Using yellow filters w/ Leica M lenses?

[kl_prager2]

I took a B&W printing course about 15 months ago and the instructor recommended using filters (eg: a yellow filter) to enhance contrast

when exposing film and to facilitate contrast control when making prints.

 

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I began using a medium yellow filter w/ B&W film and have been happy with the results. However, I'm wondering if this is the best way to achieve contrast control, when using M lenses, which already exhibit more contrast than most other lenses. In particular, I'm wondering if using a yellow filter is degrading the quality of the extraoridnary M lenses. If so, then perhaps I should be looking for other methods of achieving contrast control.

 

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I'll appreciate any comments.

[Rob F.]

KL, filters accomplish contrast control by freely passing their own

color, and closely related colors; while rejecting light of the

complementary color. So for a black and white shot of a yellow sail

against a blue sky, the yellow filter increases the density of the

sail's image on the negative; and decreases the density of the blue

sky. In the print, this gives us a light sail against a darkened sky.

 

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But using a yellow filter isn't a blanket recipe for good contrast.

It won't do a thing for a scene that consists only of gray shades.

It probably won't do much for an architectural shot of a white

building with a gray slate roof, either. In other words, filters

work by discriminating colors. For green foliage against the blue

sky, a green filter will lighten the foliage and darken the sky. The

wrong filter is worse than no filter. A yellow filter might worsen

the subject's complexion in a portrait, while a green one might help

to hide blemishes, freckles, etc. An orange filter will give

dramatic sky and cloud shots, but will often spoil a portrait by

making the lips too light.

 

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Leica lenses, and others with good contrast, have minimal flare and

dispersion, so that as little stray light as possible gets infused

into shadow areas. That's often good, but it's a different issue

from manipulating contrast with filters.

 

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There was a time when films were deficient in sensitivity to the

longer wavelengths, and a light yellow filter such as a Kodak K1

helped give the film a more uniform spectral response. Today's films

generally have a more uniform response, making the habitual use of a

light yellow filter largely unnecessary.

 

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A good quality filter won't perceptibly degrade image quality.

Leica, B+W, etc., are fine.

 

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The best thing is to use a specific filter for a specific purpose,

and not to use a colored filter just out of habit.

 

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Hope this helps.

 

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Best Wishes,

[jay_.]

I found that most of the time the traditional medium-yellow filter

has a minimal effect. For outdoor scenes with blue skies and white

clouds an orange filter produces a rendition closer to reality. A

polarizer works just as well, but is sensitive to relative angle to

the sun whereas the orange filter isn't. For portraiture outdoors a

light green filter (I forgot the Wratten designation) works well.

[dan_brown4]

I have found that Ilford Delta films do a better job of contrasting

white and pale blue than other B&W films, even when no filter is

used. Also, for a general purpose contrast enhancing filter, I

prefer yellow-green as it helps not only with respect to

sky/clouds, but also with foliage/non-foliage. Of course, for the

really dramatic skies, a #25 red filter is hard to beat.

[kl_prager2]

Thanks for the responses! I took off the yellow filter and put back

the UV for the time being. I've also been experimenting overexposing

film 2/3's of a stop instead of 1/3 (eg 400 rated @ 250, instead of

320, as I usually do). This has helped fill in the shadow areas more

to my liking and improved contrrast at the same time.

 

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I think one of the reasons I liked the results from using the yellow

filter so much is for some group portraits I've doing a lot of.

The 'subjects' have a wide range of complexions ranging from light to

dark, with the darker subjects having quite a bit of yellow in their

complexions. Using the yellow filter made metering for the whole

group a more managable task. Does anyone have any suggestions how to

accomplish this w/out the yellow filter?

[michael_devoue]

I use either the tiffen yellow 12 or B+W 023(both med yellow filters).

I use them almost always, and like the effect (almost)regardless of

situation. I haven't conducted tests between unfiltered and filtered,

but tried shooting without the filter, and just plain didn't like it.

I was told once that yellow filters should be used with panchromatic

film, but I'm not sure that command was well founded. I have shot

portraits with the tiffen8, tiffen12, and B+W023. All three were very

close, and I keep a yellow on at all times. I don't think I'm really

missing out on anything. Hope this doesn't send anyone into an

incredible dilemma regarding filters. This is just what works for me

+ my nikons. The contrast of Leica lenses is purported to be quite

good, so I understand the filterless approach.