Dealing with reflection between lens and filter?

[Peter Yeti]

With that set up it might help to put the dark cloth over the camera and compendium to shade the filter holder. But placing the filter behind the rear lens element might be the best solution.

[lenser]

One of the best 'behind the lens' systems I ever saw was from Calumet. It's a combination of their Gel filter frames and a metal frame that mounted to the rear of the lens board via some adhesive tabs. The frame could be extended rearward to accommodate longer optics. I've seen quite a few of these come up on the bay and sometimes the cardboard frames as well. The latter would be easy enough to fabricate oneself. As others have said, behind the lens would pretty much remove reflections from the equation although using multiples would effectively create "air glass" surfaces that could create multiple images of light sources in the photo.

[Mark Woods]

Multi coated lenses do not cut down on reflections, the affect contrast and color rendition. As I said, the foam doughnut is the go to item in the film industry.

[vinny]

Multi coated lenses do not cut down on reflections, the affect contrast and color rendition. As I said, the foam doughnut is the go to item in the film industry.

Mark, they're typically cut from neoprene.

[vinny]

I have ordinary Toyo compendium in my Toyo monorail cameras. But for very wide angle lenses, it cannot be extended much, thus light can easily reach lenses front from gap between gelatin filter and the lens.

Here's example with longer lens, the compendium works quite well:

Attachment 94537


With my 4x5 field, it's different story. Currently I have compendium, but it's attached to the filter holder. All the filters will be in direct light.
Usually it's enough if I just shade them with my hand or darkslide, but when using really dense filters the reflections become problem.

All filter systems with compendium that I have seen has this problem. The filters aren't covered by the hood. No matter if it's Lee system or Cokin.

Here's compendium attached to the filter holder. The gap is huge:

Attachment 94538

the other thing I used to do with motion picture camera mat boxes/filter holders was attach a flap of black felt in front of the filter slot that laid back towards the camera to cover that open area. Keeps out dust and extraneous light perfectly.

[Mark Woods]

Vinny, you're right. I never made them, only used them. They did look like a wet suit though. Also, the black felt you're talking about, my AC used steering wheel covers with elastic. Worked really well.

[jvuokko]

I have used some Q&D solutions to cover the filter slot over the years.
I used these because I have been worried about possible flare caused by light entering filter(s) thru the slot. For some reason, I haven't ever seen any picture of similar setups. In the books etc. the filters are always at least under the incident light from the sky.


With really dense filters, my Q&D solutions really doesn't work. Perhaps better than none, but there's still reflections occasionally.

I have used these among the other. Perhaps I should attach densiest filter only behind of the lens or use some DIY hood that would be light tight from the lens board to the compendium hood. This would make lens operating quite difficult though.

[Struan Gray]

Cromatek used to sell a filter holder and hood combination which housed the filters in a sealed box. They come up quite regularly on eBay.co.uk.

There's a neat homebrew solution here: http://jorgesantosphoto.wordpress.co...on-14-24-f2-8/

[vinny]

Cromatek used to sell a filter holder and hood combination which housed the filters in a sealed box. They come up quite regularly on eBay.co.uk.

There's a neat homebrew solution here: http://jorgesantosphoto.wordpress.co...on-14-24-f2-8/

still looks like there's nothing keeping light from striking the back side of the filter though.

[lenser]

still looks like there's nothing keeping light from striking the back side of the filter though.

So assuming that the light is coming from overhead, what's wrong with just rotating the opening to the horizontal position to cancel most of that problem?!