Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2003/09/14

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Subject: Re: [Leica] was a really smart Leica, now Viewing Filters
From: Mike Durling <durling@cox.net>
Date: Sun, 14 Sep 2003 13:06:18 -0400
References: <000001c37acd$5942a4d0$6401a8c0@YOURF68DMBR429> <7069360799.20030914101928@sonc.com>

One of the things we used to use in the days before video was a very 
strong neutral density filter to view lighting contrast.  The one we 
used was about 1" in diameter and had a little wand on it to hold it up 
to your eye.  It was made by Kodak.

Mike D

Sonny Carter wrote:
> Hello Oliver,
> 
> That makes sense, especially for still work.  I do believe that the
> person who suggested that director's viewers are Blue is correct,
> having seen one.  That may stem from the majority of motion picture
> lighting being daylight, (a very blue part of the spectrum) arcs and
> dichoric filters over tungsten for fill.  I'm no photo-physist either.
> either, just relying on my dimming memory.
> 
> Of course filters just remove colors or reduce their intensity. They
> don't turn blue or brown into gray. A iewing filter helps you see what
> tones a scene might look like in Black and white. But it doesn't
> adjust for film type.  That has to be done in the head.
> 
> Sonny
> 
> 
> Sunday, September 14, 2003, 7:34:46 AM, you wrote:
> 
> OB> Mark, Calumet still sells the Zone VI Wratten #90 viewing filters, mounted
> OB> in discs with cutouts for 35mm, 4x5 or 6x6 aspect ratios. The discs - about
> OB> 2 or 3 inches in diameter - are meant to be hung from the neck.
> OB> Sonny suggested that the color of the monochromatic viewing filter may not
> OB> matter. I remember from Ansel's class that the reason why the Wratten #90 is
> OB> used as a viewing filter is that it lets the eye see the tonalities of a
> OB> scene in a way that approximates the response of panchromatic film. This
> OB> helps, for example, to avoid merging tonalities. Since my recollection of
> OB> optical physics is exceedingly dim (pun intended), I do not want to be
> OB> judged too harshly for saying "the Wratten #90 filter removes chroma", the
> OB> phrase that sticks in my mind.
> OB> Oliver Bryk
> 
> 
> OB> --
> OB> To unsubscribe, see
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> 
> 
> 

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In reply to: Message from "Oliver Bryk" <oliverbryk@comcast.net> ([Leica] was a really smart Leica, now Viewing Filters)
Message from Sonny Carter <sonc@sonc.com> (Re: [Leica] was a really smart Leica, now Viewing Filters)