Viewing filter for B&W?

[AlexC]

Does anyone out there make use of a Wratten #90 viewing filter (or other viewing filter) when shooting black and white?

I've been rereading Ansel Adams' "The Negative" where he recommends the use of viewing filters to help pre-visualize and frame large-format B&W photographs. This makes sense for 4x5 or 8x10 as setup is so time consuming. Not sure about 35mm or MF rangefinders. Any thoughts?

 

[peterc]

I'd suggest taking pictures and seeing how the tones translate. However, even studying the scene through a light yellow filter will give you an idea of how the scene will look.

Peter

 

[Honu-Hugger]

My experience with the #90 is that it still takes a fair amount of imagination to complete the scene -- it doesn't really render a B&W image. However, I wouldn't discourage you from trying it for yourself -- you might find it helpful.

 

[Trius]

Peter and Honu: WADR (with all due respect), but I think a Wratten 90 is a wonderful tool for visualizing a scene in B&W. If you can visual without it, great. But if having it helps, (and it can only help), "Just super, Reggie, Super!"

Earl

 

[markinlondon]

These people make a thing called the monovue, a dark green filter with an evecup for just this purpose.

Mark

 

[eric mac]

Zone vi used to make these viewing filters in a nice holder, but they seem to be pricey on that auction site. I bought a Kodak gel filter and had it laminated at the Office big box store. It came out wavy from the heat, but serves its purpose. I think the filter mounted in a baseball card holder would also do the trick.

Eric

 

[John Camp]

I have the Zone VI filter but found that it was just one more thing to carry, and for most of the things I wanted to visualize as b&w, it didn't help that much -- because most of the stuff that I wanted to shoot in b&w either wasn't violently colored (landscapes) so you could visualize the b&w more easily, or, if it *was* violently colored, it was moving (people) and you could miss a photograph while visualizing...One thing I did do, and that I have in my car, is an old Kodak grey card (one of the cheap cardboard ones) into which I cut a 3x2 opening, and you can hold it out in front of yourself and move it back and forth and thus visualize crops at all reasonable focal lengths, and etc. and if you need a grey card, you've got one...The other thing about the Zone VI filter is that it was dark enough that it was most useful in bright light; the darkness of the filter somewhat obscured more subtle shadings. On the other hand, having put a somewhat negative spin on this, Fred Picker usually did not sell useless stuff, and his middle name was "subtle shading."

JC

 

[varjag]

Just squint your eyes people, squint. It'll do the color and clutter away nicely.

Previous owner of my 35mm finder has installed blue filter inside apparently for that purpose, but it is really inconvenient in low light.

 

[oftheherd]

I have tried that in the past. It seemed to me that you had to train your eye and brain to see that way even with the filter. I have no doubt there is merit to it as the old b/w film directors and shooters in the film industry used to use those. I just couldn't be bothered with it. I tried to learn to think in terms of how b/w film would render the scene and proceed from there. Sometimes I get it, sometimes (most?) I don't.

 

[John Camp]

I have the Zone VI filter but don't use it much; it's dark enough that it seems to obliterate subtle shading. Also, after I got it, I realized that the things that it was most useful for, like landscapes, are already reasonably easy to visualize, while the violently-colored hard to visualize stuff usually involve movement (like people in red jackets) and if you visualize you could miss the photo...I guess they'd work well in highly lit scenes with models, where you wouldn't have movement. To help with visualization, I cut a 2x3 hole in an old Kodak grey card, which I keep in my car, and so it's handy when I want to look in terms of crops. It also has an automatic zoom (my arm.) And I have a grey card if I need it...
If I sound a little negative about the Zone VI, it's because I don't use it, but Fred Picker was not known for selling useless stuff, and "subtle shading" was his middle name..

JC

 

[ZoneIII]

It appears from your question that you think that the viewing filter is only used for framing. Of course, it can be used for that, but it's main purpose is to try to reveal tonal mergers that will appear in the final b&w print so that you can choose a filter to control those mergers. As for framing, you don't need the filter for that. Just a piece of cardboard with a rectangle cut out of it that matches the aspect ratio of the format you will be shooting in is all you need for that. But with the #90 filter, the tool is useful for both purposes. You are correct that the framing function is not as useful with small formats as it is for large formats. As you suggest, a framing card (not necessarily with a #90 filter) saves more time with large format. However, too many small format photographers get in the habit of framing by walking back and forth while looking through their viewfinders. That's O.K. as long as you keep in mind that perspective is ONLY affected by camera postion. Lens focal length has absolutley no effect on perspective. So it is best to decice on camera position without looking through the camera. A viewing card eliminates the lens which prevents one from making an incorrect assumption about perspective when walking back and forth looking through a viewfinder. In any case, you should choose your camera position before looking through the viewfinder. That understood, you will see that a framing device can be useful in small formats as well.

 

[rpsawin]

Does anyone out there make use of a Wratten #90 viewing filter (or other viewing filter) when shooting black and white?

I've been rereading Ansel Adams' "The Negative" where he recommends the use of viewing filters to help pre-visualize and frame large-format B&W photographs. This makes sense for 4x5 or 8x10 as setup is so time consuming. Not sure about 35mm or MF rangefinders. Any thoughts?

Try Kodak. I beleive they make one in 75mm x 75mm size. Frankly, it's not as useful as it sounds. The filter is a bit flimsy so you may want to make a rigid cardboard fram for it if you plan on using it in the field.

It make sense as a learning tool and has a great deal of value for all photography platforms. 35mm photography is inherently faster than mf & lf and rf photography is the fastest of the 35mm format (yeah, I know...arguably). It may get in your way based on your shooting style by slowing down the process. I think it still serves a very good purpose if it helps you learn to “see” in b&w.

Best Regards,

Bob

 

[M4streetshooter]

I have on of those Zone VI filters that I dont use anymore....contact me and we'll come to terms.....but you hit the single biggest joy about my and my Digital RF cameras......I shoot Raw all the time and I have the viewing screen to view in B&W. I don't use it much but when I do and look at it....it's a beautiful thing to see the world in B&W and not just in my mind or prints...anyway....email or PM me and we'll get you that filter....don

 

[George Bonanno]

It's a waste of valuable time looking through a looking glass to pre-visualize a picture. Also, its more crap to carry around... as others indicated.

Train your brain to see the brightness values and eliminate the useless color information while shooting B&W. It's so simple even a child can do it.

As far as framing is concerned, just get familiar with the lens and aspect ratio your using. One lens - one camera. OK, I admit, I do the Cha Cha on the photo floor with a prime lens.

Sorry to be blunt but get with the program and take the picture. Some people think the world is going to stand still because they have a camera. That's just not the way it works.

News Flash... Ansel Adams is dead. He doesn't count anymore. There is little to be learned from reading his books... like reading old Motors Manuals. Unless of course you need to be lost in time and drive a Hudson Commodore.

 

[rpsawin]

It's a waste of valuable time looking through a looking glass to pre-visualize a picture.....

You sure, George?

Bob

 

[George Bonanno]

You sure, George?

Bob

Hi Bob,

What I said... I didn't say.

Best,
George

 

[ddutchison]

I'm with M4streetshooter up there. I carry a tiny digital p&s for colour shots (I just don't care about colour film the way I do about B&W), and I've started to find that I'll often shoot a single B&W "preview" if I have the time and am in doubt - kind of like how studio photographers used to use Polaroid.

One thing's for sure, if I like the preview I can get pretty excited about seeing the final results on film. I also like referring back to it when I get into the darkroom, It helps put me back to where I was when I took the shot.