High Quality Blue and Green Filters

Jarin Blaschke · Nov 27, 2016

Hi there:

Does anyone know if there is some secret way to source blue and green filters that are of better quality than Tiffen? They tend to cloud up, require constant cleaning and I sometimes question their working clarity. Meanwhile, my red and orange filters from B+W are far superior as far as repelling water and residue, cleaning and precision of lens threads. However, B+W doesn't seem to make blue or green filters for black and white, colors I really need for my still life and portrait work. Is there a secret special order department, or another manufacturer of those filters of equal quality to B+W?

-Jarin

Leigh B · Nov 27, 2016

Heliopan

- Leigh

Jarin Blaschke · Nov 27, 2016

Hm. Heliopan doesn't seem to offer green or blue either.

For green, my choices so far seem to be between Tiffen and Formatt Hitech. Can I expect the latter to be any better as far as repelling haze, oil and dirt in the field? They are priced similarly.

-Jarin

Leigh B · Nov 27, 2016

Faced with a choice of Tiffen, I would buy used B+W or Heliopan.

B+W does (did) make both green and blue filters.
I have green in their fancy high-priced series in both 67mm and 82mm sizes, bought from B&H.

- Leigh

shutterfinger · Nov 27, 2016

have you considered?
http://www.leefilters.com/

Leigh B · Nov 27, 2016

shutterfinger said:
have you considered?
http://www.leefilters.com/

They're at least as good as the cellophane off a loaf of bread.

- Leigh

Patrick Robert James · Nov 27, 2016

You might want to state exactly what you are looking for.

Steve Goldstein · Nov 27, 2016

Hoya still offer multicoated X0 (yellow-green) and X1 (green) filters in most of the popular round sizes, check B+H. You'll have to watch eBay for used B+W filters - 060 is yellow-green, 061 is green, and 081 is blue.

AgX · Nov 27, 2016

Heliopan still got 7 contrast filters on their "current" listing. Plus both 2 Greens to be sold out. Blue is gone.

Fellow member macfred yesterday hinted at this source for blue filters:
https://www.fotologisch.com/b-w-fotofilter/b-w-schwarzweissfilter/b-w-schwarzweissfilter-raritaeten

DREW WILEY · Nov 28, 2016

You need to be more specific. Medium green and light green are available from a number of manufacturers. I use multicoated Hoyas like Steve just
mentioned. Blue is going to be a problem, though you can easily acquire coated 82-series filters for color-balancing tungsten light to daylight which are conspicuously blue. If you're talking about hard blue like 47 and 47B color separation filters, or equivalently deep 58 green, you're going to have to go with either Tiffen or gels. I don't know why you'd want something that strong. I personally prefer hard multicoating rather than soft like B&W uses. Yeah, Tiffens are annoying because they have to be constantly cleaned of atmospheric smudging. But you have to give them credit for a huge selection.

Jarin Blaschke · Nov 28, 2016

Ideally, strong filters like 47 blue and a 56 or 58 green. I like to abstract still lifes, add a lot of texture to skin tones and increase atmospheric haze sometimes. For example, I used a 47 blue for these:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/18192666@N00/23684370984/in/datetaken-public/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/18192666@N00/18477399810/in/datetaken-public/

I'm just tired of the Tiffen haze that accumulates- I'm never completely sure that it's clear and sharp, especially now that it's a bit older. I want a good filter, that may cost more, that lasts and with which I can use quickly with confidence that it's clear and clean. Does anyone know the written equivalent of the Hoya X1 filter?

J

David Lindquist · Nov 28, 2016

Formatt Hitech makes both number 47 and number 58 filters (as well as a lot of the other Wratten numbers). B&H carries these. Don't know how they are in repelling water and residue. What size do you need? The Formatt Hitech 95mm filters I've seen have a thread pitch of 0.75mm while the Tiffen, Heliopan and B+W 95mm filters have a thread pitch of 1.0mm.
David

Doremus Scudder · Nov 29, 2016

Tiffen glass filters are made with optical glass, just not coated like B+H, Heliopan, Hoya, etc. I don't see why they should haze over more than a coated filter though...

As Drew mentions, Tiffen is often the only choice for glass filters in certain colors. I'd clean carefully and just use them. If they look clear, they are. My #58 and #47 filters are Tiffen; most of my others are B+H and Heliopan.

Best,

Doremus

DREW WILEY · Nov 29, 2016

Tiffens filters are typically a colored thermoplastic film sandwiched between two sheet of glass. I sometimes use deep blue and green Tiffen tricolor
filters for split printing using a blue-green cold light on one of my 8x10 enlargers, as well as for either extreme subject filtration in the field using
8x10 panchromatic film, or for simply slowing down the exposure dramatically, much like a neutral density filter. The 47 or 47B also render a highly atmospheric look with open shadows, much like old time blue-sensitive plates. Of course, 8x10 film doesn't need to be enlarged much to achieve
a relatively big print itself. But with smaller formats, I really prefer true multicoated glass filters of the highest quality. If you do select Tiffen, keep
a good microfiber lens cloth handy, because its plain glass does smudge, retain dirt, and especially condense moisture easily, fogging up. And you will obviously need to shade your lens well too.

Sirius Glass · Nov 29, 2016

That is what we need ===> self cleaning filters. I gotta git me some of dem.

Siriusly I tend to look to Heliopan, Hasselblad, and B&W first. If I cannot find those, I look at the other brands.

jeffreyg · Nov 29, 2016

Has anyone tried (perhaps on an old non essential filter) something like RainX for windshields?

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Sirius Glass · Nov 29, 2016

jeffreyg said:
Has anyone tried (perhaps on an old non essential filter) something like RainX for windshields?

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

Yes and it works well.

Doremus Scudder · Nov 30, 2016

Astronomers use a #58 eyepiece filter commonly. You can get 1 1/2" and 2" sizes from telescope optics companies like Lumicon and Levenhuk. I see a 4" square Kodak Wratten glass #58 up on eBay at the moment too. Kodak Wratten gels come up regularly as well used. These would all need to be adapted somehow.

If you want the convenience of screw-in sizes for #58 and #47 filters, it seem that Tiffen is the only resource left.

Best,

Doremus

Jarin Blaschke · Dec 3, 2016

Ok, so it seems that Tiffen and Formatt HiTech are my only two choices for new, strong blue and green filters.

Any opinions of one versus another. For my big new lens, it seems that it's more than $300 either way.

J

AgX · Dec 3, 2016

You still can custom order off-the-shelf organic filters (dyed gelatin/plastic) which then are laminated between glass and set in threaded ring.

The same for mineral filters (glass) as long as the manufacturer still has the respective pane on stock.

Mineral filter glass of all sorts is still made. Only due to low request the filter manufacturers are phasing out certain production runs.

jeffreyg · Dec 3, 2016

Just a follow up on Rain-x. I just applied it to a filter (Hoya hmc) that I don't use ... just in case . It seems to work very well. Crystal clear, fog from breathing on it clears immediately, and touching with clean dry fingers didn't cause a smudge . If I can find an old filter that has a defective surface I'll see if it restores it in any way.

http://www.jeffreyglasser.com/

AgX · Dec 3, 2016

I got one ore two of these filters with modern coatings with inherent repellant. I find them terrrible.
The classic anti-reflection coatings are easily to clean with cleaner, leaving a perfect surface. The modern ones though then result in smear at least in reflected viewing, leaving you unsure about the cleaning effect.

Before you blame me, I bought these out of the rummage box, thus did not know in advance of any repellant coating or whatever.

High Quality Blue and Green Filters

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