Comparing Filters for Black & White Film Photography. Green? Hmmm!

[@julesgilson.]

unless you buy very expensive filters, the quoted light loss is very rough. The amount of adjustment you give for your orange looks spot on. Yellow looks slightly over compensated, red and green under compensated. Can test with grey cards or use the light meter with and without each filter in front of it.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Jules. I guess there is a price to pay for quality results. Do you mean point the meter through the filter on the actual scene. Or just test it at home? I've tested at home and I get 3 for red and 2 for green.

[@fotolookconde]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss when outdoors you should take light measurements with the filter in front of your spot meter. The spot meter compensates automatically and gives you the rigth reading. Then you just need to work out between high lights and shadows!

[@FrankWalsh]

@@fotolookconde Not all meters will correct properly for all filter colors. Certain filter types are more sensitive to different areas of the spectrum.

[@julesgilson.]

​@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss The surest way is to take shots of some grey card using the same film stock. Each film has different spectral sensitivity - for example Ilford Delta 400 is less sensitive to the green part of the spectrum than blue and especially red. I checked and it doesn't look like Kentmere include spectral response in the datasheet, but Ilford do and it wont be that far different I would assume. Same is true of light meters, differing spectral sensitivity. All of this is a complicated way of saying, shoot a grey card with various compensations - then you will know the right one for the filter/film combo. I have never done this for a green filter - so would be interesting to see if you do

[@borderlands6606]

Might be worth checking light transmission of each filter on a digital camera meter. In the 70s and 80s I used a green filter on B&W quite a bit, and it lightened anything green to a very pale tone.

[@Socrates...]

Please do a follow up video on these filters, very informative. Have a good Christmas and New Years.

[@maxencelemoine4190]

Yes, the results are... interesting. Like other people said, you should have had lighter greens with the green filter.

[@andrewford80]

4:48 looks like they're mixed up. Those leaves should be very light gray.

[@jonnoMoto]

I wonder if that kentmere pan 400 isn't that sensitive to the green wavelengths compared to others. Unfortunately the technical datasheet for the film doesn't have a spectral sensitivity chart, which is a bit unusual. Shadows have a blue tint which is why you get a boost to contrast with the yellow. Blue filter can reduce contrast.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Possibly Jonno. So many variables. Thanks.

[@brycepinson8641]

I searched but was unable to find the spectral curve for the kentmere. I suspect what is happening with the green filter is some combination of underexposure, with perhaps an unusual spectral curve on this film. Im not really sure. Try the same filter with something like HP5 and it *should* give you the more expected effect of making greens brighter.

[@victorcarmelo8606]

Thanks Roger. All the way to 10.40 I was puzzled by the green filter giving so much under exposure, since that it as you say, it should lighten the foliage.You gave the right two stop extra exposure as mentioned in "Using colour filters for B&W photography" from Ilford. but as you are using Cokin filters, they could need more exposure. Enjoyed this one as always, thanks.

[@deanc6515]

Thank you for keeping us thinking and experimenting throughout this mad year. Have a great Christmas Roger.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Dean.

[@neilpiper9889]

I use a yellow /green rollei bayonet filter on my Yashica Mat with a 75mm 3.5 Lumaxar lens with Ilford Hp5. I meter with my Yashica fxd quartz with a 50mm f2 ml lens. I use an extra stop in compensation. Blue skies and green foliage improved markedly.

[@dmdmorg]

"Very festive, there's shit everywhere" Priceless:) Happy Xmas>>

[@larsbunch]

Merry Christmas! I think you are right that you need to give the green filter a bit more exposure. I have a Tiffen 4x4 glass green #58 that needs 2 2/3 stops compensation. The red #29 requires 4 1/3! Most of my use of filters has been in shooting tri-color shots using red green and blue filters. (I have a particularly nice color shot of a magenta flower shot with Ilford FP4). If you haven’t done tri-color shots yet, I recommend experimenting in it. The resulting color pallet is really interesting and has a feel of color photography from the 1930s.

[@dgorenc66]

Well I would love to wish you and your family the BEST OF THE SEASON ......may the Universe find you all safe and sound with only better times ahead considering the condition of the planet as of DEC 2020; may 2021 find us all getting back to Normal. Your videos have helped me make the past recent months of LOCK DOWNS and RESTRICTIONS a learning experience in the World Of FILM PHTOTGRAPHY ............and the WORLD needs more people like you .......*REAL People **REAL VIDEOS about ***REAL Skills , just like YOU TUBE used to be ....and in my opinion what it needs to find again......You truthfully are one of the best CELEBS in the PHOTOG World on You tube .......I look forward to each video .....be well ........and thanks for all your efforts .......... Sincerely

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thats kind, thanks Darko!

[@batworker]

I’ve always just let the meter on the camera deal with the exposure compensation, and it works for me. That removes any variation between filters of the same type

[@nelsonclub7722]

What happened to Blue? A blue filter is not often associated with black & white photography however, it can really add “mood” to a photograph by increasing the effect of haze or fog. It also lightens blues and darkens yellows, oranges and reds which helps separation in scenes containing a mix of colours. A typical blue filter has a filter factor of 2 (the manufacturer will supply the exact factor with the filter) while most cameras with TTL metering will be able to correct automatically for the filter factor. Also using filters is entirely experimental - a glass filter can in most cases, (unless shaded properly), reflect quite a lot of light, and a resin filter absorb more, and it also depends on what film and film speed you are using too. Then there is the time and temp of C41 to take int consideration and whether you then use filters in the darkroom as well as the overall exposure of both the negative and the print.

[@chubbyadler3276]

We may need to play with the exposures a bit more, especially for the green, which looks like it may need more than the two stops that were speced. I did notice that the highlights in the yellow frames were often boosted, with cloud detail occasionally beginning to show on every one of them as well. Definitely some lore to play around with here.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I still can't get me head around green!

[@guillaumehary6197]

Roger, I think you should give it a second try: check the exposure at first, using a digital camera (?), try that green filter with another film ang get better light conditions. Wait for spring and make new tests ! Merry Christmas !

[@globbitz]

Another great video! I always tend to shot with a Yellow or Orange filter on HP5+, Red for big skies and seascapes. As for hthe Green filter it may well have a lot to do with the time of year as I have had great results with them but only when there is a lot of natures greenery about. As you said exposure has a lot to do with it too and testing to suit the camera is important as with a lot of older film cameras some shutter speeds in the range may be more accurate than others.. Have agreat xmas and keep the good work coming!

[@Resgerr]

Looking on Ilford’s website- green is usually 2stops. They do mention though that some TTL cameras don’t always adjust correctly, so maybe do the pictures again but use your hand held meter to meter the scene and adjust the filter factor from that reading.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Lot more playing with filters. The answers are in the playing somewhere lol

[@Resgerr]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss I need to play with my filters as well!

[@jimgraves4197]

Knowing how coloured filters affect the light and how and when to use them for best effect is something I hope to learn more about in 2021. It's not as easy as it looks, there's science to be learned.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Me too Jim. I've never really been a filter user but trying them out each shoot will help a lot.

[@PiratePhD]

Did you get the filter factor right for the green filter? My Tiffen filter needs a 2.6 stop compensation.

[@alexadrianov8357]

Cokin's #004 green filter has the filter factor of 1.5 stops

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

It says 1.5 but my meter was giving 2.

[@alexadrianov8357]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss the results with this filter are strange indeed. I did buy orange and green filters for my Kiev-60 recently, but I'll have to wait till the spring to try them - everything is petty much grey in the winter where I'm at

[@steveh1273]

That green filter must be the dense one that blocks red and requires 3 to 4 stops extra. A number 11 yellow green would require 2 to 2.5 extra stops and would fall around the looks of a yellow filter but with brighter greens. Whatever Cokin green filter you have requires about 4 stops more than no filter.

[@gusatvoschiavon]

In the movie the lighthouse they used an cyan filter over the lens, I wanted to try it out but it appears that cyan filters are the most rare type of color filter

[@filmlovephotography]

Merry Christmas Roger, I believe you must give at least 4 stops on the green filter and 4 stops on the red filter. Looks underexposed to my eye. Maybe a video doing different exposures and see with the grafic of the spectral sensitivity of the film. Happy holidays 👍 and be safe my friend. Cheers

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Cheers Peds. Enjoy!

[@glenntaylor7906]

Got to admit I thought the premise of the green filter was to lighten the foliage..... A faulty green filter... or exposure error? Happy Christmas

[@guillermoperezsantos]

4 stops for a green filter is very very unusual, maybe an error...

[@gavinc5562]

I think you may be right about 2.5 or 3 stops that green filter did seem a bit dark but another good video 👍🏻

[@bigal7715]

Merry Christmas Roger. All the best. Thanks for all the great videos.

[@baxtermarrison5361]

I tend to use green for portrait work. It just gives a little more detail to the skin tones. If I'm going for a more contrasty look to the portrait then red is ideal.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I've heard Green for Portraits. Cheers Baxter.

[@petervanorsouw2858]

As Kermit the frog said "its not easy being green" 🐸 Merry Christmas to you and your family,🎄 thanks for a great year in photographery 📸 🥂

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Happy holidays!

[@arty2917]

A video from SFLaB! What a wonderful Christmas present! Thanks, Roger - Merry Christmas!

[@devroombagchus7460]

Thanks! very clear. I have yellow and orange filters and what I saw, that's enough for now.

[@Paws2Explore]

Another awesome video cheers, I have been playing around with filters and agree green will defo being staying at home.. yellow and red are my go to everytime.

[@Ferrari360Spyder]

Picked up a Nisha Bay 1 Red filter for my Yashica 12 tlr... cant wait to play around with it and see the results Great video, very informative. 📸🙏

[@theoldfilmbloke]

I have a CHINON CG-5 . I would have set 'AUTO' exposure ie Aperture Priority and set + 1 compensation for the scenes where you had a lot of SKY and/or White Water, then the auto would have metered the filter Density for you --- if you set 'Manual Exposure' the light was probably changing too quickly before you added the next filter.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

That's a good point Pete. Legend.

[@josephasghar]

The yellow in dense foliage looks like it does a great job. Merry Christmas!

[@julianwilliams4750]

Came across a vid from The Naked Photographer on enlarger alignment. I didn't know this was a thing. Just wondered whether you worry about this and have had to adjust your enlarger etc. IF so, would you be up for shooting a video on this subject. Cheers Julian

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Unless I see any issues with my prints, I.E, out of focus edges or unevenly lit areas I wouldn't touch it. Still a good thing to know how to do in case. I'll have to check that out. Cheers.

[@iainmc9859]

I've noticed this with photoshop in colour photography. Most of what we perceive as green is actually yellow. Interesting to see that confirmed with filters in B&W; although the green plastic itself did also look a lot darker than either of the yellow or orange filters. I might just carry an orange filter with B&W film from now on. Although, my main enemy to correct exposure is forgetting to bring my reading glasses so I can't see the tiny figures on my light meter.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Happens to me also re glasses!!

[@jamesdecross1035]

Q: so what's happening with the green filter? Is that Pan-400 film not so responsive to the blue-end of the spectrum?

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Not got a clue James. I think that could possibly be an answer as someone else mentioned. Another film with the green may work better.

[@richardstollar4291]

Blue filters are good for fog and snow (so I am told because they're also hard to find).

[@GregoryVeizades]

www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/54324-REG I mean, not that hard

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

I don't have any blue to try out Richard. Need to order one for future playing!

[@richardstollar4291]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss I guessed you wouldn't as it's not that usual. Looks like you have the same Cokin B&W set that I have ;)

[@jrodori]

Though it exceeded the scope of this video, I still can’t shake the feeling that this was a missed opportunity to provide a proof of concept of the color separation method of Prokudin-Gorskii.

[@thomaschipman]

happy christmas, roger and fam

[@pollux4447]

I think the filter link got lost. Could you ad it? Thanks and good vid btw.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Done!

[@pollux4447]

@@ShootFilmLikeaBoss thanks!!

[@guillermoperezsantos]

my green filter just need 2 stops, your looks under exposed...

[@filmlovephotography]

All depends on the spectral sensitivity of the film, some filmes are more sensitive to some colors than others. The best it's to experiment. Happy christmas 👍

[@hedger0w]

@@filmlovephotography In Cokin webpage they say the filter factor for green filter is 3x (1.5 stops).

[@filmlovephotography]

@@hedger0w I know but those are just guidelines, depend what film you are using, some filmes are more sensitive to blue and green then others films.

[@jacasan2000]

Thank you Roger for share this useful video... I always wondering about the effect of different colors filters .. Just i get the yellow for now ,and see the first results..👍👍👏👏👏

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Glad it was helpful!

[@AlysVintageCameraAlley]

I thought filters darken the color. Such as a yellow filter soaks up the yellows and darken say a sky because of the yellow of the sun. That may be what happened with the green filter. But I may be wrong.

[@mikejankowski6321]

Sorry, you have it backwards. All the colors that you *don't* see when you look at the filter are being absorbed by it. Thus, they darken in the image to varying degrees depending on the color wheel relationship. Red darkens the sky the most because it is far away from blue. A green filter will pass the green of the foliage along to the film in preference over the others, making it relatively lighter. All other things being equal, that is.

[@AlysVintageCameraAlley]

@@mikejankowski6321 thanks for letting me know

[@tonyb2760]

Thank you and merry Christmas

[@jdebultra]

Love your videos. Each film has different characteristics, black-and-white. In all reality, you may consider A film's characteristic on its data sheet. David Hancock has some wonderful videos on film and its characteristics, you may find his research useful. As an example, Ilford HP5 plus Responds well to Orange filters, David covers this in his review of the film. Personally I would never use a film that did not have a Care eristic data for their film, at least for their black-and-white. Check out David's videos on a crowse Tri X and HP5.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

You're not wrong. I think I'm gonna stick to my common films for filter practice. HP5, Pan50 and Ortho 80

[@neilpentecost8521]

My god , even the candles 🕯 are BIG!, your living the dream up there ✅

[@raybeaumont7670]

Hope you realise the filters will produce different results depending on the film - orth or panchro. Carry on playing - all good fun. Merry Christmas to you, George and the family. Stay safe!

[@stefaanverlinde9726]

Thanks Roger, blessings to you and your family and George of course !

[@jhenline7813]

Great stuff Roger. Hope you have a happy Christmas.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Thanks, you too!

[@snapsnappist4529]

Shame about the green filter results, but an interesting exercise nonetheless. Nice choice of lens as well. Just thinking that since the SMC 50 f2 was often the kit lens bundled with the K1000, thousands and thousands of student photographers must have learned photography with that lens. Cheers for all the videos this year. Hope you and the family have a merry xmas and a happy new year. Cheers!

[@alanhuntley55]

I'm surprised that the yellow filter lightened your shadows because shadow areas are generally filled with blue light from the sky and yellow darkens blue.

[@nickfanzo]

I use green a lot for plants

[@costinsavin4831]

A little underexposed imho. Great video, as always. Merry Christmas and the best wishes to you and your family.

[@odukar2315]

The "green" filter normally darkens red, lightens blue, and lightens green! I'm confused about your green filter! p.s. George is a really good boy!

[@guillermoperezsantos]

The green filter shots are under exposed...

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

As Guillermo say I think I needed more exposure on the green and red with that film.

[@brineb58]

Fun to see the results, but for me the yellow seems to be the best filter ...the green seems pretty bad ... I do know it's good for nudes, shows wild body imperfections!!!

[@cnccontroller]

Fine! Thank you!

[@annadenaro9919]

Thank you for another great and interesting video

[@russellspeight5175]

You need to learn how each coloured filter affects the colours that appear in your composition, therefore a colour image would have been useful for reference rather than just looking at the difference between each shot (I appreciate this may have been in your head, but obviously not in the video). This is one of the hardest things to get your head around, but can be negated by: orange or yellow generally improve things! I use a green filter for woodland photography from spring to late summer and the correction is normally 2 stops, btw - this may change with your filter.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Exactly Russell, I need to keep using them and learn how they work for various scenes. All fun

[@JanneRanta]

You need a tripod sponsor bad :D

[@JohnTomasella]

I think your DSLR is messing up what the filters are doing when you scan them. I like shooting the green filter mid day when the sun is harsh on the leaves, it turns them white king of like infrared.

[@JohnTomasella]

@@mtryambon Sorry I forgot to add the context that he scanned them with the dslr, I edited my reply as to not confuse anyone.

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

lol, cheers John. That's what I thought, I'd get lighter leaves and more separation. Bizarre. First try though.

[@malcsayer7133]

Good video boss, comments below make for good reading, as for George it looked to me like you got a bit of a bollocking 😞😂

[@ShootFilmLikeaBoss]

Ha, that carried on for about 10 minutes Malc!

[@carstennorwaynorge2195]

Nice video. 👍🏻

[@B3D5X]

Shame your normal film was out so you had to buy the nicest-looking most versatile yet somehow also the most affordable film on the market.

[@joeltunnah]

All the Ilford films (including Kentmere) are now (Oct 2021) cheaper than Kodak, here in the states. Kind of bizarre.

[@KoalaMeatPie]

I was under the impression that (compared to a colour wheel) coloured filters "lighten up" matching colours and darken colours on the opposite side of the wheel - quite surprised with the Green filter. This throws my reality completely off. UNLESS, the film is less sensitive to greens? What happens with a Blue filter in a red/blue scene?