Viewing Filter for Black and White Photography

In Ansel Adams' book, THE NEGATIVE, he recommends the use of a viewing

filter for black and white photography. In looking at the B&H

homepage, I see a number of viewing filters by Tiffen, Peak, etc.

 

I suspect that some of you have used one or more of these. Before I

plunk down my coin, I would like to know if these are worth the money.

Maybe if they are cheap....I think that burning a bunch of film is probably better. You

wouldn't be likely to use it for long.

 

jmp

It wasn't worth it for me. If memory serves, it was a strong yellow filter mounted in a holder that made it easier to use. While it gave an impression of making the scene monochromatic, the effect didn't last long as my eyes accomodated to the strong yellow tint. I quickly learned to see in monochrome without it and so it sits.

 

Psst, wanna buy an MVF, cheap?

 

Cheers,

 

Duane

I found it effective for pre-visualizing the effect of Black and White.

It's easier when you shoot with a filter on the lens (well for SLR's anyway)like yellow.

When I shoot b&w I quickly see in b&w, I look down the viewfinder and I try to see the print.

If you have a blue tungsten to daylight conversion filter, 80A, 80B, or 80C, you can use that to approximate the effect. Each filters out most of the red/orange end of the spectrum with the 80A being the strongest and the 80C the weakest. Would I spend the money on one of those viewing filters? I don't think so. The blue filters can be fairly accurate with orthochromatic films, but the actual response you'll get on today's panchromatic films is not likely to be a close match ro what you see through the viewing filter anyway. After a bit of practice, you learn to see the scene in B&W anyway.

I use the Zone VI filter. The one I have is shaped to frame for 6X7, 4X5 or 8X10. Basically any of the "ideal" formats that enlarge directly to 8x10. After 15 years of use I rarely shoot B+W without the filter. It graphically shows convergence of tones. You know when the tones will blend together and after using it a while can trust it implicitly. It may still be available from Calumet, I haven't looked lately. Otherwise I believe Ansel Adams mentions a wratten filter that can be framed to give the same effect, really a heavy olive drab green tint.

 

My technique is as follows:

 

You don't look through the filter continuously, rather you take it in and out of your line of sight. This way you don't compensate for the filters strong monochromatic rendering of the scene. This helps establish the tonal values in the scene.

 

The mostly unheralded use though, is as a framing tool. It really helps to pre-visualize the framing well before you unfold the camera. After determining the tonal value of the image you then look through the filter continuously and move the filter closer and further away to establish the framing desired. Because the frame sees in the same dimension as the camera sees there is less time spent moving a camera to get the rough framing, you use the fiter instead. It is much easier on the back to use a 1 ounce filter instead of the 20 pounds of camera and tripod.

 

You learn the distances away from your eye to hold the filter for your different focal lengths, realizing, of course that a 90MM or shorter on 4X5 means the filter goes 1 inch behind your eye socket ;). I hope this helps and good luck.

I second the use of the Zone VI B&W viewing filter. Its primary use for me is to help frame the scene and choose which lens to use. I can now easily determine which focal length lens to use by estimating the distance between viewing filter and eye (the closer, the shorter the focal length). Almost as important to me is the intended use, which is to show tonal convergences that need to be corrected with filtration, etc.

 

That said, if I were not shooting large format, I would more than likely not use a viewing filter. Its advantage with large format is that it is a great time saver. One can compose a scene using the filter as framing tool and decide whether it is worth setting up for the shot. When backpacking with the big camera in rough terrain this can really save a lot of trouble setting up and tearing down. Often I will stash the camera backpack and tripod in a central area of a place I want to work extensively and run back and forth with the viewing filter only, noting the places I want to set up and marking them with stones, etc. I then grab the camera and methodically go from predertermined place to place, making the photographs (or not, if I decide after setting up that it just won't work).

 

The Zone VI filter may still be available new from Calumet or used on the $Bay... Alternately, you can make a viewing frame from matt board and mount the wratten #90 (I think) filter in it (or not, if all you need is the viewing frame).

 

Hope this helps,

I'm using very convenient PEAK Mono-Tone Viewer. This viewer has a deep bronze(brown) lens. It is small and the lens swings away into the metal protector sleve. It has a niece ring so I can carry it on lanyard with my spotmeter and focusing loupe.

 

As a framing tool I'm using multifocus zoom viewfinder made by Linhof for its 4x5 cameras. It covers 75-360mm with very smooth movements and accurate framing. I can attach reducing masks for example 56 x 70mm format (or any others custom made) - it makes it very universal framing device.

Bruce

 

I used to have one. I think that experience with shooting B/W is much better. If you want a very cheap one, just go purchase a Wratten #90 gel. That's all it is.

 

Russ

As an interesting aside you could try using welding goggles, the dark green ones. It's not too many minutes before the word becomes black and white. Just choose a private spot to do this :-) After a time the word does seem to take on a different look. (I was going to say perspective but that's not realy right in a photo forum.) They are only a few dollars and the rested eyes go easy to the dark cloth.

Saint Ansel gave a lot of bad photography advice, including dry-mounting those archivally

processed prints to a board permanently. Linen tape and T-hinges are what artists have been

using for centuries and is more achival, cheaper and simpler.

 

Take Saint Ansel's advice with a grain of Silver Salt

I would love to talk to you Duane.

I am very interested in bw viewing glass.

Is it glass? What size, form and shape does it have?

What is the price? Please drop me email

simonkogan@comcast.net

thank you

viewing filter is useful to cinematography ,but for still photography,it is not so much use!

<blockquote>

<p>S.a.i.n.t Ansel gave a lot of bad photography advice, including dry-mounting those archivally processed prints to a board permanently. Linen tape and T-hinges are what artists have been using for centuries and is more achival, cheaper and simpler.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>An old thread, but damn, are your wrong or what? Dry mounting is the only way to get your display right, that's all there is to it. I suppose you couldn't justify the expanse so you came up with a reason to blame Adams for saying it wrong. There were w few things that Ansel did say which later were proven "unproven", but in general he was more than correct, but if you bash Ansel for his advice, then everyone should stay away from yours. The "S.a.i.n.t" reference alone suggests that you are just a plain, disrespectful wannabe.</p>

Dry mounting is the only way that I have seen to get fiber based papers to lie flat on the mount. I only once tried spray adhesive and wasn't too happy with the result.