Is Schneider 58mm XL OK with center filter 3c?

[MattKHardy]

Hi,

Fed up with waiting for Schneider center-filter iiib to appear on the auction site. Would Schneider center-filter iiic work? Its 2-stops instead of 1.5-stops.

Thanks for your help,
Matthew

[Dan Fromm]

Matt, the 58 SAXL covers 110 degrees @ f/22. Rodenstock recommends 2 stop CFs for 110 degree lenses, Schneider recommends a 1.5 stop CF for the 58 SAXL. At 110 degrees the corners are down 3.2 stops from the center, so a 2 stop CF will cut the drop to 1 stop from center to corner, a 1.5 stop will cut it to 1.5 stops.

I refuse to be held responsible for this advice -- the blame, if any, belongs to Rodenstock -- but you should be able to use a CF IIIc on your 58 SAXL without the world ending.

[MattKHardy]

Matt, the 58 SAXL covers 110 degrees @ f/22. Rodenstock recommends 2 stop CFs for 110 degree lenses, Schneider recommends a 1.5 stop CF for the 58 SAXL. At 110 degrees the corners are down 3.2 stops from the center, so a 2 stop CF will cut the drop to 1 stop from center to corner, a 1.5 stop will cut it to 1.5 stops.

I refuse to be held responsible for this advice -- the blame, if any, belongs to Rodenstock -- but you should be able to use a CF IIIc on your 58 SAXL without the world ending.

So neither CF cures fall off completely?

Even on B&W there seems a need for a CF as the top half of a landscape photo has large sections of sky, which get underexposed and look grainy. Also makes scanning harder.

[Dan Fromm]

So neither CF cures fall off completely?

Right. But if you're going to use much of the lens' coverage you'll be better off with a CF.

[Corran]

I knew Dan would answer this.
I'm confused as to your statements about "graininess" and underexposure in the sky. Usually the sky has quite a bit more light naturally. Also, grain usually happens from overexposure on b&w materials. Perhaps you mean to say that your sky is grainy and the foreground is underexposed...?

[MattKHardy]

I knew Dan would answer this.
I'm confused as to your statements about "graininess" and underexposure in the sky. Usually the sky has quite a bit more light naturally. Also, grain usually happens from overexposure on b&w materials. Perhaps you mean to say that your sky is grainy and the foreground is underexposed...?

Seeing the effects of fall-off in the foreground and in the sky. I shoot Delta 100 @ iso50 and develop less.

[Corran]

You may want to consider a color or GND filter instead/first depending on just what / how you are shooting.

[MattKHardy]

You may want to consider a color or GND filter instead/first depending on just what / how you are shooting.

Got some Lee grads and plan on stacking these on top of the CF.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I use grad nd and work well. I just shot some landscapes with my 75mm on 4x5 and have very noticeable fall off at the edges. On one image (slide) the center is about 3 stops brighter than the surrounding edges. You can even make out that it is more or less a circle. Happens on my bw as well. Have not used a CS, but I am getting one here soon to experiment with. If I were to meter to expose for the center of the image without a filter, my edges would be useless I think.

Anyway, a grad nd works really well if done right, I prefer the reverse grad nd.

[nlambrecht]

Matt,

I use a Center Filter 3 with my 58mm Super Angulon XL. My understanding is the 3 and 3c are very similar, but I know Schneider would say otherwise. I have not noticed any major fall off when using negative film, I primarily used Kodak Ektar, FP4 and HP5.

When I got the filter a few years ago I did a test with some FP100c with and without the filter using camera movements to to show the edge of the image circle. The left photo is without the filter (I only have a bad iphone photo right now, but if you like I can upload a scanned one when I get back home this weekend).



You can see without the filter there is a large drop off, and it is reduced with the CF 3, but not completely. The horizon on the photo is straight through the center of the lens, with front rise to show the edge of the image circle while the lens is stopped down.

Also, here are links to a photos that shows the full frame with negative film:

http://https://www.nathanlambrecht.com/index/G0000qa.6.8Lcjz8/I0000o99uQXkougA There is a grad filter over the sky in this photo.

http://www.nathanlambrecht.com/index...000w1BBhXJGNCE

I hope this helps.

-Nathan