Filters for B&W Telephoto Photography

Arthurwg · Jun 19, 2018

I've recently acquired a 350mm CF Tele-Tessar lens for my Hasselblad and I'm wondering which filters to use for B&W landscapes. According to Freytag, "With nearly all long-distance shots a red filter is advisable." Is this true? And what about yellow or orange filters? Will one or the other produce the sharpest results? I did shoot my 120mm CFi lens at infinity last month using an orange filter and I was very pleasantly surprised at how sharp those pictures were, even though that lens is optomized for closer distances.

Slixtiesix · Jun 20, 2018

A red filter diminishes atmospheric haze, thus improving sharpness. A yellow or orange filter will do the same to a lesser extent respectively and they are sufficient in most cases. I would not recommend using a red filter under all conditions because the side effect (harsh contrast, altered tonality) can be really extreme.

AgX · Jun 20, 2018

Another issue is the chromatic aberration of really large FL lenses, especially those just with plain achromats.

JPD · Jun 20, 2018

I would use a dark yellow (Wratten #15) or a yellow-orange (like B+W 040). They will cut through haze well, especially the yellow-orange filter, without making the contrast and sky looking unnatural. A red-orange, like #22 should be fine too, without feeling too extreme.

Arthurwg said:
I did shoot my 120mm CFi lens at infinity last month using an orange filter and I was very pleasantly surprised at how sharp those pictures were, even though that lens is optomized for closer distances.

You can see the effect by looking through the filter as well. Dark yellow and orange filters are great for landscapes! But be aware that they will make light-skinned people look very pale. For lush gardens I would use a yellow-green filter for the "summery" effect.

Arthurwg · Jun 20, 2018

Yellow-Green is my favorite filter for landscapes in the Southwest where I live. I have a B60 Y-G but need 93mm drop-in for the Tele-Tessar.

Sirius Glass · Jun 21, 2018

I have many B60 filters for my Hasselblads. I use KR 1.5 Skylight filters on all my lenses unless I want enhance the clouds with a Yellow, Orange, Red [rarely] or Ia Polarizer.

BradS · Jun 22, 2018

The B+W yellow-orange (040) and yellow-green (060) are by far my two most used filters for black and white contrast enhancement. I'd use the yellow-orange to cut through haze.

David Allen · Jun 22, 2018

When I used to do large format natural landscapes with various focal length lenses I found the most effective filter to use was a Wratten 12 (Minus Blue) filter.

This only costs you one stop but gives an effect similar to a deep red (which can cost you 3+ stops) and also gives, in my opinion, a more natural rendering of scenes that are at a distance and subject to haze.

Unlike other yellow filters (which, depending upon shade of yellow, block visible wavelengths between 395nm - 470nm), the Wratten 12 blocks visible wavelengths below 500nm and comes close to the red (which blocks below 585nm).

If you look at 'Examples: The Making of 40 Photographs' by Ansel Adams, you will find that a number of images that you would think were made using a deep red filter were actually made with the Wratten 12 (Minus Blue) filter.

Bests,

David.
www.dsallen.de

Arthurwg · Jun 22, 2018

All good advice. But for the 350mm Tele-Tessar I need a 93mm drop-in filter that fits the lens hood, not easy to come by. I do have yellow, orange and red for this lens.

GLS · Jun 23, 2018

A polariser will also reduce haze without altering the B&W tonality nearly as much as a red filter.

Sirius Glass · Jun 23, 2018

GLS said:
A polariser will also reduce haze without altering the B&W tonality nearly as much as a red filter.

Depending on the relative location of the sun.

GLS · Jun 24, 2018

GLS said:
A polariser will also reduce haze without altering the B&W tonality nearly as much as a red filter.

True. A good deal of landscape photographs will make use of side lighting though.

Filters for B&W Telephoto Photography

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