Hello

I was reading the LF BBS and noticed a gentleman owned a 0.45 heliopan center weighted ND filter. I would like to find one. I am using a Schneider Angulon 90mm on 6 x 17 and am noticing (as one would expect) light fall off at f32 (min apeture). A SA90XL 5.6 would be great but I have to find that second job yet.

Does anyone know where to get such a filter? Do they come in differing levels of transmissibility change as you approach the circumfrence? I live in Australia and i havent found one yet...! I have had a look on at the Heliopan site but no no avail....any thoughts or experiences??

Ps please dont tell me to get another lens!!

-- Phil Brammer (filsta@goconnect.net), July 22, 2001

Answers

Hi Phil,

You say that you are using a 'Schneider Angulon 90mm' — is this so or have you mistaken it for a Super Angulon. There is a considerable difference in size, shape and covering power.

If you are right and it's an Angulon you'd have a tough time finding a centre grad and it would be tiny - ifit actually exists.

Centre-filters for Super Angulons are more readily available and I was told by a German technician from Rodenstock at last year's photo show at Darling Harbour (Sydney) that ALL centre-filters for Schneider and Rodenstock are made by Heliopan.

The Centre-Grads for Schneider generally come in two levels of density - 1.5 stops for 90mm & 58mm and 2 stops for 72mm and 47mm. However, when using a lot of displacement with my 90mm I actually found that the 2 stops filter was better right at the edges.

Currently I have a 90mm SAXL for sale at ECS at Drummoyne and a 2 stop Centre-Grad. The 72mm SAXL is also up for grabs. Contact Phil or Bruce and they can be of further assistance.

Be warned, though ... depending upon which 6x17 camera you are using, you may or may not be able to physically fit the XL's — they are very big in diameter.

As a final thought ... give some consideration to the new Super Symmar XL 80mm — it's small, faster and uses 67mm filters rather than 95mm.

Cheers ... Walter Glover

-- Walter Glover (walterg@netaus.net.au), July 22, 2001.

If you are scanning / digitizing your films, please note that a simple, standard Photoshop mask would do the job as goods as an utterly expensive and volatile Heliopan filter.

Mark

-- Mark Houtzager (markhout@magix.com.sg), July 23, 2001.

volatile?

-- Ellis Vener Photography (evphoto@heartstone.com), July 23, 2001.

To the best of my knowledge, no centre filter was ever made for the 90mm Angulon, and unless you're extremely lucky in finding one cheap, any centre filter will cost you more than that 90mm Angulon is worth.
The 90mm angulon covers 5x4 with not much room for movement, about a 170mm image circle, not quite big enough for 6x17cm I'm afraid.

-- Pete Andrews (p.l.andrews@bham.ac.uk), July 23, 2001.

Mark, regarding your Photoshop solution, I'm wondering about the exact steps you'd take to acheive circular light balancing in the gradient fashion a center filter would. I have Photoshop Elements, which came bundled with a low end scanner, and just know am realizing I need a CW filter for my 90SA F8. I'd rather use the Photoshop software if I could acheive the same result - but I don't know how to do it! As always, any advice would be appreciated.

-- Michael Mahoney (mmahoney@nfld.com), July 24, 2001.

Mike - not sure if Elements would allow such mask; I was referring to Photoshop 6.0 (earlier versions may have a similar mask function). Would someone with Photoshop Elements care to comment (my trial version has expired)?

Mark

-- Mark Houtzager (markhout@magix.com.sg), July 24, 2001.