Do you use a color filter on your Elmar 50/3.5?

[Whateverist]

I'm not using a color filter for BW film at the moment (used to use a Russian knock-off A36 yellow), and I'm wondering if there is a sufficiently noticeable effect to start using one again. I rarely noticed the difference in my photos but I don't know if this is because the effect is subtle or because my processing is hit-and-miss.

 

[Jerevan]

It depends. If you do wet printing it can have an effect. Of course using a yellow filter to bring out weak clouds in a sky when making landscape photographs can be useful even when you can do Photoshop massage.

I tend to use a green A36 filter.

 

[David Hughes]

Hi,

Yes, or a yellow-green one but only with B&W film; mentioned for those getting here via Google.

Who are the Russians knocking off by the way? Asking that as most filters look the same to me regardless of who or where they were made...

Regards, David

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I do, I use the A36 clamp-on and the Walz 19mm screw-in filters on the 5cm Elmar.
I have several flavors of both types, but I usually stick to Y1 or Y2 filters when shooting B/W.

I could have benefited from a Green filter for when I'm hiking through the woods from time to time, but I usually forget to bring it for such an occasion 😉

 

[Dralowid]

Orange filter, ignore the vignetting, can't remember which hood I was using but the clamp on filter made it encroach

CNV00009 by dralowid, on Flickr

 

[Mr_Flibble]

I think the vignetting adds character to your image Dralowid. I used an orange/amber (85C Wratten?) on a Kodak Signat 35 last week. I have one in A36 clamp-on as well.
Will probably give it a go on a 35mm Elmar when it arrives from Tom Eitnier.



I had very strong vignetting with an A36 Y2 filter and a variable FIKUS hood on a 35mm Elmar at wide apertures, I think you can work around it a bit on the 50mm by setting the FIKUS hood to the 35mm line.

 

[WJJ3]

I use a yellow filter on my Elmar for outdoor daylight photos. These 19mm screw-in Kenko filters are available brand new in Japan for ￥2000
yellowfilter2 by WilliamJosephJefferson, on Flickr

yellowfilter1 by WilliamJosephJefferson, on Flickr

 

[Dralowid]

For me the deeper filters like orange give a more '30s' feel to a picture's sky, almost as if an old roll of orthochromatic (????) film had been used...don't really know what I am talking about but hope you get the idea!

 

[FPjohn]

Medium yellow, always.

 

[Bingley]

I also usually use a yellow filter for daylight shooting. I've also used a green filter - here's a sample:

Morning walk by bingley0522, on Flickr

 

[charjohncarter]

I don't very often use my Leica clamp on filters, I do use an orange filter with Arista EDU ultra 400 and 100. I like the effect they give which is not as much as you would expect. The orange filter with Trix gives me more effect than I desire. Yellow filter for Trix, Tmax400, Tmax100; IF, I need it.

Here is Arista EDU ultra 400, at 200, with my orange filter:

Arista EDU ultra 100-HC-110h by John Carter, on Flickr

You do lose a little shadow detail though which I don't like.