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Which filter should I get for B&W film?

Pedroga

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Feb 4, 2026
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28
Location
Brazil
Format
35mm
I’m looking to buy color filters (green, yellow, orange, and red) to use for analog black-and-white photography.

When searching for a green filter, I’ve found several options with different “strengths” of green, and I’m not sure which one I should choose.

Does anyone have advice or experience with this?
Which one would be considered the most classic or versatile to start with?
And what kind of differences should I expect in the final image when shooting black and white with these variations?

These are the markings/values I’ve come across:
LB1, LB2, LB3, LB4, LB6, LB7, LB9, LB11, LB16, LB17.
 
Green filters are useful for making pale skin look more tanned in portraits. You can use them to highlight (darken) freckles. They also make the leaves of trees look brighter.

A dark green filter will take about 2 stops of light and have a strong effect. The lightest ones take less than 1 stop of light and have a very weak effect.

To see the effect on a color image, load up a color image in an image editing program. Gimp has something called "Mono Mixer" which allows you to convert to black and white while picking how much of each R, G, B channel to use. Use more of the green channel than the others and you will see the effect.

I generally use the ones that take about 1.5-2 stops and don't mess with the weak ones because they don't change much and add a chance for more flare.

Another reason to use a green filter is in making trichromes - there are specific R, G, B filters to use for that purpose which are designed to separate colors cleanly. If you ever expect to make trichromes, you might look for that specific one. Green 58, Blue 47, Red 25.
 
The most important one is imo a #8 (B+W 022) yellow.
For green I would get a #11 (060) yellow green filter.
There are many used filters made by top makers like B+W, Heliopan or Hoya.
Can't say anything about the filters you showed, microscope supply?
If so there are filters with totally different characteristics (interference filters, short pass...).

I made a comparison some times ago:
 
The most useful to me are in this order #8, #15, #11 and #25. I have others, but these are used the most.
 
This might be a good research approach. Look for the section on B&W contrast filters. These are getting less popular and less available so some reading might be required.

 
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I find that I don't use the green very often. For me the 040 from B+W is the most useful. It looks orange to me but they call it dark yellow. I also use the 022 yellow a bit and the 090 red the least.
You can see examples of the effect on these two youtube videos I did.


 

a full set of contrast filtes for analog B&W photography includes a yellow, a green, an orange, and a red filter. a good way to staet is with a yellow-green or just a yellow filter. Orange and red are for sky rendering or dramatic skies. You can also stack them up for an even more dramatic effect. As everythig, it can be overdone
 
Which filter always depends on the effect you are after (and the lighting/subject)

Each filter will darken it's complimentary colours, compared to things in the filters colour.
Yellow, orange & red tend to work well for landscapes with an increasing effect on skies (and blue items).
Blue filters will darken red items, & green effectively lighten foliage.

I have to admit I use mine mainly for digital infra red, where all the red ones (#25 & #29) work well.
I've found considerable variation in #58 (green) filters. With my SD14 one of the three I have works very well, blocking some but not a huge amount of IR. Of the other two one blocks nearly all the IR & the third practically none. I've also had some variation in IR transmission of the #47 (blue) filters but I think they've all proved usable.
 

I’ve found three green filters so far: one looks too yellowish, another is a lighter green, and the third seems a bit too dark.

I’m trying to choose glass filters because, as a beginner, I assume they would be more durable. I’d likely follow the same approach when buying red, orange, and yellow filters, which will be the next ones on my list and seem easier to find.
 

I think these photos are very beautiful, the colors, the style, I don't know... it seems like the colored filters add a certain charm, you know?
 
#8, 15, 21, 25, get used a lot. I sometimes use a #12 (minus blue). I also have a #58 green, but I tend to use that more for tri-colour work.
 

You'll find most people here will refer to filters by their number.

Each number filter has a set of defined characteristics including the density and wavelength of light that is filtered. They are usually manufactured by well known makers of camera filters.

You will also find on ebay and amazon, a lot of cheap random coloured pieces of unknown quality glass mounted into filter holders, that usually stand out by not claiming any particular filter number, and have unknown characteristics.

You can have fun experimenting with them, but keep in mind that in most cases you won't be able to compare your results against others who are using known filters.
 
I mostly use a yellow-green here in the Southwest. Otherwise a yellow or a red for special effects.
 
For clarity, while some refer to these as "contrast" filters, they probably are more accurately described as "colour contrast" filters, because their purpose is the suppress certain parts of the spectrum, and by doing so, change the contrast in the subject between the colour suppressed and other parts of the subject.
So if you want to darken a blue sky, to make white clouds appear more prominent, you use a yellow or red filter - red because skies often tend actually toward cyan.
So as is often the case, the answer to your question is: "it depends".
I have friends who have an unhealthily large set of different filters, because they like to use filters to do a great variety of things.
Some photographers who use black and white film a lot prefer to leave a light yellow filter on the camera most times, because outside there is a lot of blue light around, and there is often a benefit to be gained from filtering a bit of that back. Tri-X users were famous for doing that, which may be the reason that some of the T-Max emulsions have slightly less blue sensitivity, making a yellow filter less important.
It is probably best to have an idea first about what you want filters to do for you before you chooses one or a few.
 
Pedroga said:
But should I buy resin or glass?
Click to expand...
When speaking of optical, I am of the opinion glass is better than plastic -- if for no other reason than glass is more scratch resistant.

gbroadbridge said:
You'll find most people here will refer to filters by their number.
Click to expand...
Yes, but which numbers? Is medium yellow a #8, a K2, a Y2 or a Y48?

Here in the USA a good source for used filters is Filterfind.net. His Data page is a useful Rosetta Stone for comparing the different numbers used for the various colors. And also, provides information about what each color might be used for and how much exposure correction might be needed.
 
Pedroga said:
@RalphLambrecht
@Andrew O'Neill
@MattKing
But should I buy resin or glass?
Click to expand...

I use circular lens-type glass for all my filters, except rectangular resin for graduated neutral density filters, although I would recommend glass for these as well. Glass is less prone to scratching, and it'll last longer than resin. Easier to clean. Get good ones with coatings to reduce glare reflections. I keep each one in an individual plastic filter container to keep clean and ready for use. I don;lt like those multi-filter fabric holders that appear they would collect dust and scratch more easily.
 

I’m going to get a glass one. If I’m not mistaken, the K2 / #8 is around 480 nm. I could only find options at 470 nm and 490 nm, and I’m thinking the 490 nm would be the closest to a K2 / #8 — this is regarding a yellow filter.
490nm
470nm
 
I'm extremely confused. Why are you fussing over nit-picky technical details when simply buying regular photographic color contrast filters, that have worked well for decades, would accomplish your goals. Sure, glass might be better as is coated filters. What are your expectations and requirements for these filters in terms of photographic goal? What is this line of filters that you are investigating? Divulging that might help folks help you. If you are a beginner in the field of photogrpahy it might behoove you to simplify things and concentrate on taking pictures rather than complex technical details that may or may not be understood or important to the basic task.
 
I can relate to what @BrianShaw says above - keep it simple, it ain't rocket science. The difference between a cutoff at 470 vs. 490nm isn't going to rock the world.

Personally I find a yellow filter a bit too subtle most of the time; not enough difference with no filter. If I use a filter, which is rare, I generally use either orange (mostly) or if it needs to be more extreme and shadow detail doesn't matter, red. I never use green or blue filters. I occasionally use a polarizer, too. It's all very personal of course.
 

Me too. I find yellow does too little to the blue sky. Orange is better. Don't use a filter just to use it. You lose stop(s). Blurring due to lower shutter speeds and less DOF due to larger apertures can become issues.

Don't set polarizer settings to maximum. While increasing saturation, they will also suck the life out of images by deleting too much of the reflections such as on leaves. I set polarizers about half way. Also be careful with wide-angle lenses with polarizers as they will create dark to light gradients in the blue sky.
 
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I have complete set from light yellow to very dark red as well as polarizers from 48mm to 72mm, series V to VII, glass screw in and series sizes that require a holder along with resin filters square filters and I use then all. Question is where in Brazil, rain forest coastal or pampas, urban? He if is shooting in the forest then a orange or red will darken the foliage while a light yellow will lighten foliage and provide some darkening of the sky. If you only want to use filter you need to think about where you shoot, the time of day and effect you want. As OP is in Brazil,a green will lighten leaves and darken the sky some but not as much as a strong yellow, orange or red. On the coast with ocean views then a polarizer.
 
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A medium dark green is extremely useful if you want to darken blue skies and accentuate the clouds, yet NOT lighten reddish or orangish hues at the same time, like a red, orange, or yellow filter would do. That is a frequent dilemma in the red sandstone country of the American Southwest or with brick buildings, which can come out annoyingly paste-looking with red and orange filters. You might encounter similar situations in arid portions of the Andes, or with exposed red laterite soils there in the tropics.

A light yellow-green filter like a Hoya X0 or Wratten 11 is also useful to have, but for different reasons.

The old "K" numbering system is no longer used. And you seem to be overthinking everything, and making it a lot more confusing than it needs to be. Coated glass filters will hold up the best.
 
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