The example I often talk about, is a red rose with B&W, the red of the rose and the green stem are often very close grey tones in B&W, so you have to use a filter to make the stem or the rose to stand out.
I had this exact problem in using my Fuji xt3. I tried without a filter and with the red, yellow, and green filters as well as with different white balance and K values both with monochrome and acros, but I did not find a combination that showed an appreciable difference between the green and red tones.
Interesting suggestion of never using green or blue on skin, sometimes they can create really powerful and intimate portraits by bringing out freckles and stuff. But do prefer orange/yellow on skin normally! Also red/orange filters on vibrant mid day blue skies can be insane, especially when there’s fluffy white clouds!
@Grimmlord Blakk yes there is also yellow-orange filters and other variations. Heliopan is a wonderful manufacturer. So is B&W, which is very pricey though. Currently I'm using the popular vintage Hoya K2 yellow and #25 red filters as well as a Tiffen #29 dark red. Optically they also use good glass but don't have the nice brass mountings but it's not the super cheap aluminum either. They are more solid and heavy so they will not swell or seize as easily. They are also not cheaply dyed glass I believe they are all laminated color between optical glass as well (?) Not totally sure for the Hoya ones but they seem nice and seem to have a good reputation. If I get a super super dark red filter I will probably go with B&W because it's harder to make those and they seem to have the darkest, if I ever use it for really dramatic landscapes. By the way does anyone know, can you successfully stack red filters like the #25 and #29?
Great video, been shooting a lot of b&w film the past year but never with a filter! Always been curious what exactly it enhanced. Watched a few of your videos and they've been awesome, stick at it!
Nice vid. I’ve been shooting with colour filters forever and it is critical for bw film photography. A tip to apply to digital, is to apply a colour mask to a colour photo before converting it to black & white to get the same effect. This also works great if you have scanned colour film, but want a black & white digital image. I have saved different presets in Photoshops for digital bw conversions with different colour filters in postprod. Works a treat!
Best video on black and white filters I’ve seen, thanks for making it. I’m using a TLR so I guess I’ll have the choice of previewing what the filter looks like first... something to experiment with at least.
Very nice video! One thing which can be added is that the absorption spectrum of the film in use might not work for all color filters. FP4+ 125 has for example a very low absorption band in the yellow/orange which means that an orange filter is pretty much useless with this kind of film. So before using filters with a film, check out the film's absorption spectrum to see if it is receptive in the desired color filter range.
I'm sure that you have some, but step-up rings are awesome for adapting larger filters for smaller diameter lenses. I get that with a rangefinder, a too-large filter could impact your ability to frame and focus the camera, but instead of having to hold the filter up to your camera, you could just mount it with a step-up ring. It's less of a deal with an SLR because you're metering and viewing through the lens. My largest diameter lenses are 77mm, so I have 77mm filters with cheap $4 step-up rings for my smaller lenses.
A red filter would actually smooth the skin by lightening the tone of blemishes to reflect the average skin tone. Sometimes people's lips look the same colour as their cheek when using a red filter, but this is an extreme example. If you want to bring out the freckles and imperfections in skin a blue filter would do more.
A Wratten #58 Green is a very dark green filter and can have a very dramatic effect on the contrast of green to red. For the longer exposure you may need a tripod.
Regarding exposure. What would be the effect if you used a 400 iso film with a one stop filter but set the iso at 800? The exposure would be the same as for iso 400 but would the contrast be different? Thanks Nick
First of all: if your meter is TTL then you don’t need to adjust your exposure. Since the light being read has already passed through the filter the camera will make the adjustments itself. Secondly, pushing film and adding film both increase contrast, so if you added a filter and also pushed it a stop it would be different, yes
Thanks! Sorry about the Autofocus - the video camera I use is supposed to detect my face but was fooled by the rims of my glasses. I'll try locking it off for the next one.
Was the film developed using stand development? I was curious as stand development tends to give lower contrast negatives, I wasn’t sure if that would lower the effect
Do you know if color filters for black and white is affected differently in higher altitudes? Like, does an orange filter at high elevation give the same effect on blue sky as red at sea level?
Because the light becomes 'bluer' at altitude it makes sense to assume the warm filters would have a greater effect. However, the jump from Orange to Red is quite a big step, I'd suggest it would be more like jumping to a light orange filter to a deep orange filter. I know that there's less haze at altitude as well.
excellent video. thank you for teaching us. do you know how the interaction would change when using these color filters with an orthochromatic or super panchromatic B&W film? I'm having a hard time thinking about how they would interact.
@@JonathanNotley yes I understand what Ortho is. But what would the result be if I used a Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, or Orange filter on Ortho? I thought using a red filter on Ortho would do nothing but I believe I saw one sample image where it did have an effect where the reds would be and it didn't make sense to me. I don't think it's really a novelty but it's certainly not the norm. It was used in filming various older movies. It has a very dramatic effect on pigment in the skin especially if you're shooting someone who is a red head with freckles or you want to take dramatic photos of the elderly. I think they also used it in the movie the lighthouse? I would say super panchromatic is more of a novelty usage wise.
Thanks for the great content! Are you filming with a LOG profile? If so, I would highly recommend you to color grade your footage to add more contrast, especially for the outside footage. Thanks again for the good comparison.
@@joeltunnah Because you will get true blacks - as black as your paper will get and bright whites and every shade in between, assuming the developing time is also somewhat adjusted. By the way, it's not overexposing - just exposing at your film's true speed. Test rolls using your usual film, light meter, developer and printing paper are necessary. Of course, filters can be added to get certain effects, but they will push tones more one way or the other. Deep red, for instance, will darken blacks, whiten whites and compress a lot of the greyer tones. There's a great article still on the web on this subject called "Personalizing Your Film's Speed".
Outstanding comparison video. In fact all your videos are well worth watching. My EDC is a Leica IIIf, with Elmar 5cm f/3.5 (used most often), Summaron 3.5cm f/3.5, also Canon LTM 50mm f/1.4. All use the yellow filter. FYI, From ISO, name is “International Organization for Standardization” website www.iso.org/about-us.html Scroll down to where it reads: It is all in the name Because 'International Organization for Standardization' would have different acronyms in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation), our founders decided to give it the short form ISO. ISO is derived from the Greek isos, meaning equal. Whatever the country, whatever the language, we are always ISO. Thus when speaking about film speed it is not I.S.O., it is one word, iso.
I noticed you don’t agitate and use only the stick - are you not concerned of uneven development? I kept reading about this but don’t have any first hand experience. Ilford guides always show agitation and never the stick...
The example I often talk about, is a red rose with B&W, the red of the rose and the green stem are often very close grey tones in B&W, so you have to use a filter to make the stem or the rose to stand out.
I had this exact problem in using my Fuji xt3. I tried without a filter and with the red, yellow, and green filters as well as with different white balance and K values both with monochrome and acros, but I did not find a combination that showed an appreciable difference between the green and red tones.
@@shy-guy5544 try an orange filter perhaps
@@highlander200107 Thanks but it not available with Fuji.
@@shy-guy5544 try in post production
@@highlander200107 So far I have only worked with jpeg. Thanks
Great teaching video about the filter use. Thank you. RS. Canada
Interesting suggestion of never using green or blue on skin, sometimes they can create really powerful and intimate portraits by bringing out freckles and stuff. But do prefer orange/yellow on skin normally! Also red/orange filters on vibrant mid day blue skies can be insane, especially when there’s fluffy white clouds!
Yeah Fujifilm says G filter is great for portraits in the acros description
@Grimmlord Blakk I have a hoya k2 yellow is that the same as the #8 for other brands?
@Grimmlord Blakk I will also get those. I haven't decided which orange yet 🤔 there is more variation with orange filters.
@Grimmlord Blakk yes there is also yellow-orange filters and other variations. Heliopan is a wonderful manufacturer. So is B&W, which is very pricey though. Currently I'm using the popular vintage Hoya K2 yellow and #25 red filters as well as a Tiffen #29 dark red. Optically they also use good glass but don't have the nice brass mountings but it's not the super cheap aluminum either. They are more solid and heavy so they will not swell or seize as easily. They are also not cheaply dyed glass I believe they are all laminated color between optical glass as well (?) Not totally sure for the Hoya ones but they seem nice and seem to have a good reputation. If I get a super super dark red filter I will probably go with B&W because it's harder to make those and they seem to have the darkest, if I ever use it for really dramatic landscapes. By the way does anyone know, can you successfully stack red filters like the #25 and #29?
Great video, been shooting a lot of b&w film the past year but never with a filter! Always been curious what exactly it enhanced. Watched a few of your videos and they've been awesome, stick at it!
Nice vid. I’ve been shooting with colour filters forever and it is critical for bw film photography.
A tip to apply to digital, is to apply a colour mask to a colour photo before converting it to black & white to get the same effect. This also works great if you have scanned colour film, but want a black & white digital image.
I have saved different presets in Photoshops for digital bw conversions with different colour filters in postprod. Works a treat!
Best video on black and white filters I’ve seen, thanks for making it. I’m using a TLR so I guess I’ll have the choice of previewing what the filter looks like first... something to experiment with at least.
Very nice video! One thing which can be added is that the absorption spectrum of the film in use might not work for all color filters. FP4+ 125 has for example a very low absorption band in the yellow/orange which means that an orange filter is pretty much useless with this kind of film. So before using filters with a film, check out the film's absorption spectrum to see if it is receptive in the desired color filter range.
Wow. I did not know that. Thanks. RS. Canada
Very helpful to me. In process of black and white photography course, and your video fits in very nicely. Thank you for posting.
Great results with orange filter on portraits !!
Great video - thanks Jonathan
You explain this perfectly, and the shot is beautiful too. thank you! The orange filter on skin trick just blew my mind man
Thanks Jonathan! Gonna try these out on the early flowers in my local park
I'm sure that you have some, but step-up rings are awesome for adapting larger filters for smaller diameter lenses. I get that with a rangefinder, a too-large filter could impact your ability to frame and focus the camera, but instead of having to hold the filter up to your camera, you could just mount it with a step-up ring. It's less of a deal with an SLR because you're metering and viewing through the lens. My largest diameter lenses are 77mm, so I have 77mm filters with cheap $4 step-up rings for my smaller lenses.
Great video, thanks!
when shooting b&w ive been using a yellow filter for over a year, i prefer the highlights with a yellow filter. great video thanks
Super instructional. Cheers!
Awesome to see you back Jonathan! Really great straight to the point showcase here of the differences, cleared some of it up for me!
You explain things very well, great video!
Cheers to a great new year; excited to see more of your videos!
Well explained Jonathan. Have a good 2019!
Thanks Stephan - Happy 2019 to you too!
Great video. Lots to learn. RS. Canada
Great video, well done.
Extremely lucid instructional video.
Nice and calm video! Subscribed now!
great! i just got a green and an orange filter for my rollei
Thank you for your effort a clear and informative explanation 👍
Glad it was helpful!
Good video, many thanks. Could you explain how much compensation you use if you use a light meter, are they marked ?
Each filter has a different transmission factor it’s usually printed on the rim. Sometimes it’s in stops sometimes it’s in ‘0.5x’
to get that high contrast, see all the imperfections in the skin the lighthouse kind of look i guess i need the red filter.
A red filter would actually smooth the skin by lightening the tone of blemishes to reflect the average skin tone. Sometimes people's lips look the same colour as their cheek when using a red filter, but this is an extreme example. If you want to bring out the freckles and imperfections in skin a blue filter would do more.
Great vid, what was the rangefinder you used?
Leica M6
good, happy new year
Nice video! I just started experimenting with filters myself. Interesting to see the comparisons
I always have an orange filter with me, but honestly I use it rarely, because I take pictures mainly in low light conditions.
nice video! thank you!
A Wratten #58 Green is a very dark green filter and can have a very dramatic effect on the contrast of green to red. For the longer exposure you may need a tripod.
Regarding exposure. What would be the effect if you used a 400 iso film with a one stop filter but set the iso at 800? The exposure would be the same as for iso 400 but would the contrast be different? Thanks Nick
First of all: if your meter is TTL then you don’t need to adjust your exposure. Since the light being read has already passed through the filter the camera will make the adjustments itself. Secondly, pushing film and adding film both increase contrast, so if you added a filter and also pushed it a stop it would be different, yes
Good Video - My distant memories of film makes me think the Red filter should have been more dramatic...
The effect is most pronounced at mid day, golden hour takes the edge off.
@@JonathanNotley Thanks - now I Remember...
Very good explained! But please: switch off the autofocus of your videocam. It's really a pain to see scenes out of focus...
Thanks! Sorry about the Autofocus - the video camera I use is supposed to detect my face but was fooled by the rims of my glasses. I'll try locking it off for the next one.
7:30 if you know how stereo images work, try this one.
Was the film developed using stand development? I was curious as stand development tends to give lower contrast negatives, I wasn’t sure if that would lower the effect
Developed using Hc-110 (B) with standard agitations
Do you know if color filters for black and white is affected differently in higher altitudes? Like, does an orange filter at high elevation give the same effect on blue sky as red at sea level?
Because the light becomes 'bluer' at altitude it makes sense to assume the warm filters would have a greater effect. However, the jump from Orange to Red is quite a big step, I'd suggest it would be more like jumping to a light orange filter to a deep orange filter. I know that there's less haze at altitude as well.
Which camera are you using?
Eddwin Gregg leica m6
excellent video. thank you for teaching us. do you know how the interaction would change when using these color filters with an orthochromatic or super panchromatic B&W film? I'm having a hard time thinking about how they would interact.
This video relates to panchromatic films. Ortho films are more of a novelty but essentially they just have a lower frequency response.
@@JonathanNotley yes I understand what Ortho is. But what would the result be if I used a Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, or Orange filter on Ortho? I thought using a red filter on Ortho would do nothing but I believe I saw one sample image where it did have an effect where the reds would be and it didn't make sense to me. I don't think it's really a novelty but it's certainly not the norm. It was used in filming various older movies. It has a very dramatic effect on pigment in the skin especially if you're shooting someone who is a red head with freckles or you want to take dramatic photos of the elderly. I think they also used it in the movie the lighthouse? I would say super panchromatic is more of a novelty usage wise.
Thanks for the great content! Are you filming with a LOG profile? If so, I would highly recommend you to color grade your footage to add more contrast, especially for the outside footage. Thanks again for the good comparison.
I graded this on a print-calibrated monitor which is why it’s a bit flat. I’ll use a standard display profile for this week’s
But I really like this look. The look of video suits the theme.
Which camera did you use to shoot this video?
Your standard yellow #8 filter takes away about 1 stop of light.
Really nice vid, great simple way of understanding how each filter reacts! C Sonnar video soon please?
It’s on my list. Such a (C)razy lens
It depends on whether your scanning film or using a real darkroom enlarger. The best all around filter when shooting B&W is a polarizing filter.
Nonsens
If black and white films are shot at their true speeds, (eg., 400=150; 120+=50), the need for orange and red filters diminishes considerably.
Igaluit Channel true
I don’t understand. What does overexposing the film have to do with color tonal separation?
@@joeltunnah Because you will get true blacks - as black as your paper will get and bright whites and every shade in between, assuming the developing time is also somewhat adjusted. By the way, it's not overexposing - just exposing at your film's true speed. Test rolls using your usual film, light meter, developer and printing paper are necessary. Of course, filters can be added to get certain effects, but they will push tones more one way or the other. Deep red, for instance, will darken blacks, whiten whites and compress a lot of the greyer tones. There's a great article still on the web on this subject called "Personalizing Your Film's Speed".
Can you use a warm colour filter on colour c41 film?
No you need an 81A/B to warm colour film. The black and white filters are too strong.
Thanks for the simple explanations.
P.S Katie, don't worry, you're stunning.
❤️
Outstanding comparison video. In fact all your videos are well worth watching. My EDC is a Leica IIIf, with Elmar 5cm f/3.5 (used most often), Summaron 3.5cm f/3.5, also Canon LTM 50mm f/1.4. All use the yellow filter.
FYI, From ISO, name is “International Organization for Standardization” website www.iso.org/about-us.html
Scroll down to where it reads:
It is all in the name
Because 'International Organization for Standardization' would have different acronyms in different languages (IOS in English, OIN in French for Organisation internationale de normalisation), our founders decided to give it the short form ISO. ISO is derived from the Greek isos, meaning equal. Whatever the country, whatever the language, we are always ISO.
Thus when speaking about film speed it is not I.S.O., it is one word, iso.
Yeah, nobody other than you and Tony Northrup are saying “eye-so”.
I noticed you don’t agitate and use only the stick - are you not concerned of uneven development? I kept reading about this but don’t have any first hand experience. Ilford guides always show agitation and never the stick...
I agitate the developer and use stick for stop and fix depending on how dry I need to keep my hands
I’ve only ever used the stick agitation for all my developing. Never once had uneven dev or any other issue. It’s there for a reason, LOL.
No sign of Brandt and Bacon I sup[pose.