B&W filters

I read some interesting posts here and an article in UWP about using filters for B&W.

I'm going to Egypt in 10 days for a week and I'd like to try that. I could not get hold of Wratten 22, but I got a sample pack of Lee filters.

I want to try 21 Orange and possibly 23A Red (?). I plan only 1-2 dives with these filters.

If you have some experience with these maybe you could save me from wasting a dive with filter that is not going to work...

Any other filters from Lee sample pack worth trying?

There is no Millenium Gold in it (it was mentioned in UWP).

Assuming the intent is to increase contrast (as colour filters are used for in surface B&W film photography), why bother? Seems to me that if shooting digital, this would be hugely inferior to (and more expensive than) shooting in colour and then adjusting the individual colour levels (or using other techniques to adjust contrast) before converting to monochrome.

Which issue of UWP was this article in?

21 Orange should work well.

Alex

I may be completely wrong but my understanding is that:

without filter - your exposure is based on all channels (mainly blue), with relatively little details recorded in red and green.

with filter - your exposure ignores blue channel -> longer exposure times resulting in more details captured in red and green.

So, deleting blue channel in post processing is not going to be the same as using filter in the first place.

I think it was UWP 38 (not sure).

I'll try 21 orange. Thanks.

Er - it was my article - with some 'on the job' help from Alex.

The wratten 22 was a pig in the water but the end effect was a bit better than the wratten 21.

Since the original article I have used the wratten 21 a couple of times in the Red Sea and found it to be pretty good.

Both the 21 and 22 were better than any post process photoshop work that I could come up with, I have my own ideas as to why.

I had promised Peter a follow up on that article and have shot the pictures - just have not got around to writing it!

If anyone wants some RAW files emailed shot with the 21 or 22 then please drop me an email - address is on my web site.

Best Regards,

Paul C