 BetterPhoto Member |
Filters I am almost ready to buy some filters. I am taking a lot of black and white pictures for a class I am taking. I want to control the depth of field on a bright day so I know I want a neutral-gradient filter. That will work on color too, right? I know I can control this also by using a slower film but in B&W film the lowest I can find is 400. Also, I was recommended to get the three most common lenses #8, #11, and #25? What would you recommend? My main question: what is the difference between a Tiffen filter and a B&W filter beside a $10 price difference on each lens? There's one more lens manufacturers that are about the same price as Tiffen, so I would like to know why B&W lenses are more expensive? Thanks, truly - Mike Turner
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Jon Close |
Hi Mike, Are you using Kodak "Black & White + 400"? This is b&w film made for developing in C-41 color processing. It comes only in ASA 400. You should be able to find true b&w film like Kodak Plus-X Pan 125, T-Max 100, T-Max 400, Tri-X Pan 400 at local photo shops. A neutral density filter will lessen the brightness of a scene uniformly so that you can use a slower shutter speed and/or wider aperture. They are available in strengths: .3 cuts 1 stop, .6 cuts 2 stops, and .9 cuts 3 stops of light. It can be used with both black and white and color film. A neutral gradient filter fades from neutral density at the top to clear at the bottom, and rotates like a polarizer. It is used to get a more balanced exposure. For example, if you have a very bright sky and shaded foreground you would rotate the dark portion toward the sky to allow you to expose for detail in the shaded area without the sky area being overexposed. Like the neutral density filter, it can be used with both black and white and color film. I would get one of each of the #8 (medium yellow), #11 (green), and #25 (dark red) filters. They are each useful in different situations with black & white film. B+W filters (www.schneideroptics.com/filters/filters.htm) are more expensive than Tiffen (www.tiffen.com) because they are multicoated (both surfaces) to reduce flare and light loss, and are German-made and very high quality. Tiffen filters are, I believe, single-coated (one surface), American-made and good quality. I use Tiffen filters and recommend them without hesitation, but please keep in mind that I am not a professional photographer, just an avid hobbyist. ;-) Hope this helps you.
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