Colour filters B+W Film

[JBanderob]

Good evening,

I have been lurking around the forum for quite some time, and more recently started an account after getting hooked on LTM gear.

Currently shooting a bessa R with a canon 50mm 1.8 and just got some series VI colour filters since I am shooting only B+W with this camera (colour goes with the xe1).

My question arises in exposure compensation for the filters. I know that a yellow filter needs to be compensated by 1 stop. This in my mind means I can half the film speed on the camera, however this leads to issues with taking pictures even in daylight with hp5+.

My other thought is to push by 1 stop in development of my negatives (which I do myself). Does anyone have any idea if this would work as well?

Thanks in advance,
Jacob

 

[Bingley]

Your Bessa R meters through the lens, so when you halve the film speed on the camera you're overcompensating for the effect of the filter. Try setting the film speed on the camera as you normally would (i.e., w/out the filter), and check the results. That's what I do with my Bessa R2A (similar metering set-up as the R) when using a yellow filter, and my exposures are fine. When using a yellow filter with a camera that does not have through the lens metering, e.g. an M2 or a Barnack Leica, I do what you suggest and meter at about 1 extra stop of exposure (so if I'm developing the film at 400, I'll set my meter at 250 or 200). But with a Bessa the metering system does the compensation for you.

 

[JBanderob]

Well then, I kinda feel silly now, I am going with "I knew that, was testing you guys"...
Thanks Bingley.

 

[Dante_Stella]

The filter factor applies only to objects of neutral color, and the idea is to bring them up to a midtone grey. Which a lot of the time is not what you actually want to do.

TTL meters almost never compensate correctly. Been there, done that many, many times. The reason they don't work is that few scenes are neutral in color, and the camera has zero idea what the emphasis is. Older CdS meters also have issues with the color of light.

Underexposing (like starting with an external meter and not compensating for the filter) and overdeveloping will often bring better results.

Dante

 

[Bingley]

No worries. Since this is RFF, I'm sure someone will disagree with me (^^^^), but as a practical matter I think that's the answer to your question. At least, it's a place to start.

 

[ferider]

A good question, actually, because of what Dante said. Added to that

(1) some camera meters are more sensitive on the red side of the spectrum. For example, my M6 basically needs half stop correction for yellow (K2), and more for red filters.

(2) some films have yellow sensitivity and need less compensation. For example Tmax 100. All that being said, best is to try, experiment with a roll or two and go from there.

Roland.

 

[JBanderob]

Interesting thoughts Dante and Roland,

I am headed off to St. John's NFLD next week, so I will use that as a proving ground. I am going to try all the above mentioned suggestions. I think I have a light meter kicking around in some of the old studio gear I inherited from my dad.

As you may have noticed by my not knowing that my Bessa was ttl metered, I am pretty green with film photography. My first few rolls with this camera were to make sure my bulk loading was up to snuff and my RF was adjusted correctly. Turning out to be the never ending experiment I was hoping for getting into it.

Thanks again guys.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

I wouldn't worry too much about it as most films have enough latitude to cope with you being a stop or two out and the lab will often adjust when printing...

I've bracketed shots and then wondered what happened because the above two factors hid the effect; meaning your three bracketed shots come back as three almost identical prints.

Enjoy St Johns, Regards, David

 

[Ko.Fe.]

Welcome to new Member from Toronto!

Bessa R and 50/2, 35 2.5 was my set not so long time ago. I used it with yellow and R did very good job for metering. I was relaying on it so much, at some point I stopped using and understanding S16 rule.
Don't become me and use it. 🙂
100 film with yellow filter would become as 50.
Nothing to be worry about under dull day light. 1/250 and wide apertures will give something much more interesting comparing 125/11-8.
Cheers, Ko.

 

[mfogiel]

I'd like to give you some practical advice FWIW.
1) Load your HP5+ and set the ISO on the camera to 250
2) Point your camera from a short distance at something uniform, medium tonality, e.g. beige wall - focus at infinity
3) Take the light reading through the lens at your typical aperture stop
4) put your yellow filter on and repeat
5) record the difference
If you prefer, you can trust my words: a medium yellow filter of factor 2 ( 1 stop) will usually alter your internal meter reading only by 1/3rd of a stop, therefeore you need to compensate on the camera for the remaining 2/3rds of a stop - either through lowering further the ISO to 160 or by turning the exposure adjustment knob two notches down (+).

Rangefinder lenses are known for good rendering at wide apertures, even at EI 160 in sunshine you would have to go f 8.0 and 1/1000th - where do you live, in a coalmine?

 

[JBanderob]

Ha!
mfogiel, This summer hasn’t been particularly sunny in my part of the world, and in among the buildings of Toronto I regularly am shooting at 1/250th of a second with apertures from 2.8-8. I tend to avoid shooting with my lens wide open unless I really have time to focus.
Thanks for the information on determining metering difference with filters.