Filters for B&W Film

hortense · Jan 22, 2006

My 4x4 inch gel filters need replacement. I would be interested in what fellow APUG members have found are the minimum needed (or what they use most). My kit contained Pale Yellow No. 8, Yellow No. 15, Orange No. 21, Red No. 25, Deep Red No. 29, and Yellow-Green No.11.

NikoSperi · Jan 22, 2006

Yellow 8, red 25, and orange... Lee resin.

eumenius · Jan 22, 2006

A green one, if possible - for foliage and portraits on high-speed films that are too red-sensitive... and maybe a light cyan, if available, for portraits also and to accent the misty weather.

Peter De Smidt · Jan 22, 2006

The only filter I regularly use is a yellow-green Tokina HMC filter. Well, I do tend to have UV filters on all of my lenses for protection, but I usually take them off for exposure.

rbarker · Jan 22, 2006

For me, "minimum" would be a 25 red (if I had to choose just one filter). But, I regularly use a 15 yellow, a yellow-green (for people in landscapes), a green (to adjust foliage tone), and an 89b for IR film. NDs are handy, too.

I thought I'd use a #8 yellow, and the 21 orange, so I bought them in several sizes. They almost never get used, however.

Lee Shively · Jan 22, 2006

I really like a 6x neutral density filter. I'm also considering a 10x ND. I agree with your other choices.

Robert Budding · Jan 22, 2006

I often use a B+W MRC yellow-green filter. Great for both landscapes and skin tones.

wildbill · Jan 22, 2006

orange 21, yellow 12, red 29 rather than the 25, nd9

steve simmons · Jan 22, 2006

#12 med yellow
#16 med orange
#21 light red
#23a med red
#11 light yellow green
#13 light green

I always meter through my filters. The #s 11, 16, 21 have an additional factor of one stop beyond what the meter says, the 23a and 25 has a two stop increase beyond what the meter says

steve simmons

Shawn Dougherty · Jan 22, 2006

I don't use filters at the moment. I've been shooting large format for a year and a half now and have tried to keep things simple. So far I've been able to manage contrast with development and careful exposures. Now that I feel comfortable with my equipment and process I plan on adding a basic filter kit. Based on my experience with filters in the 35mm format I'll probably use Red, Green, Yellow and ND filters. Anything more would become counterproductive for me. To paraphrase Brett, photography at it's core is complicated enough so keeping your equipment as simple as possible allows you to really master what you do use and keep focused on the seeing. Best of luck. Shawn

Claire Senft · Jan 22, 2006

Hortense, I think that you have a good basic set. A polariser may also be a good idea. I think that checking out the 4x4 Optiflex filters @ b&h may be a good idea. I have never used them myself. They are a very thin resin costing $35-$45 USD each in 4x4 that are supposed to offer very good optical quality and better durability than polyester.

jeroldharter · Jan 22, 2006

I like your kit + a polarizer and ND of some sort. I have an 8x.

I use step up rings on the lenses so that all of the circular filters are the same size (67 mm). I have some Lee filters also but I think that the resin scratches more easily and the rings, holders, etc are much more bulky.

NikoSperi · Jan 23, 2006

Lee Shively said:
I really like a 6x neutral density filter. I'm also considering a 10x ND. I agree with your other choices.

Lee,
What 6x ND are you using. I've been looking for someone that makes a 1.8 and up ND to slide into a Lee filter holder.

hortense · Jan 23, 2006

Additional Factor

steve simmons said:
#12 med yellow
#16 med orange
#21 light red
#23a med red
#11 light yellow green
#13 light green

I always meter through my filters. The #s 11, 16, 21 have an additional factor of one stop beyond what the meter says, the 23a and 25 has a two stop increase beyond what the meter says

steve simmons

Am I kidding myself? My Pentax Zone VI color corrected is supposed to correct this when reading through these filters.

steve simmons · Jan 23, 2006

I think, and I am not absolutely certain about this, that the corrections are not for the filtering but for the fact that black and white film is a little off when responding to such colors as green and blue. These recommended filter factors should be used even with your meter.

steve simmons

p krentz · Jan 23, 2006

It sounds like you have the one's you will need. Pat

Filters for B&W Film

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