Light Yellow vs. Medium Yellow

david b · Oct 9, 2005

Since moving to NM about 6 years ago, I've pretty much left a light yellow filter on all of my lenses to increase contrast a bit.

But lately, I've been wondering about a medium yellow filter.

How much more contrast will it add?

Will I actually be able to see the difference?

MurrayMinchin · Oct 9, 2005

Hi David,

Here's an idea...take a fresh roll and take three exposures each of a normal contrast, a lower contrast, and higher contrast scenes. 1st exposure - no filter, 2nd exposure - light yellow filter, 3rd exposure - medium yellow filter. Process as nomal and contact print them on one sheet of paper. (Make critical choices after the contact sheet is dry). Use only one lens and keep aperture and shutter speeds near the middle of their ranges. That should give you the information you're looking for.

Murray

david b · Oct 9, 2005

Well, I have yet to buy the medium yellow filter so I was just looking for some experience from the apug community.

Nick Zentena · Oct 9, 2005

A mediums an #8. Odds are the two most common used filters in the world are an 8 and a 25. Ignoring UV filters.

PhotoJim · Oct 9, 2005

You'll get slightly darker skies and slightly more visible clouds, but the effect will be subtle. If you want a more obvious difference, try an orange filter. Even if you think it's too much of an increase, you'll find that for some subjects it is perfect. Red is the next step past orange.

Donald Miller · Oct 9, 2005

I have a light and medium yellow and I plan on using my orange more then either of those since I moved to Arizona.

A lot depends on what you want...as someone mentioned the effect of the change will be subtle.

MurrayMinchin · Oct 10, 2005

david b said:
Well, I have yet to buy the medium yellow filter so I was just looking for some experience from the apug community.

Sorry David...I should have read between the lines a bit better

Murray

André E.C. · Oct 10, 2005

The Nikon Y48 (Medium Yellow) is my standard filter, as stated before, the separation effect isn`t as strong as with an orange or red, but a lovely filter for that "normal" tonal rendering, it`s a good all around filter.
The difference between both yellow filters is minimal, the medium one giving you the edge by being slightly more contrasty.
Go ahead David, you can`t get it wrong!

Cheers

André

thefizz · Nov 9, 2005

Just did a search on Yellow filters and found this one. Do any of you know which of the Heliopan no. 5, 8, 12 & 15 yellow filters is closest to the Hoya K2 yellow.

Thanks,
Peter

Nick Zentena · Nov 9, 2005

Should be an 8 I think.

thefizz · Nov 10, 2005

Thanks Nick

Gerald Koch · Nov 10, 2005

Some people routinely use a yellow green filter. This lightens foliage and darkens the sky.

Lee Shively · Nov 10, 2005

I've managed accumulate a massive number of filters in various sizes over the years. I've never used a light yellow filter, however. The #8 (medium yellow) is pretty standard for landscapes and general purpose but I don't use it much. I use a #15 (dark yellow) quite a bit and I intend to order either a #21 or #22 (orange) filter sometime soon. The #15 filter really gives rich tones to the sky and lightens the red in the rocks and sand around the Southwest. It doesn't turn the sky black like the #25 (red). I expect the #21/22 would be a little more aggressive than the #15.

I've also used the #11 (yellow-green) a lot--very nice for green foliage against a blue sky. The #13 (green) filter is supposed to do the same but to a greater extent. If I were limited to two filters, it would probably be the #15 and the #11 (or #21/22 and #13).

I don't use the #25 (red) filter much. I did just buy a #29 (dark red) B+W filter. I remember reading that this filter has an interesting ability to reduce contrast in high-contrast scenes. I've not tried it yet so I don't know if that's the case or not. The #29 is also used for infrared photography.

pentaxuser · Nov 12, 2005

Juba said:
The Nikon Y48 (Medium Yellow) is my standard filter, as stated before, the separation effect isn`t as strong as with an orange or red, but a lovely filter for that "normal" tonal rendering, it`s a good all around filter.
The difference between both yellow filters is minimal, the medium one giving you the edge by being slightly more contrasty.
Go ahead David, you can`t get it wrong!

Cheers

André

My first filter was only med. yellow and frankly I was disappointed with the contrast. I took a shot of cable cars across the Heights Of Abraham in Derbyshire, England. The sky was deep blue and the clouds fluffy white but the effect on the print was muted.

Later I acquired an orange, yellow/green and red. I tried all four including the original yellow on the same scene but not the one described above. Admittedly that day the sky wasn't as blue or the clouds as white as in the earlier shot but it took orange to make even a subtle difference.

Based on my experience I'd go from light yellow straight to orange. I have excluded yellow/green only because its use is specifically for landscapes with only a little sky contrast.

If you want a nearly black sky with almost luminescent clouds a combination of polariser and red takes some beating. Looks great with light buildings such as churches bathed in sun. Mind you with slow film such as Pan F or even ASA100 you'd have very slow shutter speeds at medium apertures.

Pentaxuser

vet173 · Nov 13, 2005

I agree with others and would go straight to orange or #15.

vet173 · Nov 13, 2005

Lately I've been leaning more towards graduated ND filters as it doesn't change relationship of tones in forground.

gbroadbridge · Nov 14, 2005

I've forgotten about medium yellow and these day use either orange, or an orange grad. The Orange grad is great for highlighting white clouds against a blue sky, whilst leaving the foreground at the metered exposure.

Graham.

Light Yellow vs. Medium Yellow

david b

MurrayMinchin

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david b

Nick Zentena

PhotoJim

Donald Miller

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André E.C.

thefizz

Nick Zentena

thefizz

Gerald Koch

Lee Shively

pentaxuser

vet173

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gbroadbridge

Light Yellow vs. Medium Yellow

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