Re: Color Intensifying Filter for Noblex

[Willem-Jan Markerink <w.j.markerink@xxxxx>]

On  8 May 99 at 14:11, Alan & Shari Kafton wrote:

> I am interested in getting a color intensifying filer (sometimes called
> color enhancing filter) for my Noblex 150.  They are made by Hoya,
> Tiffen, & perhaps others out of didymium glass.  

Topshooters, Lee, Hitech, B+W and Hama (I think....and they or B+W 
make several more types, all enhancing a different color....blue, 
green & yellow I believe....haven't seen any reports from those, not 
in magazines nor from users).
Also note that the Tiffen is considered the worst on the market, 
fouling up other colors like green & blue....not as 'clean' as the 
others.
Both Lee & Hitech offer both a red- and a super-enhancer....and I 
*think* the latter is what you want, and what Topshooters (considered 
as one of the best) supplies as the only version.
Btw, does anyone know why the Topshooter site is down?
They are located in Canada, and I still have a copy of their didymium 
info pages, from 2-3 years ago. I have been pondering to put that 
text online, since it contains much more info than just ordinary 
sales talk, but I would rather have their permission to do so.

> They the red part of the spectrum.

Not just that....my Topshooter filter does a very good job at skies & 
clouds too, close to the effect of a polarizer. The fact that it 
'eats' less light is one of the reasons to use it instead of a 
pol....
The only problem is that I recently got hooked on vari-color
polarizers, which increase the sky-effect even more
dramatically....not just darkening the sky, without affecting the
clouds, as a normal pol, but really intensifying the blue (I think
these color-pol's also fiddle with a small slice of the color
spectrum)....only the blue-yellow version is recommended btw, other 
version create way too poppy colors....fun for a while, but not for 
long, unless wants to experiment with more complex applications like 
b&w (turning the sky red means it will become darker, while non-pol 
surfaces remain the same) or even color-IR.

PS, for those claiming a pol can never work on an extreme wide angle: 
check my homepage for a chapter explaining why it *can* work:

http://www.a1.nl/phomepag/markerink/mainpage.htm 
(or pol_wide.htm directly)

> I contacted Noblex & while they don't offer it now, they indicated they
> would look into it.

Is this Noblex USA or Noblex Germany?
 
> So, in an effort to add  "market research" to my request to Noblex, are
> there any other Noblex owners out there who are intersted in buying
> one???

I would be interested....if your contacts with Noblex are good, you 
might also suggest a polarizer, if possible adjustable while it sits 
inside the turret, with calibration on the rim (numbered, to have a 
reference for a viewing filter outside the camera).
Btw, the better enhancers rate US$200 and upwards, for a piece of 
3-4" square....Lee tops it with US$6-700 or so.
A square piece for use in a Noblex should be a factor 10 less 
(cutting cost aside), so if they can keep it less than US$50 total, I 
would buy one. For US$100, I would make my own, but I would still 
buy a polarizer as mentioned above for that price....hopefully even a 
vari-color pol.

Keep us posted!



--                 
Bye,

Willem-Jan Markerink


      The desire to understand 
is sometimes far less intelligent than
     the inability to understand


<w.j.markerink@xxxxx>
[note: 'a-one' & 'en-el'!]