Ilford MG Filter Equivalents

[Monito]

As I posted in bvy's (there was a url link here which no longer exists) thread, I damaged an old #3 Ilford MG filter in the 6x6 inch (15x15 cm) above-the-condensers size. The center is usable, but ...

I have an even older set of Ilford MG filters. They go from 1 through 7 (seven filters) in single grade steps. The damaged filter is a member of a set of 12 filters that go from 00 through 5 in half grade steps.

What would be the nearest equivalent of the newer #3 (damaged) in the older filter set?

 

[L Gebhardt]

Given they have all probably faded the best way would be to test by printing a step wedge. Pick your replacement to fill in the gap between 2.5 and 3.5. That could also tell you if they should be replaced.

If you don't have a step wedge, just making a test strip without a negative can tell you contrast. Use f/stop timing, so each step is 1/2 a stop higher than the previous. 4s, 5.6, 8, 11, 16, etc. You can compare one strip to the next visually to rank their contrast ranges.

 

[Mike Wilde]

Flatten it, tape it up, and keep using it. I don't think it is a really big deal. that is unless you use a point source lamp, which are very rare these days.

Freestyle had individual 12" square Ilford MG filters on the shelf a fw months ago. I never even knew they were sold that way. They were like $20 or more, so I went with the Slavich (or was it branded Fomabron or something else Eastern European? nk) 6x6 in 5 steps MG filters for something like $35.