Starting B&W film photography: filters

Learning about filters doesn't require you to buy screw on filters for every lens. The most cost effective method of trying filters is to use Lee Polyester filters - about $16 each in the 3x3 inch size.

 

Back when the only real option was buying filters new, this might well have been true.

 

Now, there's a HUGE glut of used filters on the market and it's likely that $16 would buy a full set of colored filters in a couple of different sizes.

 

Alternatively, buy a set in the largest size you anticipate using and they buy step rings. Even new, the step rings are a few dollars each.

 

With that said, I have full sets in 52mm(most non-exotic Nikon primes as well as Canon nFD lenses), 55mm(most breech lock FD lenses), 67mm(Bronica SQ), 72mm(a lot of wide angles and fast moderate-length teles), and 77mm(Mamiya RB67 along with my 80-200 2.8 and 12-24mm DX). To keep size down, I often travel with only either 72 or 77mm and step rings for every other size I need.

$16 would buy a full set of colored filters in a couple of different sizes.

Bought quality 62mm filters on line a couple of weeks ago for $19 delivered. Most of the required colors and a thin polarizer.

If you just want to learn about filters, you could use color digital images, then use some software

(I don't know which ones actually do this) to generate filtered black and white images.

 

You can then either look at them on the screen, or print them out.

(Many places now will do 4x6 digital prints for down to USD 0.10,

or you can use an inkjet printer.)

 

Black and white films are designed to give the appropriate grayness to how

light or dark different colors look. I suspect that most would start out, at

least a few rolls, without a filter to learn about that first.

 

Personally, I mostly don't use filters with black and white film.

I suspect that is mostly because I didn't have any for many years when

I first started (when I was about 10 years old). It might also be that

I like things to be most natural. I also mostly don't use the tone

controls on my stereo amplifier, except in some unusual conditions.

(That is, where the source is wrong.)

 

But yes, using a red or orange filter does make the clouds come out.

You can also use a polarizer, in the same way that color photographers do.

When I shot more film I ultimately settled on the K-2 yellow, orange for skies (red was too strong in many cases, and needed too much extra light) and a polarizer. In later days I used the Cokin plastic filters because I could get good ND by stacking them. There are also some neat color effects you can do if you have an RGB set, but today those tricks are way easier with digital.

I find orange to be useful for the outdoor day shots - effect of yellow too subtle, red too much. I hardly ever use a CP with B&W, but I like the silvery look of highly reflective surfaces especially in B&W, so it could be due to that. I do have CPs for most lenses, as with colour photos (and digital), I do find it very useful. But for polarisers, I learnt that spending an extra bit to get a high quality one is worth it, as cheap CPs often have too little effect.

But for polarisers, I learnt that spending an extra bit to get a high quality one is worth it, as cheap CPs often have too little effect.

 

When I started in photography, polarizers were the first filters I bought. My first two, in 55mm and 72mm, were Cokin branded and then I added a Tiffen 52mm. They all served me well. I've also picked up a few others here and there, including some no name ones.

 

With that said, when I got into the RB67 system earlier this year, I found myself in need of a 77mm polarizer. I managed to get a barely used Hoya NXT for about 1/3 its new B&H price. Of the various polarizers Hoya makes, this one falls roughly in the middle price wise. In any case, I've been impressed by how effective it is compared to some of the other polarizers I've been using for years.

 

With that said, my Cokins and Tiffens do work fairly well. The no-names generally don't.

 

It's possible to do some quick and dirty subjective tests to see how well a filter attenuates plane-polarized light. One of the most convenient sources that most folks have these days is an LCD computer monitor. Look at the screen through the filter and it should go completely black with the filter in the correct orientation. If you can't get it to go completely black, your polarizer is not as good as it could be. Additionally, rotated correctly should completely block the beam from a laser pointer. It should be noted that in both cases, the FRONT of the polarizer should be facing the screen or the pointer-the quarter wave plate in a circular polarizer kills these effects.

 

In addition, I'm in agreement that with B&W, the reflections that you often use a polarizer to eliminate in color photography can add interesting elements to a B&W composition. This is particularly true with foliage reflection.

For some interesting information on circular polarizers, see LensRental blog LINK (with links there to earlier CP aticles)

Over the years I've used red, yellow (K2), green & orange, as well as ND. Like others have said, keep it simple, Experimenting is fine once you have mastered the basics, but don't rush, you will end up with lots of conflicting gobbledigook in your head if you don't have the basline down cold. I've found the most useful filters (for general photography) to be the K2, green for certain portraits, and ND where I want to shoot a fast film in daylight but at a wide aperture. Red & orange ok but really my last choices for most of my work. Just remember that the color of the filter passes shades similar and reduces shades on the opposite end of the scale, AND, the end results depend on the spectrum sensitivity of the film you use as well as proper compensation of exposure for the film in use. All this means you should experiment with the variables once you have the basics down pat.

If I could only take one filter with me on a black & white photo outing it would be a deep yellow (15). More dramatic than K2 but much less than a red 25. If you want a little more, the orange (16) is good too.

My most used filters are the B+W 022 medium yellow or 8 equivalent and the Hoya Y52 yellow or a 12 equivalent.

Just for the record, some of the late, great photography text books and references are timeless:

 

Darkroom theory and practice

 

Davis, Phil

1975 Photography. 2nd ed., Wm C. Brown.

 

Swedlund, Charles

1981 Photography. Harcourt Brace.

 

Langford, Michael

1984 The Darkroom Handbook. Revised and Updated. Knopf (a Dorling Kindersley [DK] production)

 

Kodak

1996 Black & White Darkroom Data Guide. Kodak Books.