Re: [Leica] Fluorescent filtration

[Malcolm McCullough <blayne@mbox2.singnet.com.sg>]

>What about the non continuous spectrum issue. How would a meter deal
>with that?
>The 4 layer films might make it a moot point.
>Mark Rabiner
> 

'Good question, glad you asked it'.

I think that the simple answer is that the meter can only deal with it
about as well as three-layer film with practical filters can. I mentioned
this very briefly in my previous post. Even if the meter was a spectrum
analyser the final results would still show the effect of the
non-continuous spectrum because practical filters cannot correct for the
sharp peaks. This is true whether they are on the lamp or the lens. For
colour-critical work you would have to use tubes with a high CRI (possibly
replacing the normally-installed tubes with your own) or re-light altogether.

By the way, rosco make sleeve filters which can be slipped over fluoro
tubes. Neat, huh?

After reading Henning's suggestion, I will try his method (Thanks Henning).
I have long intended to learn how to use Vericolor ('chrome?) slide film.
My reservation in the past has been because most of my artificial light
shooting has been with fast tungsten film (EPJ pushed one, lovely,
especially with the yellow sodium street lighting which turns to gold) and
I have preferred the results of this to (prints made from) unfiltered neg
film. I haven't tried the new Fuji neg emulsions though. After some initial
disappointments using the latest Eastman Vision 500T movie film in the M6 I
have finally got some rather pleasing prints off it, but the cost of
developing it is very high so I do not intend to do it regularly. It has a
definite 'movie' look which is different from still films. There is a new
800T film available, by the way. I know that this subject has been thrashed
out here a few times, so I hasten to add that I am not referring to the
Dale Labs type of operation, but to hand prints made from negative
developed in a decent MP lab.

I digress, slightly. Back to Mark's original question. My answer reminds me
of the blurb about the infamous Electro-Voice RearAxial SoftImage speakers
(the only ones ever to have 'absence' as well as 'presence'). They worked
on an amazingly simple principle, but no-one has ever been able to explain
it. Now, if we were sitting in the Dog and Bull, and I had a beer mat to
draw on and a couple of pints of Young's Special inside, a couple of inches
of snow outside...

Regards,
Malcolm
Singapore
...and the barmaid was asking us if we had no homes to go to, and...
If.