fluorescent light

This is not really a lf question.I want to take some picture under fluorescent light(in the library) with daylight balanced color films. Do I need any filters?What should I use?Thanks .

Yes. Magenta.

Tao, your question is difficult to answer precisely for, unlike tungsten lightin g, fluorescent tubes come in a variety of colors. A precise metering would be required with a 3 colors meter such as the Gossen Colormaster 3F. But as a base, you could try with cold white tubes (color 840) a 81A and 15-25cc Magenta. With warm white tubes (color 830), add some blue : 80A + 80D + 15-25cc M. With daylight tubes, 15 to 25 cc M. With mixed daylight and warm fluo: 80A or 80B + 10M (you w ill have to find a compromise). Some tubes are better in the red than others, so less magenta shoul d be used. There was a technical sheet from Fuji with some indications for their films (certainly mor e precise than what I share). Perhaps is it downloadable from their website. If you can make a polaroid to check the effects, you can then correct the filter s set according to the results. Would the tube type be known to you, I would be happy to look for furth er indications. You can also simplify your work and shoot a Macbeth chart under local conditions. Then y ou can ask the lab to make the color balance for the prints to be right.

Generally speaking, if working under what are referred to as "cool white" fluorescents, you can use an FL-D filter to balance for daylight film and an FL-B for use with Tungsten balanced films. There are too many variables to suggest a perfect filter without measuring the lights you are working under, but this will get you in the ballpark.

Or you can try using Fuji NPS print film (hope they haven't stopped making it...). I find it does an excellent job in these circumstances, especially if there is a bit of daylight mixed in just to make things more difficult.

I don't know if Fuji has changed the film since this short article was written, but it explains it better than I can.

http://www.viewcamera.com/FUJI.HTM

Tim A

Kodak has a publication titled: "Guide to Using Filters" which provides a great deal of precise information regarding cc filter combinations to correct just about every flourescent light source made. I have found this information to be accurate and priceless!

In general a cc30M filter will get you very close, but in depends on the floures cent tubes being used and the film.