Enhancing colour with ND lens filter

Am getting some results I'm happy with, using a collapsible 50 Summicron (screw-

mount on an M2) with ND filter. In order to get the best from the lens for

bright sunlit landscapes the ND filter seems to work well in allowing me to use

f4, or even f2 with two filters. I'm looking for rich colouring and a wide

range of tones, without the edgey-ness of a more modern lens and this

combination works well.<div></div>

You might want to try the Tiffen Ultra Contrast filters (#4 or #5) for cases of relatively contrasty situations. It throws light into the shadows, diminishes contrast, takes a bit of the edge off.

A larger version -<div></div>

I used a split ND in the following shot. It enhanced the horizon's color. I have received a request to print it last week and tinkered with the image a little more (not this version). When I printed it, the colors were very pronounced. The customer liked the shot very much but personally I seem to be preffering seeing black and white.

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<img src=http://static.flickr.com/52/142700539_5269f5c968_o.jpg>

Thanks Pico. Here I would like to increase contrast only the greens get a bit oversaturated. I use the photographs for reference and need a certain colouring for my porposes so am seeing, perhaps, with an eye that's not a true photographer's.

Rene, yes, I get more of a cick when converting the pictures to B&W.

My picture above looks a little dull, here. See if I can find another.

Superb shot Rene. (I like the colours)

Adrian can you explain why colors can possibly appear enhanced by opening the aperture? I can see that details, bokeh or the "rendering" differs from shooting at closed aperture.

 

I can also see that color could be of lower contrast or less "enhanced" at open aperture - but you describe just the opposite. What am I missing? Is it some specialty of this lens? Is the optical principle known?

Thanks Trevor. For the print I lightened the resulting image a little bit, which also brought out the greens on the left side.

Walter, I don't know. But this Summicron seems best at wider apertures. It did feel silly putting the filter on it but the results seem good to me.<div></div>

Adrian, I really like your results and look forward to trying the same technique with my LTM Summicron. Wonder what the same shots would look like if you used a 50 Summarit with the ND filters. Greens are hard to get right and I like both Rene's shot and yours. For the two posted shots, color works well. Just my preference.

The collapsible is low contrast compared to any other Summicron 50. At wide apertures, the contrast is even lower. The ND allows you to use the lens at the some of the lower contrast apertures. The ND by itself does not lower the contrast.

 

A Summitar does the same thing and is sometimes called a variable contrast lens.

...and I'd get a 'cick' out of Cliff if he saw how I spelled it. And I of coarse meant 'porpoises' above.

"The ND by itself does not lower the contrast."

 

If the filter is of the uncoated (Tiffen) or single-coated variety it sure as heck can lower contrast by itself.

Would anything change in the color rendition by going to max shutter speed and widest lens aperture instead of adding an ND filter?

 

At 100 ISO Reala, the scenes look like 1/100 f/11 maybe, by the partial sunny rule, so the f/4 equivalent would be 1/1000 sec, and with a Z-I you could get down to f/2.8 at 1/2000 sec.

 

What kind of ND filter do you use?

What Frank said, the ND filter is a Neutral density filter, it is only used for limiting aperture.

What you may want to try is a Polarizing filter which will reduce glare/haze and in turn brings more color into a picture.

 

Good luck,

Peter

Get the Blue/Yellow Cokin Polarizer? It goes from crazy to complimentary with the twist of the wrist.<br><br>

<center><img src=" http://www.ericmilner.com/photos/pn060506/images/F1010018%2012-20-05%20lr.jpg"></center><center> <i>Velvia 50, Grad 6 ND, Cokin Blue Yellow Polarizer.</i></center><br><br>

The original idea was to use higher speed film and the ND to give a larger range, from dark interiors to bright landscape. But the film didn't scan well - or something. But the results with Reala were good so - here I am

 

I know the ND filter doesn't increase contrast - how can it - but it's a 'B+W', multi coated one so doesn't take to much away. You have to increase contrast after scanning the negs anyway, with this Summicron, but no more so after using the filter - in fact the colour soon gets over saturated, so you can't increase it as much.

 

The polarizing filter is a good idea; is there any particular type ?