How many of you using color filters?

[leica1215]

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It will be my first monochrome, no experience at all. I know that monochrome don't perform well in bright sunny day, so wondering should I get yellow filters from leica? I read from Leica site said their yellow filter will do 1 3/4 effect and b+w yellow will do 2 factor.

 

1. Do I need a filter or can I just adjust shutter speed to compensate?

 

2 do I have to stick on Leica' s filter? Since different has slight different factor?

 

Thanks

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[Matlock]

It will be my first monochrome, no experience at all. I know that monochrome don't perform well in bright sunny day, so wondering should I get yellow filters from leica? I read from Leica site said their yellow filter will do 1 3/4 effect and b+w yellow will do 2 factor.

 

1. Do I need a filter or can I just adjust shutter speed to compensate?

 

2 do I have to stick on Leica' s filter? Since different has slight different factor?

 

Thanks

 

Go for B+W. Much better filters with brass frames.

[MarkP]

It will be my first monochrome, no experience at all. I know that monochrome don't perform well in bright sunny day,...

This is not the case. There are no problems with performance in bright sun per-se. It's more that base ISO is relatively high at 320 and if you overexpose your image with values above 255 there is no data to work with.  Overexposure on a Bayer filter sensor usually leaves some information to work with in at least one of the colour channelsso you aren't left with white blank holes in your image. However these can be dealt with by adding noise /grain-emulation in PP.

 

...so wondering should I get yellow filters... 

If you simply want to control excessive light and/or DOF then an ND filter (x3 minimum) will suffice.  Colour filters (yellow, orange, red) are used to control contrast/luminance.

 

from leica?

or B+W (which I use) or Heliopan. 

 

I read from Leica site said their yellow filter will do 1 3/4 effect and b+w yellow will do 2 factor.

If you want to modify contrast and control exposure/DOF then a colour filter will do the job but less that 3 stops may not be enough.  IF you really want to control light with base ISO 320 and a fast lens then you will need a minimum of a 3-stop ND filter.

 

1. Do I need a filter or can I just adjust shutter speed to compensate?

You can adjust the shutter speed and/or aperture to an extent but if still too bright to control exposure, or you want less DOF, then you will need an ND filter.

 

2 do I have to stick on Leica' s filter? Since different has slight different factor?

Any high quality filter brand, i.e. Leica, B+W, Heliopan. The latter two are much cheaper and of excellent/equivalent quality. I no longer use 

 

Thanks

 

 

This camera produces beautiful files, enjoy it.

Be aware that the files are often quite flat out of camera and require good post-processing skills to get the best out of them - a steep learning curve.

 

Mark

[leica1215]

Thanks Mark for such detailed answer

[james.liam]

Variable ND filters are useful, though costly, if one is made for your two lenses (they exist in 46mm, not 39, though).

[Ernest]

B+W ND is available and 39 mm

[Chuck Albertson]

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I use a B+W medium yellow filter (022) on the Monochrom to correct the tones, not because I'm shooting in daylight. It eats up about 2/3 of a stop, but the meter accounts for that.

[leica1215]

This camera produces beautiful files, enjoy it.

Be aware that the files are often quite flat out of camera and require good post-processing skills to get the best out of them - a steep learning curve.

 

Mark

I just got mine days ago, you are correct mine pictures came out of 246 are flat for some reason, does this meaning the post-processing is essential to bring the life of picture? Will the yellow filter help me on the contrast for day to day use?

 

Now my biggest concern is mine can produce the black and white contrast like others can

Thanks

[sarav]

Go for B+W. Much better filters with brass frames.

 

 

I agree, and they don't need strength to tighten them and don't loose. Only problem is with 35 LUX FLE and its rectangular lightshade: it doesn't accept B+W filter because of the larger mount diameter than conventional Leica filters (probably less than 1 mm, but you can't screw in the shade).

[Matlock]

I agree, and they don't need strength to tighten them and don't loose. Only problem is with 35 LUX FLE and its rectangular lightshade: it doesn't accept B+W filter because of the larger mount diameter than conventional Leica filters (probably less than 1 mm, but you can't screw in the shade).

 

Very true.

[Schrödinger's cat]

I just got mine days ago, you are correct mine pictures came out of 246 are flat for some reason, does this meaning the post-processing is essential to bring the life of picture? Will the yellow filter help me on the contrast for day to day use?

 

Now my biggest concern is mine can produce the black and white contrast like others can

Thanks

 

Regarding the yellow filter, I recommend the best thing to do is purchase one and experiment.  Whether it is what you need or not depends on subject and lighting, and you may wish to use it sometimes and sometimes leave it off.  Observing your own results will give you more pertinent information.  

 

This is normal behavior for your camera.  The filter factor is not something to which you need to give a great deal of thought, just don't buy a cheap filter.

 

As for processing, in my purely personal experience it's necessary to post process in order to get the maximum from ANY file, Leicas being no exception.  Flat out of camera files, unless for some particular use a flat file would better fulfill your artistic goal, are a clear indication of the need to post process.  

 

As we don't know what sort of post processing software you have I can't direct you to any particular article that might be helpful, but there are any number of them on the internet specific to your software.  

 

If you purchased a new camera you might do well to take advantage of Leica's offer of a free download of Adobe Lightroom, which is somewhat of a standard.

[leica1215]

thanks, I'm using the Lightroom, but I hardly know how to do a proper post process, I guess it's much harder than learn how to use camera.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hallo Leica1215,

 

Es tut mir leid dass mein Detuch ist nicht gut genug am besten deine frage zu antwort.

 

Because of that I will continue in English. I hope someone can translate for you if my answer is unclear.

 

#1. The 1&1/2 or 2 stop difference in exposure mentioned is what the filter absorbs when it is in place. This is an average amount which might in practice be slightly different depending on circumstance. Adding or subtracting exposure does NICHT compensate for this.

 

Your built in light meter will automatically compensate for this so just put on the filter (1&1/2 or 2 stop does not change anything). Set the ISO as if there was no filter in place. Take photos as before. The built in light meter will automatically compensate.

 

#2. Given #1, just above in this Post: It does not matter what the specific filter factor is. The built in light meter will compensate for it. Just set the ISO as if KEIN filter was in place.

 

Grusse,

 

Michael

[Michael Geschlecht]

Hello Everybody,

 

Yesterday when I first Read this Thread the question from Leica1215 was written in German on my computer screen.

 

My German is sufficient to read what was written but my technical/photographic German is not sufficient to answer the question precisely enough.

 

I therefore began my answer in German & switched to English explaining why.

 

Today when I went to read to see if there was any response to my Post the Thread was in English.

 

Has anyone on this Forum ever read a Thread on this Forum that was written in 1 language when they first read it that was in another language when they later came back?

Curious.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[Jeff S]

thanks, I'm using the Lightroom, but I hardly know how to do a proper post process, I guess it's much harder than learn how to use camera.

 

Lots of resources....videos and books.  Try Julieanne Kost's (from Adobe) free videos, or books by Scott Kelby, Martin Evening and others.  The third part of the workflow is printing, and that's another learning experience.  

 

The equipment has always been the easy part of photography.....a good eye and good judgement is essential, even after you learn the basic tools, which anyone can do over time, including Lightroom.  It was the same basic issue using darkroom tools.  Take your time and enjoy.

 

Regarding color filters, it's important to note that using the Monochrome eliminates some of the LR tools that you might read about, as the lack of a color array does not allow one to use multiple color channels for b/w effects in post-processing as an M would.  Instead, one needs to learn the effects of color filters at the time of capture, similar to b/w film days....Ansel Adams famous book trilogy....The Camera, The Negative and The Print still provides useful info. on this and other topics.

 

Jeff

[leica1215]

Hello Everybody,

 

Yesterday when I first Read this Thread the question from Leica1215 was written in German on my computer screen.

 

My German is sufficient to read what was written but my technical/photographic German is not sufficient to answer the question precisely enough.

 

I therefore began my answer in German & switched to English explaining why.

 

Today when I went to read to see if there was any response to my Post the Thread was in English.

 

Has anyone on this Forum ever read a Thread on this Forum that was written in 1 language when they first read it that was in another language when they later came back?

 

Curious.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

Possibly the system translate itself, I do not know a word in German. Guess you went on German part of the forum

[Jennifer]

Variable ND filters are useful, though costly, if one is made for your two lenses (they exist in 46mm, not 39, though).

 

Be careful as to which variable ND filter you buy. I couldn't get the lens hood to my Summilux 35mm FLE on over a Heliopan variable ND filter.

[Jennifer]

I agree, and they don't need strength to tighten them and don't loose. Only problem is with 35 LUX FLE and its rectangular lightshade: it doesn't accept B+W filter because of the larger mount diameter than conventional Leica filters (probably less than 1 mm, but you can't screw in the shade).

 

That's not been my experience. I use a variety of B+W filters with my 35 LUX FLE. However, accepted, the nub on the Heliopan variable ND prevents the 35's rectangular lens hood from being screwed on.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[Gregm61]

Regarding color filters, it's important to note that using the Monochrome eliminates some of the LR tools that you might read about, as the lack of a color array does not allow one to use multiple color channels for b/w effects in post-processing as an M would.  Instead, one needs to learn the effects of color filters at the time of capture, similar to b/w film days....Ansel Adams famous book trilogy....The Camera, The Negative and The Print still provides useful info. on this and other topics.

 

Jeff

 

That's unfortunate. I utilize those filters a lot in manipulating black & white conversions from my M262 and M9. Much easier to sort the various channels in post processing than having to take the time to get the one right color filter in front of the lens before exposure, much less having to carry multiple color filters and know which "right" one is best without having to capture and chimp through 2-3 attempts.

 

"The Negative" by Adams is a wonderful book to read and refer back to.

[Jeff S]

Much easier to sort the various channels in post processing than having to take the time to get the one right color filter in front of the lens before exposure, much less having to carry multiple color filters and know which "right" one is best without having to capture and chimp through 2-3 attempts.

 

 

 

And it would not be possible to use multiple glass filters to replicate the effects of simultaneously using multiple color channel effects in PP.

 

PP flexibility is one key reason I prefer the M....but good Leica provides choices.

 

Jeff