What is (Peak) color-tone viewer for?

hky0125

Member
Joined
Oct 24, 2024
Messages
8
Location
Atlanta, GA
Format
Multi Format
Dear all, please forgive my ignorance of this. I am wondering what is a color-tone viewer, why and how to use it?

I know Peak has two types viewer, one is mono-tone and another is color-tone. The mono one has 80 orange filter that gives tonality that's similar to what film would see (I usually did it with cellphone), but what is the color-tone viewer for? Is it act as same tool but for shooting negative or slide?

Many thanks
 

Chuck1

Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2022
Messages
670
Location
Arlington ma
Format
Multi Format
Zone vi made one too, never seen one in person, and never been sure what they were for
 

xkaes

Subscriber
Joined
Mar 25, 2006
Messages
4,790
Location
Colorado
Format
Multi Format
I know that some viewers are designed for movie film use. My understanding is that they mimic the contrast that a movie film will produce -- so you can adjust the lighting, exposure., etc. That may or may not be what this "PEAK" does.
 

Kino

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 20, 2006
Messages
7,757
Location
Orange, Virginia
Format
Multi Format
In cinematography, they are used as quick, visual check of lighting ratios.

You are supposed to look through it with one eye and "flick" it in and out of your field of vision to see where the high, mid and low tones are falling.

This rapid movement is to not allow your eye to adapt to the filter.

I have a set of both Peak viewers and have found them of limited use except for extremely bright exteriors or heavily lighted sets.
 

MarkS

Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
503
The b/w viewing filter is a (Kodak) Wratten #90. So you can look it up in the Kodak Filters book and learn more than you would probably ever need to know.
As mentioned, its purpose is to let you visualize the scene as rendered by b/w film. I'd tried them in the past, but never found them of much use. Then this year I was offered a ZoneVI version at a swap meet for $5.00. So I had to have it, and used it carefully this year when working outdoors with the 4x5. Still didn't find it necessary, and it's just one more thing to keep track of.
That's just me... others may find it helpful.
I never knew there was one for color photography.
 

murdockhendrix

Subscriber
Joined
Jan 10, 2021
Messages
215
Location
Northeast Florida
Format
Multi Format

The Peak Mono-Tone and Color-Tone Viewers



To show the filter colors: Mono Viewer top and Color Viewer bottom. Hope this helps.


For size comparison
 
Last edited:

koraks

Moderator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 29, 2018
Messages
22,730
Location
Europe
Format
Multi Format
It looks pretty much like a 2-stop ND filter. Which I suspect is what it is, for all intents and purposes. An old friend of mine used to work in the cine industry and I recall him telling me one time he used to use a viewer to guesstimate/get a feeling for highlights & shadows. He described the same procedure @Kino gave:
Kino said:
You are supposed to look through it with one eye and "flick" it in and out of your field of vision to see where the high, mid and low tones are falling.
Click to expand...

It's a bit similar to using the DoF preview on an SLR camera very momentarily.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register
Cookies are required to use this site. You must accept them to continue using the site. Learn more…