Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2000/05/14

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Subject: RE: [Leica] B&W filter selection
From: "Jean-Claude Berger" <jcberger@jcberger.com>
Date: Sun, 14 May 2000 10:39:33 +0200

> Gwen & Jim Long wrote:
> >
> > Will my Leica B&W filters (yellow, yellow-green and red) have the same
> > contrast enhancing effect on their subjects using the "color" films that are
> > C-41 processed (such as Kodak B&W Select) as they have with regular B&W
> > films?
> >
> > Jim

Hi Jim,

Yes but the spectral response of the 400CN is different of the, say, Tri-X one.
The skies are denser as if you already had a yellow filter. For example, I did
not manage to get good results with a green filter on landscapes. The tree
leaves just seem washed out and don't present the subtle grey separation we got
with old films. Also, I discovered that I don't have to (actually, I should not)
apply as much exposure compensation as with traditional films. Don't forget too
that those films are made so they present less contrast than real BW films. You
will enhance contrast if you need in your lab.

A last thing, from what I read (never tried it) from a sensitometry guru
(Bernard Leblanc) XP2 had a spectral response far closer to traditional films
than 400CN.

All the best,

- --
Jean-Claude Berger (jcberger@jcberger.com)
Systems and RDBMS consultant (MCSE)
Lyon, France
http://www.jcberger.com


> Gwen & Jim Long wrote:
> >
> > Will my Leica B&W filters (yellow, yellow-green and red) have the same
> > contrast enhancing effect on their subjects using the "color" films that are
> > C-41 processed (such as Kodak B&W Select) as they have with regular B&W
> > films?
> >
> > Jim
>
> You mean on Chromegic films: XP2 and I don't see why not!!
> All films have slightly different ways of absorbing various wavelengths and
> responses to reciprocity failure and all that stuff can be looked up on a film
> by film basis.
> Mark Rabiner
>