Question about filtering Efke 50

Flotsam · Mar 4, 2006

I'm going to be shooting some efke/adox 50 and would like to darken the sky. I understand that using a Red filter will affect my exposure due to the film's sensitivity. Does anyone have any information or experience using a Yellow or Orange filter with this film, or the 25 iso version of it?

Maybe I should just work with a polarizer.

c6h6o3 · Mar 4, 2006

Try a No. 15 Deep Yellow. You'll get a very creamy, neutral grey sky.

Claire Senft · Mar 4, 2006

I would try 2 stops with a #15, 2 1/2 stops with a #21. I am not a user of this film so this is just a guess mon my part. Take an un filtered shot and a couple of shots using each filter and bracket. Keeps some notes and then come back and tell us what works.

doughowk · Mar 4, 2006

Since both I believe are orthopanchromatic, I usually err on side of denser negative & add 3 stops of exposure for the orange filter. I'm still evaluating them vs Efke 100 for landscapes.

Flotsam · Mar 4, 2006

I like Efke 100 very much. It has a much more conventional Red response than the slower films.

avandesande · Mar 4, 2006

I was very disappointed with efke 50, it seened as though it was just as grainy as the 100. It seems as though it is the same emulsion with a different set of sensitizing dyes(just a guess, no facts here).
Efke 25 is much much different.

sanderx1 · Mar 4, 2006

Flotsam said:
I'm going to be shooting some efke/adox 50 and would like to darken the sky. I understand that using a Red filter will affect my exposure due to the film's sensitivity. Does anyone have any information or experience using a Yellow or Orange filter with this film, or the 25 iso version of it?

Maybe I should just work with a polarizer.

Do consider getting a graduated red / yellow filter

c6h6o3 · Mar 4, 2006

Flotsam said:
I like Efke 100 very much. It has a much more conventional Red response than the slower films.

I like the 50 a lot more, precisely because of the orthopanchromatic response.

Thomas Bertilsson · Mar 5, 2006

I tried some filtering with both 25 and 50, and their response was similar. I liked the 25 better, however. But red filter was inconsistent with normal exposure, which was confusing.
I say a polarizing filter is a great idea. Yellow filter works, orange is OK, but requires quite a bit more exposure. Yellow gave me decent skies.
Personally I like the Efke 100 best of the three, but am so tuned in on FP4 that I don't experiment with it much anymore.

- Thom

noseoil · Mar 5, 2006

Efke 25 & 50, yellow. tim

Mark Layne · Mar 5, 2006

I have photographs on Efke 50 with a yellow filter.
The sky and clouds I would describe as smooth and mellow. Quite pleasant but not the film for dramatic skies.
Mark

Flotsam · Mar 5, 2006

I have used Efke 50 120 almost exclusively in the studio where I have complete control over the the lighting ratios. I love it for its tone, grain and remarkably good reciprocity characteristics with long exposures. I have just scratched the surface of using Efke 50 in 35mm for general outdoor scenes, playing around with a few rolls that I added to a JandC order to qualify for free shipping.
I haven't critically compared grain but I feel that the first roll was a bit over developed so it probably wasn't a good indicator of the grain that it is capable of.
What I was very impressed with was the tonal range which was more docile than Pan F+. At it's full rated speed, the shadow detail was better and it had less tendency to block up the highlights even though I was shooting contrasty scenes and, as I said, was a bit long with my development.
I have a lot more experimenting to do but I am encouraged by what I've seen. I shot a couple of rolls yesterday, mainly sunny snow scenes and I have a couple of bodies currently loaded with it.

avandesande · Mar 5, 2006

I should comment a little on my thoughts on efke 50... It is a great film for many things but if you are going to do landscape/tripod it didn't make sense for me to use it.

Flotsam · Mar 5, 2006

avandesande said:
I should comment a little on my thoughts on efke 50... It is a great film for many things but if you are going to do landscape/tripod it didn't make sense for me to use it.

Is that because it will tend to lighten the sky?

avandesande · Mar 5, 2006

Just that the 25 is better (for this purpose)
One of these days I will get a scanner....

Flotsam · Mar 5, 2006

I get your point. 100 is a nice walking around film, 25 is great for a tripod. 50 is kind of a neither here nor there film.
Still, it shoots at 125th @ f/11 on a sunny day so, if it is noticably smoother than 100 or has a unique look, it's got a place in the camera bag.

c6h6o3 · Mar 5, 2006

Flotsam said:
50 is kind of a neither here nor there film.

Maybe so, but I love it for portraits. The orthopanchromatic response makes for lovely skin tones, far nicer in my opinion than R100. I've never shot portraits with R25 or PL25.

Mark Layne · Mar 5, 2006

Let us remember that Ansel Adams made Moon and Half Dome on this film
Mark

Question about filtering Efke 50

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