Filter names?

Uncle Chichi · May 11, 2020

Can anyone point me in the direction on a good source to learn about filter names / codes?

I can see that names have changed through the years. What's now a #8 used to be a K2, etc – I even have a filter that's labeled as Y(K2). Perhaps different manufacturers or countries possibly had / have their own labeling system as well?

The question has come up because I'm currently looking for a green filter and I came across a Yashica G1, and I honestly don't know what that is! I can assume that it's the same as a #11...? I've also seen green filters coded as PO1, and I wonder if that's the same filter under a third name.

Is there someplace that might serve as a definitive info source on this weird and wily topic?

Dennis-B · May 11, 2020

Here's a page from the B&H web site, that provides descriptions and some codes for filters. Also are two more sites which have great explanations:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/buying-guide/a-guide-to-filters-for-lenses

https://www.amateurphotographer.co.uk/technique/filters-explained-2538

https://photographylife.com/lens-filters-explained

Uncle Chichi · May 11, 2020

Thanks Dennis, but unfortunately none of those links have the info that I'm searching for.

Perhaps my issue is limited to black and white filters, where the naming seems sort of insane and inconsistent.

macfred · May 11, 2020

The B+W Filter Handbook is about the B+W made filters and their codes but lot of their filters have a second code / descripton you will find on other branded filters.
https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1x9LZAkTES.pdf

Bill Burk · May 11, 2020

macfred that’s nice but doesn’t have the old terms K K2 etc... let me see if I have anything from Kodak or other

Billy Axeman · May 11, 2020

Filter factor - Wratten and other designations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filter_factor

Nikon filters
http://nicovandijk.net/filters.htm

Bill Burk · May 11, 2020

Here’s some practical info on a few of the filters

macfred · May 11, 2020

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wratten_number

Bill Burk · May 11, 2020

Wikipedia has 11 mislabeled it is X1 in two of my Kodak sources including publication B-3 and they show X0 on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article has a blank in number 13 which is X2... if nobody else fixes this I will sign in and make the corrections

reddesert · May 11, 2020

Something that helps is that sometimes long-pass filters have a two digit number after their letter code. For example from the Nikon filter listing, L39 skylight, Y44 Y48 Y52 yellow, O56 orange, R60 red.

For these filters (and only for long-pass filters), the number is roughly the cutoff wavelength in 10s of nanometers. So an L39 filter blocks light blueward of 390 nm, a Y48 yellow filter blocks light blueward of 480 nm, and so on. This doesn't work for green filters, warming/cooling filters etc as those don't have hard long-pass cutoffs.

Uncle Chichi · May 12, 2020

macfred said:
The B+W Filter Handbook is about the B+W made filters and their codes but lot of their filters have a second code / descripton you will find on other branded filters.
https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/C1x9LZAkTES.pdf

Oh wow, this is very helpful! I've found the B+W website to quite lacking in practical info so your link is an excellent overall resource! Thanks!!

Uncle Chichi · May 12, 2020

reddesert said:
Something that helps is that sometimes long-pass filters have a two digit number after their letter code. For example from the Nikon filter listing, L39 skylight, Y44 Y48 Y52 yellow, O56 orange, R60 red.

For these filters (and only for long-pass filters), the number is roughly the cutoff wavelength in 10s of nanometers. So an L39 filter blocks light blueward of 390 nm, a Y48 yellow filter blocks light blueward of 480 nm, and so on. This doesn't work for green filters, warming/cooling filters etc as those don't have hard long-pass cutoffs.

See, it's the "sometimes" that I find confusing!

Uncle Chichi · May 12, 2020

Bill Burk said:
View attachment 246028 Here’s some practical info on a few of the filters

View attachment 246029

Totally helpful, thank you Bill!

Uncle Chichi · May 12, 2020

macfred said:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wratten_number

This is a really helpful link for me, thanks! But what I find confounding is how different manufacturers may use their own naming systems.

My question was initially sparked by this eBay link for a Yashica green "G1". I would guess that G1 would be Yashica's version of Wratten's X1, although to my extremely untrained eye, it looks closer to X0.

Just now I came across this interesting list of how different manufacturers named their black and white filters: http://www.dofmaster.com/bw_filters.html Depending on the company, it seems that the equivalent of a Wratten X1 may be called any of the following: Green, Light Green, G, G-1, Green 1, GR-4... Ay yi yi...

Uncle Chichi · May 12, 2020

Bill Burk said:
View attachment 246030 Wikipedia has 11 mislabeled it is X1 in two of my Kodak sources including publication B-3 and they show X0 on Wikipedia. The Wikipedia article has a blank in number 13 which is X2... if nobody else fixes this I will sign in and make the corrections

That's a helpful list of discontinued designations. What book is that page from?

Mr Bill · May 12, 2020

Uncle Chichi said:
That's a helpful list of discontinued designations. What book is that page from?

I've been in the Kodak Filter Handbook, pub B-3, enough to recognize that layout. (Must be a fairly old copy to have a no. 6 filter listed)

https://www.amazon.com/KODAK-Photog...s=Kodak+filter+handbook&qid=1589292419&sr=8-1

Uncle Chichi · May 15, 2020

For anyone who might have this same question in the future, I thought I would share this (IMHO) extremely helpful listing of older manufacturers' filter designations. I'm not sure where it's taken from as I found it posted without attribution.

For the record, depending on the manufacturer, G-1 = 11 = Green = Green 1 = Pale Green = Light Green = Yellow-Green. And just to stand out from the crowd, the folks at Harrison & Harrison called it a GR-4. No wonder I've been so confused!

Filter names?

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