• Welcome to Photrio!
    Registration is fast and free. Join today to unlock search, see fewer ads, and access all forum features.
    Click here to sign up

Which level of yellow filters for B&W?

Recent Classifieds

Forum statistics

Threads
202,816
Messages
2,845,857
Members
101,544
Latest member
johnsaigon0
Recent bookmarks
1

jay moussy

Member
Allowing Ads
Joined
Jun 10, 2019
Messages
1,315
Location
Eastern MA, USA
Format
Hybrid
I was just about to start shopping for filters for better B&W, and became aware of the different grades of "yellow", like "deep".

What is the common choice here, and how the "grade' is defined?

Another issue is settling on one (or two) filter size(s) and juggle with set-up and -down rings, across Nikon, Canon, Pentax lens systems?
 
I recommend that you start with a medium yellow and later if after you have used it for a while you could consider the light yellow and dark yellow. I have only used the medium yellow.
 
Last edited:
K2 is a pretty standard medium yellow.
 
Filterfind.net had a handy list of yellow filters and the various numbers/names that different companies use. Many people use middle yellow (8 or K2). If you want a bit more drama in blue sky and puffy clouds, you can use one of the darker yellows such as the yellow 12 or yellow 15.

Used filters in common sizes like 52mm or 58mm are inexpensive. I suggest you buy the correct size for each lens. Brands like Nikon, B+W, Heliopan, Leitz, Olympus, etc. will be fine. Use a hood and you do not need to worry about the nonsense of multicoated versus single coated.
 
Last edited:
I'd agree with previous posts, try a medium yellow and see how you get on before spending money on several different but similar grades.
I have collected several different depths of yellow and yellow-green filters over the years, but, TBH, in practice there is not much difference in the results. ( You might even miss a quickly-changing dramatic sky while fiddling around with different filters. :smile: )
 
Yellow filter will lighten yellow and darken blue and violet. Effect increases according to grade, so #8 has light effect, #12, more, and #15 the most of the yellows.

Which you want really varies according to both the effect you wand and the type of photography you do. They are not useful for portrait photography, neither are they practical for street photography, as they tend to darken shadows and increase contrast.

They are most used for landscape, especially if you want separation between clouds and sky, or if you want to accentuate the distinction between different types of foliage. Sometimes you'll use it if you want to offer better distinction between two elements that have the same luminosity but are different colors (say, an orange and a blue wall). Again, the effect will increase the higher the grade.

I don't find them that much practical in 35mm. I have all three for my Nikon FM2 but rarely use them. They become interesting in 120 and large format when doing landscape. Again, if that's what you do, best to get all three, or a combination of two yellows, an orange and a red. Only experience will tell you what you want in which situation. Experience and taste: for some, the dramatic effect is great, others find it too theatrical and unnatural.

As others said, some sizes are cheap, but others get expensive quick.
 
I skip the yellow filter altogether and use only a medium to deep orange. After all, you want to see the effect, and you can always lighten or darken in the darkroom.
 
K terminology, like K2, has been obsolete for decades. Now K2 means the world's second highest mountain. Even Wratten numbers aren't used much anymore, since real Wratten gel filters have been functionally replaced by coated glass ones from various manufacturers with their own numbering systems, though Tiffen still adheres to Wratten equivalents.

With filters, you tend to get what you pay for. Just like lenses, it helps to have high quality glass and multi-coating. This not only reduces flare but makes the filter easier to clean and more resistant to condensation. There are several excellent brands; but the most bang for the buck seems to be HMC multicoated Hoyas. They offer a basic yellow, a light orange, and then a medium red, but skip over deep orange, which is one of my most useful flavors, and get from Heliopan instead. I also find a medium green like Hoya X1 quite useful. I rarely use yellow per se, but do have them if needed.

I don't know how "grade" talk factors into any of this. Filters darken the complementary hue across the color wheel from what they are,
and in theory, to the extent of their own density. But colors in nature often respond somewhat differently from what you might expect, so there is simply no substitute for experimenting and experience with your preferred film. I own a lot of filters in various sizes; but when out in the field, try to carry a minimum, typically just a 22 deep orange, a 25 medium red, and an X1 or 58 medium green.
 
I skip the yellow filter altogether and use only a medium to deep orange. After all, you want to see the effect, and you can always lighten or darken in the darkroom.

Agreed.
 
I use yellow filters for 35mm and larger formats too. Sometimes i don't have the luxury of carrying a larger camera. My approach is to get a yellow filter with a 1 stop factor and an orange filter (2stop). I carry both.
IMG_4850.jpg
 
Last edited:
I skip the yellow filter altogether and use only a medium to deep orange. After all, you want to see the effect, and you can always lighten or darken in the darkroom.

Another vote for orange. I did some tests on a day of puffy clouds and blue sky shooting TMax-100 and found there isn't much difference in outcome between an orange and a red. And there wasn't much difference between a K2 and no filter.

Adding a polarizer to an orange filter adds another dose of drama to clouds.

If you are up in the high Sierra then maybe a K2 is sufficient, but down here in the lowlands it isn't enough.
 
Sometimes you want some delicacy rather than the hammer. Sometimes using slower films you don't have 2 stops to give up for the Or filter. Adam Jahiel uses a yellow filter to great effect:
 
The sky around here is usually white, so filters have little or no effect and I almost never use them. I'll burn a little while printing if needed.
 
Adam Jahiel uses a yellow filter to great effect:

Can't see anywhere yellow filter is mentioned. Can't find any mention of film on his website either.

Screen Shot 2022-12-05 at 8.34.32 PM.png
 
"For most of my pictures, I use a medium format rangefinder camera, with maybe three lenses and a few filters, usually yellow or orange to make the sky pop out a little. It's a less is more kind of thing with me. The rangefinder is quiet and unobtrusive and it's also vibration free, so I can shoot in fairly low light situations at a slow shutter speed without worrying about mirror shake". Adam Jahiel
Weber journal archives spring 2000
 
Last edited:
"For most of my pictures, I use a medium format rangefinder camera, with maybe three lenses and a few filters, usually yellow or orange to make the sky pop out a little. It's a less is more kind of thing with me. The rangefinder is quiet and unobtrusive and it's also vibration free, so I can shoot in fairly low light situations at a slow shutter speed without worrying about mirror shake". Adam Jahiel
Weber journal archives spring 2000

A tripod works wonders.
 
Sometimes you want some delicacy rather than the hammer. Sometimes using slower films you don't have 2 stops to give up for the Or filter. Adam Jahiel uses a yellow filter to great effect:

Beautiful photos. Thanks for sharing.
 
I skip the yellow filter altogether and use only a medium to deep orange. After all, you want to see the effect, and you can always lighten or darken in the darkroom.

+1. I like orange better than yellow too.

Regarding adapters, pick the largest size filter to standardize on. Then use step-up adapters for the smaller lenses.
 
I skip the yellow filter altogether and use only a medium to deep orange. After all, you want to see the effect, and you can always lighten or darken in the darkroom.

Generally that is what I do.
 
You can easily get sucked into getting filters you don't need so if you want a yellow and it doesn't say 'light' or 'deep' it will be a standard one-stop yellow filter. That is the one you should get.

What follows on from there is how another type fits in with your photography, but a yellow filter is the datum point, it will do just enough to make a difference but no more. If you want ugly black sky's on a sunny day get a red filter, if you are photographing in the depths of the jungle maybe a green filter, if you want a full-on weird retro look get a blue filter. It's a creative choice and never a 'must have' requirement.
 
accentuate the distinction between different types of foliage.

This seems to get overlooked quite often but imho is the most generally useful effect of the yellow filter. In theory, orange should not do it as well as yellow (haven't compared to see if there's an actual difference).
 
Photrio.com contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links.
To read our full affiliate disclosure statement please click Here.

PHOTRIO PARTNERS EQUALLY FUNDING OUR COMMUNITY:



Ilford ADOX Freestyle Photographic Stearman Press Weldon Color Lab Blue Moon Camera & Machine
Top Bottom