B&W filters for dramatic sky

First off, my equipement:

Rodenstock 210 (67 filter)
Schneider 110 (52 _rear_ filter)

I'm looking for some ideas for adding some dramatic skies. I've shot
quite a bit with yellow and red (screw in) filters and started playing
with orange filters last year, but I'm considering some Cokin type
filters.

The first question is, what's a good direction for the above two
lenses. I have a feeling that adding an adapter ring to the front of
the 110 will create some vignetting. (That's a question.)Remember that
price and weight does matter, and I'm not considering a Compendium. I
like the idea of putting a filter on the front of the 110 instead of
removing the lens and screwing in a 52 on the rear.

The other thing is, I've never played with any graduated filters. I
like the effect of a red filter on bringing out clouds, but it seems to
mess with the greens. Maybe there's a graduated red filter, a smoke
color, or an IR filter that works well on skies without messing with
the foilage. I'm all ears in this department. Also, it seems a 25A
(red) can be heavy handed sometimes, but the orange is not enough.

Jay Wenner

"Bjorn A. Payne Diaz" wrote

I'm looking for some ideas for adding some dramatic skies. I've shot
quite a bit with yellow and red (screw in) filters ...

Try a polarizer. I use one whenever the sun is out, just as useful
on a view camera as on a 35mm. On a view camera you want to use
the front threads, natch.

A polarizer in combination with a 25a gives _very_ dramatic skies.

Step-up rings will not cause any vignetting.

--
Nicholas O. Lindan, Cleveland, Ohio
Consulting Engineer: Electronics; Informatics; Photonics.
To reply, remove spaces: n o lindan at ix . netcom . com
psst.. want to buy an f-stop timer? nolindan.com/da/fstop/

"Bjorn A. Payne Diaz" wrote in
oups.com:

First off, my equipement:

Rodenstock 210 (67 filter)
Schneider 110 (52 _rear_ filter)

I'm looking for some ideas for adding some dramatic skies. I've shot
quite a bit with yellow and red (screw in) filters and started playing
with orange filters last year, but I'm considering some Cokin type
filters.

The first question is, what's a good direction for the above two
lenses. I have a feeling that adding an adapter ring to the front of
the 110 will create some vignetting. (That's a question.)Remember that
price and weight does matter, and I'm not considering a Compendium. I
like the idea of putting a filter on the front of the 110 instead of
removing the lens and screwing in a 52 on the rear.

The other thing is, I've never played with any graduated filters. I
like the effect of a red filter on bringing out clouds, but it seems to
mess with the greens. Maybe there's a graduated red filter, a smoke
color, or an IR filter that works well on skies without messing with
the foilage. I'm all ears in this department. Also, it seems a 25A
(red) can be heavy handed sometimes, but the orange is not enough.

Jay Wenner



Jay -

You didn't indicate the fron diameter of your 110. I have two lenses
(210 and 90mm) that both have a 67mm front thread, so I can use the same
filter ring on both.

One of the advantages of the Cokin system is that you can set yourself up
with one set of filters, and one holder, but with multiple rings to adapt
to various lenses. The only concern is vignetting - I haven't seen any
evidence with my 90mm (yet - but I'm always prepared for surprises!).

I've read that putting filters on the back of the lens is a good practice
(less problem with flare, etc), but it seems to me that it could be a
PITA to have to remove the lens board to make filter changes.

I started in LF using a Crown Graphic, and used ordinary Cokin A filters.
When I bought the Zone VI, I upgraded to Cokin's P series (80mm width).
But I intentionally chose to limit my selection to the basics - yellow,
yellow-green, orange, red, green, 2-stop grad, and 3-stop ND. I use the
grad a lot in outdoor work where the sky is noticeably brighter than the
rest of the scene.

Cokin also has an X series that is even larger, but its much more
expensive and much more limited in scope.

My experience is that Cokin filters are satisfactory for black and white
work where the objective is to tinker with the emotional content of the
scene. I've read, however, that they don't necessarily match standards
all that well, so there could be some fidelity issues when photographing
in color.

Louie

The filter thread on the 110 is a 67 mm, but a 67 EW. I remember the UV
filter I bought was fairly pricey because it's a thin filter. I guess I
should try a normal 67 on there and see if it's a problem, but I assume
it is. (Maybe it's not at F11 or greater.) Maybe a step filter would be
thin enough and would solve the problem for square filters, but it
would be good to hear from anyone who has been down this road, seen
this movie, and bring me up to speed on a simple eligant solution.

I really hate removing the lens to mount a 52 filter, because I feel I
have to refocus through the filter before exposing the film. Finally, I
have 52 mm filters, 67 mm filters, and I hate to buy 72mm (round)
filters if I have to step up to that via a step ring.

My main interest in the square filters is the graduated filters and the
ability to control the placement, and then some ability to use
graduated color filters for B&W.

Jay

"Bjorn A. Payne Diaz" wrote in message
ups.com...
The filter thread on the 110 is a 67 mm, but a 67 EW. I remember
the UV filter I bought was fairly pricey because it's a thin filter. I
guess I should try a normal 67 on there and see if it's a problem, but I
assume it is. (Maybe it's not at F11 or greater.) Maybe a step filter
would be thin enough and would solve the problem for square filters,
but it would be good to hear from anyone who has been down this
road, seen this movie, and bring me up to speed on a simple eligant
solution.

I use the Lee system for filters on MF and LF equipment. I doubt that your
110mm would vignette with a 67mm adapter ring, but it would be worth getting
the WA version to be sure. You could buy just the adapter ring as a start
to see, then get a holder - they sell on the auction site all the time, so
you'd be able to get most of your money back if it didn't work. I have more
than one holder, including one with three slots, and one with two - using
fewer slots reduces the possibility of the holder vignetting. Three slots
lets me use a grad plus a warm up, say, and also the Lee compendium shade
sotted into the front slot.

Do you have a centre filter for your 110mm? The front threads on that
aren't 67mm.


I really hate removing the lens to mount a 52 filter, because I feel I
have to refocus through the filter before exposing the film. Finally, I
have 52 mm filters, 67 mm filters, and I hate to buy 72mm (round)
filters if I have to step up to that via a step ring.

My main interest in the square filters is the graduated filters and the
ability to control the placement, and then some ability to use
graduated color filters for B&W.


I have a red graduate that is very nice for B&W - allowing darkening of blue
skies without affecting the tones of the foreground. I might get an orange
grad sometime too - probably wouldn't bother with a yellow since yellow
doesn't affect the typical foreground so much and I can therefore use the
'all-over' yellows I already have. I suppose a green grad might be nice
too, to use inverted while a red covers the sky...



Peter

No, I don't have a center filter, and as I think about it...I believe
the main reason for the EW filter, was so the filter did not contact
the front element of the lens. So I think a 67 mm step up ring would
not be a problem. I guess another option would be to find an old 67 mm
filter, pop out the glass, and use it as a 67 to 67 adapter, and screw
my 67 filters on the front. This may be a cheap solution to solve one
of my problems (rear mounting filters), but I'd have to test for
vignetting.

Jay