targets stand out more clearly against foliage and often work particularly well when paired with Neutraliser technologies.

Green

Green lenses enhance contrast in flat light and challenging visual conditions while maintaining a calm, comfortable sight picture. They perform particularly well against certain target colours and help prevent targets from appearing washed out in overcast conditions.

Yellow & Clear

Yellow and clear lenses maximise brightness in very low-light, indoor and specialised shooting environments. They allow the greatest amount of light to reach the eye, helping maintain target visibility when natural light levels are limited.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What do the numbers in Pilla lens names mean?
A: The number in a Pilla lens name represents the approximate percentage of visible light transmitted through the lens. Lower numbers are darker lenses designed for bright conditions, while higher numbers allow more light through and are suited to low-light environments.

Q: What is lens filtration?
A: Lens filtration refers to how a lens manages light, colour and contrast. Different filtration types influence how targets appear against their background and can significantly affect visual performance.

Q: What is the difference between Solid, Progressive and CGR filtration?
A: Solid filtration uses a consistent filter across the entire lens. Progressive filtration changes from top to bottom, while CGR uses an advanced gradient design intended to balance contrast, brightness and adaptability.

Q: What does Chromashift technology do?
A: Chromashift selectively enhances specific colours to improve target visibility and colour separation without creating an unnatural sight picture.

Q: What does Neutraliser technology do?
A: Neutraliser technology suppresses green backgrounds such as trees and foliage, helping targets stand out more clearly in woodland environments.

Q: What is the difference between Standard Outlaw and Outlaw Vista lenses?
A: Outlaw Vista lenses use a larger panoramic lens design and incorporate LIVE technology, providing increased coverage, a wider field of view and a more immersive visual experience.

Q: Are all Pilla lenses compatible with both X6 and X7 platforms?
A: No. Compatibility depends on the lens family. Some lens families are available across both platforms, while others are specific to either the X6 or X7 system.

Q: Where can I learn more about Vista, Razor and Top Gun lenses?
A: Visit our Lens Family Guide found here, which explains the differences between Standard Outlaw, Outlaw Vista, Razor and Top Gun lens platforms.

Q: Can I build a custom Pilla lens package?
A: Yes. Our Pilla Bundle Configurator found here allows you to create a customised lens package tailored to your shooting style, preferred platform and typical shooting conditions.

Q: How do I choose the right Pilla lens?
A: The best lens depends on your shooting environment, lighting conditions, target presentation and personal visual preferences. The lens charts above provide a useful starting point for comparing the available options.