Filters

Camera Accessories

FILTERS
The best guide to Filters is from the Ridgewood Camera Club of Wyckoff, NJ. The RCC is a vibrant photography club, and have been around since 1937. Here is a copy of their Introduction to Photographic Filters. You can find it online through a Google search, but it’s no longer available on their website, for some reason.

Over time, I seem to have accumulated a bunch of filters – this table is more to remind myself of what I have, and the sizes. Oh, I started of with a few filters, like anyone else. When I purchased the Minolta Dynax 800si and lenses, I purchased a UV filters for each lens, 812 warming filters, and a Circular Polarizer with a couple of adapters. Good filters are disgustingly expensive.

I always wondered about the various filtration effects, and indulged in wishful thinking, until I discovered that I could get the specific filters I needed by bidding on filter lots on Ebay. Now, buying a lot of 5 or 8 filters is advantageous in terms of price, but I ended up with filters that I did not use much, or in sizes that I had earlier purchased step down down adapters for my lenses.

In most cases, I was very pleased to have a bunch of dedicated filters I could stash with my camera lenses, without having to remember to switch them back and forth. The Zuiko lenses were easy – they took 49mm and 55mm, and in in a rare instance, 72mm. The Non-Zuikos and Minota Maxxum lenses were another matter. It seemed that I was always fiddling with step down adapters. When I got the 500mm mirror lens, the seller threw in a couple of 77mm filters. The Olympus Trip 35 takes hard-to-get 43.5mm filters, and since it’s not advisable to use a larger filter size with a step-down adapter because it tends to partially block the viewfinder. You can see where this is going… more and more filters as time goes by.

When I have more time, I will try to add representative photographs to demonstrate the use of each filter. There is nothing as frustrating as the little brochure that accompanies each filter with the cryptic descriptions which leaves you wondering what exactly the filter is used for, and what effects may be achieved when they are used in applications beyond the stated purpose. Anyway, here goes…

Screw-in filters

Sizes Make Name Use Stops Comments
43.5mm, 49mm, 62mm Vivitar, Hoya 80B Color correction. Correct Daylight film for Tungsten, Blue effect. Can be used to compensate for yellow-red early morning or evening light. 2 stops Lighter than 80A, similar blue effect, also great for snowscape photographs.This size fits Olympus Trip 35 Cameras
43.5mm, 49mm, 72mm, 77mm Vivitar, Bell & Howell K2 Yellow Black & White. Renders color naturally as gray tones, especially blue sky with black and white. 1 stops Natural effect with black & white film
49mm, 62mm, 77mm Tiffen, Hoya, Vivitar 85 Amber Color Correction. Correct studio Tungsten film for Daylight lighting, compensate for Blue cast 1 stop Great for enhancing reds in Fall colors and sunsets
49mm, 52mm, 62mm, 72mm Hoya, Promaster Spectrum 7, Hoya, Tiffen 25A Red Black & White. Darken sky dramatically, enhance clouds, darken greens, lighten reds. 1.5-2 stops Great for portraits, smoothens skin, removes blemishes.
49mm Hoya Green X(0) Black & White. lighten greens, darken reds, good for male portraits 1 stop Great for male portraits. General purpose filter for Black & White photography
55mm B+W 010 1x UV 0 Cuts UV/Blue under open sky. General purpose.
49mm, 55mm, 62mm, 72mm, 77mm Tiffen, B+W, Hoya, Rokunar Circular Polarizer Cuts reflections from non-metallics, darkens sky, saturates colors 2 stops Also serves as 2x Neutral Density filter to cut light levels
58mm, 62mm, 72mm Tiffen UV General Protection. Cuts UV rays, reduces blue sensitivity of daylight film 0 stop good all purpose always-on filter to protect Objective lens
49mm, 52mm, 58mm Tiffen 812 Warming 1 stop Use for snow/shade/overcast sky for warmth
58mm Vivitar 82A Color Correction. Corrects excessive yellow 0.5 stop Good for early or late morning light
62mm Promaster Spectrum 7 1A Very pale rose, can be used as general always on filter. 0.5 cuts blue, gentle warming.
62mm Tiffen UV Haze 1 General Protection. Cuts UV rays and haze, reduces blue sensitivity of daylight film 0 stop good all purpose always-on filter to protect Objective lens
62mm Tiffen 80A Color Correction. Correct Daylight film for Tungsten, Blue effect. Can be used to compensate for yellow-red early morning or evening light 2 stops Dramatic blue effect, also great for snowscape photographs.
62mm Tiffen 81A Color Correction. Warming 0.5 stop Great for shade conditions, snow, light overcast sky
62mm Tiffen CC30M Color Correction. Correct daylight film for Fluoroscent/Mercury lighting, compensate for green cast 1- 1.5 stops Great for Woodland photography, removes ghastly green hue
62mm Tiffen CC20M Color Correction. Correct daylight film for Fluoroscent/Mercury lighting, compensate for green cast 1 stop Similar to CC30M; also great for Woodland photography, removes ghastly green hue
72mm Tiffen Circular Polarizer Reduces reflections from non-metallic objects, improves color saturation, acts as 2 stop neutral density filter 1.5-2 stops Also great for black & white photography.
72mm Tiffen 25 Red Black & White. Darken sky dramatically, enhances clouds, darken greens, lighten reds. 1.5-2 stops Great for portraits of women, smoothens skin, removes blemishes.
72mm Bell & Howell Yellow Black & White. Renders color naturally as gray tones, especially blue sky with black and white 1 stop Best filter for black and white photography
72mm Tiffen Professional Series CC30M Color Correction. Correct daylight film for Fluorescent/Mercury lighting, compensate for green cast 1-1.5 stops Great for Woodland photography
77mm Vivitar 81A Color Correction. Warming 0.5 stop Great for shade conditions, snow, light overcast sky
77mm Vivitar 85B Amber Color Correction. Correct studio Tungsten film for Daylight lighting, compensate for Blue cast 1.5 stop Great for enhancing reds in Fall colors and sunsets
77mm Vivitar K2 Yellow Black & White. Renders color naturally as gray tones, especially blue sky with black and white. 1 stops Natural effect with black & white film
77mm Rokunar Circular Polarizer Cuts reflections form non-metallics, darkens sky, saturates colors 2 stops Also serves as 2x Neutral Density filter to cut light levels

Size 43.5mm 49mm 52mm 55mm 58mm 62mm 67mm 72mm 77mm
40 yes — — — — — — — —
49 — yes adapter — — — — adapter —
52 — — yes adapter — — — — —
55 — — — yes adapter — — — —
58 — — — — yes — — — —
62 — — — — — yes — — —
67 — — — — — — yes adapter —
72 — — — — — — — yes —
77 — — — — — — — — yes

COKIN filters

text and images © 2007 ajoy muralidhar. all names, websites, brands and technical data referenced are the copyright or trademark of their respective owners.