What does a yellow filter do on an overcast day?

[Lotuspec]

Haze reduction. Good thing you brought that up, I was missing it in the discussion:

In my experience, a yellow filter doesn't do much to landcsape scene contrast on an overcast day. (The reason it does on a sunny day is because the shadows contain more blue than the sunny spots).

I use it mainly if I want to reduce haze on an overcast day, or for the skin reproduction properties mentioned above.

In general, I would go with the very good rule stated above:
1.) If you don't know why you are using it, don't.
However, I would like to add to it my own cardinal rule of photography:
2.) If you are unsure about the effect of a particular technique, try it.

In this case: take shots with and without filter and compare. If you cannot see a difference, you have wasted one negative, but you have still learned something.

very good tip

 

[ferider]

A K2 filter almost always helps, although the effect is subtle.

Plus, the 1.5 stops you loose help bring your lens down to "reasonable" apertures. So for instance, I shoot Rollei Retro 100 at 25 ASA (incl. yellow filter), and can use 125/f8 - 1000/f2.8 in a sunny 16 situation, a much more useful aperture range than when shot without filter.

Roland.

 

[retnull]

Another resource for exploring filters is NIK SilverEFX. Their simulations are quite good, and have helped me get a feel for how different color filters work in "the real world".

 

[btgc]

Increase contrast, increase development time by 10-20%.

I just thought if last two rolls of Retro 100 I shot exclusively with yellow and green filters need some added development. I'll add 10% for first to be on safe side.

One roll I metered with +2/3EV so that probably would be fine with "normal" development.