Good b&w film for green filter use

[Malinku]

I've been shooting my stock of fuji neopan 400 and really liking the look it gives me with a green filter. I've done a lot of my current landscape work this way. I'm wondering what in production film go well with a green filter.

 

[Gerald C Koch]

You will have to look at the spectral sensitivity curves for each possible candidate. But in general any panchromatic film would work. I would avoid those with extended red sensitivity. Orthochromatic films have essentially their own built in green filter so advantage there. Unless I am misinterpreting your question I think you are looking for something special that just isn't there.

 

[Malinku]

You will have to look at the spectral sensitivity curves for each possible candidate. But in general any panchromatic film would work. I would avoid those with extended red sensitivity. Orthochromatic films have essentially their own built in green filter so advantage there. Unless I am misinterpreting your question I think you are looking for something special that just isn't there.

I think I'm just mainly looking for another panchromatic film that molds well with a wide range of filter. It does not have to have the same look of fuji neopan 400 just panchromatic.

 

[DREW WILEY]

Basically, any panchromatic film. You've got a lot to choose from. Just don't use Fuji ACROS because it is not truly panchromatic but orthopanchromatic (maybe the only such film on the market right now), so it's already more sensitive to green than most films, and any additional green filter might be over the top.

 

[pentaxuser]

It would be interesting to see a series of prints from the same scene in the same light conditions using a green filter and different films. Other than the point made by Drew I doubt if the rest of the "normal" panchromatic films would show any discernible difference but I don't know.

I cannot recall ever having seen such a test in any forum or any B&W book. A green filter's function is to render difference in colours in scenes that benefit from being able to see such differences.

I don't believe there is a general "green filter look" provided by certain films that is best for all scenes such that keeping a green filter on the lens at all times is the way to go

pentaxuser

 

[Malinku]

Is there a list of the currently produced panchromatic films? Can't seem to find a good list of them.
This info has been found.

 

[Bill Burk]

You will have to look at the spectral sensitivity curves for each possible candidate. But in general any panchromatic film would work. I would avoid those with extended red sensitivity.

I agree with you that you would look at the spectral sensitivity curves.

In chapter XVI The Spectral Sensitivity of Emulsions from...

"Principles of Photographic Reproduction" by Carl W. Miller, Ph.D, A.R.P.S - New York The Macmillan Company - October 1942

Filters are explained as an effort to reproduce luminosity of colored objects as the eye would see it. Since our eyes' sensitive peaks in yellow-green and falls off towards blue and red, a yellow filter is used to reduce the blue and violet where panchromatic film is "more" sensitive than the eye.

"In the case of Type C films, the excess sensitivity to red calls also for substantial deductions in this region of the spectrum if red objects are not to appear too light. When red as well as blue is taken out from white light, the visual sensation produced by the residue is green. This, then, is the reason for the green filters which are so widely used with Type C emulsions."

So an extended red sensitive film would be what the green filter is intended for.

Ilford's SFX-200 seems like a good choice. (Even if it's not exactly Type C panchromatic, it's a good choice of film if you want to experiment with what a Type C panchromatic film acts like).

Interestingly, Ilford doesn't mention using a green filter

I think Ilford probably doesn't mention it because SFX-200 is a special purpose film, and using a green filter effectively turns it into a normal film. (Sort of defeats the purpose)...

But... I think it's the film that a green filter is meant to be used for.

p.s. I always use green filters to accentuate foliage in nature photography. There's plenty of explanations how green filters are meant for portraiture where the subject is male.

 

[removed account4]

I agree with you that you would look at the spectral sensitivity curves.

In chapter XVI The Spectral Sensitivity of Emulsions from...

"Principles of Photographic Reproduction" by Carl W. Miller, Ph.D, A.R.P.S - New York The Macmillan Company - October 1942

Filters are explained as an effort to reproduce luminosity of colored objects as the eye would see it. Since our eyes' sensitive peaks in yellow-green and falls off towards blue and red, a yellow filter is used to reduce the blue and violet where panchromatic film is "more" sensitive than the eye.

"In the case of Type C films, the excess sensitivity to red calls also for substantial deductions in this region of the spectrum if red objects are not to appear too light. When red as well as blue is taken out from white light, the visual sensation produced by the residue is green. This, then, is the reason for the green filters which are so widely used with Type C emulsions."

So an extended red sensitive film would be what the green filter is intended for.

Ilford's SFX-200 seems like a good choice. (Even if it's not exactly Type C panchromatic, it's a good choice of film if you want to experiment with what a Type C panchromatic film acts like).

Interestingly, Ilford doesn't mention using a green filter

I think Ilford probably doesn't mention it because SFX-200 is a special purpose film, and using a green filter effectively turns it into a normal film. (Sort of defeats the purpose)...

But... I think it's the film that a green filter is meant to be used for.

p.s. I always use green filters to accentuate foliage in nature photography. There's plenty of explanations how green filters are meant for portraiture where the subject is male.

extended red sensitivity , type c panchromatic ..
that makes sense i remember reading and then seeing a program
about a trick in hollywoodland where they used a green filter to make blemishes vanish
or seem less pronounced...

 

[Gerald C Koch]

The trouble with extended red sensitivity films is that a green filter is going to reduce the film speed. This may or may not be a problem.

 

[Malinku]

Interested in trying sfx-200 now. If I got time this weekend I'll pick up a roll and give it a test.

 

[Andrew O'Neill]

HP5-Plus.

 

[Trask]

This is an excellent topic -- I feel that filter use has greatly declined since I started in photography in the 1960's. Modern Photography or Popular Photography would often run articles on filter use. Bu perhaps that's just my perception, or I'm not looking at the right online forums.

 

[MartinCrabtree]

There's a Y52 Nikon filter on 50mm 1.4 Ais mounted to the F5. A fellow employee who's a "professional photographer" had the deer in the headlights look when I attempted to explain the why and what for of it. I was nice about it.

I am intrigued by the use of a green filter. What are situations where it would be beneficial?

 

[Bill Burk]

Ever since taking this picture (with a green filter), I always tried to keep a green filter handy.

 

[gone]

I agree, it's an area that is little understood. A simple filter change can make a dramatic change in a landscape or a portrait shot. Green whitens foilage a little too much for my tastes, so I once shot a 36 exp roll of film w/ a yellow, an orange, and a red filter to see which I preferred. I'm more of a yellow and red filter sort of guy I found out.

The differences in the look you got on each sample shot was quite apparent. Red didn't work so well for complexions, while orange sorta did. Often a green filter is good for that, depending on what sort of complexion you're shooting. Yellow filters bump the contrast up some and give a little darker sky (w/ clouds that have better definition), while red really gives more dramatic sky effects. If it wasn't for the 2-2.5 stop loss of light I'd keep a red filter screwed on all the time, but a yellow filter w/ 1 stop loss is a good compromise. I just have to remember that the beautiful yellow flower is going to be white w/ B&W film. It will appear to be a middle tonal value to my eyes, but not to the film w/ the yellow filter attached.

 

[JPD]

The Yellow-Green, or Rollei's Hellgrün (Light Green, that really is a light yellow-green) filter is one of my favourite filters with pan-films. It darkens the blue sky a little, gives the greens a more "summery" feeling, and skin looks more natural with little more detail compared to a yellow filter. It does nothing dramatic, so it's a great "allround" filter.

 

[Bill Burk]

JPD,

That yellow-green is, as I've recently been reading, the filter to use with "extended red sensitivity" panchromatic film (Type C). So it would be right for Ilford SFX200.

Green filters have often been touted as being useful for male portraiture. In conjunction with a Type C panchromatic film, and Tungsten light, I had an "a-ha" moment when I realized that when I look at how (caucasian) men like to see themselves, contrasted with (caucasian) women, the pale white look isn't a good look for a man. So the green filter is going to give more of a tanned look.

 

[pdeeh]

the pale white look isn't a good look for a man.

seemed to work ok for Marilyn Manson

 

[fdonadio]

seemed to work ok for Marilyn Manson

Depends on who you ask!

 

[JPD]

JPD,

That yellow-green is, as I've recently been reading, the filter to use with "extended red sensitivity" panchromatic film (Type C). So it would be right for Ilford SFX200.

I've had filters from the 1920's with the yellow-green one marked "Pan" and the yellow one marked "Pan-Ortho", so they were marketed as standard filters for those types of film. Maybe the early panchromatic films were a little too sensitive to red. And orthopan films today still "need" a yellow filter for more normal looking skies.

I haven't used SFX200, but I'm sure that caucasian skin would look better with a yellow-green filter on. Old Kodak Technical Pan was also a Type C superpanchromatic film and it felt like it had a built-in orange filter. I used a couple of rolls when I was in my early 20's and I didn't like the pale skin tones. I should have used my Rollei Hellgrün filter, but I was still learning and didn't know...

Green filters have often been touted as being useful for male portraiture. In conjunction with a Type C panchromatic film, and Tungsten light, I had an "a-ha" moment when I realized that when I look at how (caucasian) men like to see themselves, contrasted with (caucasian) women, the pale white look isn't a good look for a man. So the green filter is going to give more of a tanned look.

Yes, but in these days with the gender debates, just put on the filter and shoot without explaining why.

Yellow green is also good for outdoor group photos on pan film. The faces (of both males and females, of course) will be smaller on the print compared to a portrait, so the filter will bring out more details.

 

[JPD]

Yellow green filter with Ilford Pan F+.

 

[pentaxuser]

JPD, your picture illustrates your point very well. Excellent skin tones. In the past I tended to use no filters for outdoor people shots but I will now have to use my yellow-green filter more for people shots

Thanks

pentaxuser

 

[M Carter]

I'd thunk - for the OP - grab a few rolls and do some tests; may be the only way to find just what you want.

 

[dburian]

I backpack with a camera in the southwestern US, and use a #13 yellow-green to increase contrast in the red canyon walls. I'm shooting TMY to make up for the loss of film speed due to the filter factor. The same filter also works well when shooting pictographs on the red canyon walls.
Dennis