[Leica] Question---Filters for B/W

[rangefinder at screengang.com (Didier Ludwig)]

Bill

Cant say for 400 TMx in particular, but I think you can apply the general 
rules like for any other B&W film: a color filter on B&W film makes it's 
own color brighter, and it's complimentary color darker. ISO400 films are 
ideal to use high factored (dark) color filters at daylight, especially if 
you do not want to stop down to 16 or 22.

Imagine the colors in a circle, each on a 1/6th position: Red, Yellow, 
Green, Cyan, Blue, Magenta. The complimentary color is always 180 degrees 
on the other side. Of course the filter applies not only on it's color and 
it's complimentary color, but as well to the neighbours of them, too, with 
decreasing effect. Thats why red, orange (which is on a 1/12th position 
between R and Y), and yellow have similar, but not identic effects.

Red, Orange, Yellow, are making the blue tones darker (dramatic skies), but 
make faces brighter, so not recommended for portraits, but for daylight 
architecture and nature photography.

Green gives more contrasts on face's skins (darkens magenta), more 
greytones in green environments (woods, fields).

It doesn't make sense to carry R, Y and O all the time with you. I have a R 
(very dark, high filter factor) and a Y-G filter (low factor) with me. 
Green-Yellow is good for daily use, makes the skies a little bit darker as 
well as skin tones, and has a low factor.

Didier




>Would anyone give me some practical advice on yellow/ orange/ red/ green 
>filters usage w/ 400 Tmax?
>Thx,
>Bill