Yellow #8 Compensation

[sbalsama]

Hey, now I'm going to be using a Yellow #8 filter for some shots with skies in them, my "mentor" (school librarian) recommended it. I've had one since I began black and white, but stopped using it for the reason I'm about to ask:

I already compensate a full stop when shooting without the filter, I feel I get better negatives that way and it's definitely proven so in the darkroom. With a yellow 8, I noted on B&H that it requires a full stop to compensate. Is the yellow really all that dark that it would require (for my circumstances) two full stops? Or can I just forego it and continue exposing a stop over?

I would try it myself, but my money and film is tied up right now for my trip to Austria. Also, I had a slight leak that killed the last bit of my XTOL -_- Thank you!

 

[ksmattfish]

What kind of camera are you using? If it is an SLR that meters through the lens, then you don't have to do anything for the filter, because the light being metered is already filtered. If you are using a hand held or some other sort of metering, then you should give an extra stop of exposure for the filter.

The filter definately blocks a stop of light, so if you normally rate your film 1 stop faster, and you like those results, you'll need to add another stop to get similar results with the filter.

 

[panocho]

are you using a SLR? It should give you the answer: try to meter the light with and without the filter and see what it says

 

[Hertz van Rental]

Best not to meter through filters. The spectral response of the meter sensor can be biased towards the red end. But even the best sensors do not exhibit a flat response. Putting a coloured filter over the sensor will interfere with it's functioning and in some cases the indicated exposure can be well out. You should meter without a filter (hand held is better still) and then adjust for the filter factor.

 

[sbalsama]

Interesting reponses, thank you all. I'm using an OM-2 (my baby ) however my only experience in using it has been with my Maxxum 70. I just added a stop on to compensate then let the meter do the work.

Well, I'll fool around with it like Matt suggested. Thankfully skies will be relatively (95%) irrelevant to what I'm going to be shooting, so the importance of knowing right away isn't too strong. If you guys come up with anything else, let me know. Thanks all!

Edit: I just checked it out and putting it on the filter only seems to affect the Automatic reading one third of a stop (over). I dunno...probably just throw it on auto and stick with one stop over.

 

[ksmattfish]

Here's a page full of filter info...

http://www.tiffen.com/camera_filters.htm

 

[Hertz van Rental]

The OM2 sensors peak in the red of the spectrum. Yellow is up that end so the meter will not think that the filter is taking out as much light as it is.

 

[Christie Photo]

I already compensate a full stop when shooting without the filter, I feel I get better negatives that way and it's definitely proven so in the darkroom. With a yellow 8, I noted on B&H that it requires a full stop to compensate. Is the yellow really all that dark that it would require (for my circumstances) two full stops? Or can I just forego it and continue exposing a stop over?

Yeah... it really does require more exposure, but you're gonna like the results.

 

[sbalsama]

Alright, thanks all! Hertz, your technical know-how is a great help on not only knowing but understanding. Everyone else, thanks for the input. Found a great book on filters by chance in the library today - didn't help me with this problem necessarily, but it should help for other more general questions. Thanks again!