I remember grappling with my black and white photography early on, constantly frustrated by flat, muddy images that lacked punch and separation between tones. It felt like a crucial element was missing right in the camera, making post-processing an uphill battle just to achieve a decent range of grey. This problem wasn’t just cosmetic; it impacted the mood and drama I wanted to capture, and failure to address it meant sacrificing creative vision and settling for less impactful shots. Tools that could help control contrast directly during exposure would have made a significant difference.
Black and white photography, whether on film or digital, often benefits immensely from using lens filters. They aren’t just accessories; they’re tools that manipulate the light hitting your sensor or film, directly affecting the tonal rendition. Seeking one of these filters usually stems from a desire to enhance contrast, deepen skies, lighten foliage, or separate colours that would otherwise blend into similar shades of grey.
The ideal customer for a B&W contrast filter is typically a photographer dedicated to or exploring monochrome imagery, particularly those shooting film who need to nail the look in-camera, or digital shooters who prefer starting with a strong foundation before any digital adjustments. If you primarily shoot colour and rely solely on software conversions for black and white, a physical filter might be less essential, though it can still offer unique advantages.
Before purchasing a black and white filter, you need to think about several key factors. What is your lens’s filter thread size? This is non-negotiable – the filter must fit your lens. What effect are you aiming for? Yellow filters provide subtle sky darkening and contrast enhancement, orange offers stronger effects, and red gives dramatic dark skies and high contrast. Consider the filter’s quality – look for high-quality optical glass and effective coatings to prevent reflections and maintain sharpness. The build material of the mount (brass is generally preferred over aluminum) and the reputation of the brand are also important indicators of durability and performance. Finally, factor in the cost – quality filters are an investment, but they can significantly impact your final image.
- Black Knurled Filter Mount for Better Grip
- MRC Coating to Control Flare & Ghosting
- New QR Code included to Verify Authenticity
Introducing the B+W 39mm Basic Black & White (Yellow) MRC 022M Glass Filter
This specific product, the B+W 39mm Basic Black & White (Yellow) MRC 022M Glass Filter, is a prime example of a reliable tool for monochrome work. It’s a yellow contrast filter designed to screw onto lenses with a 39mm filter thread. B+W, a respected name in filters, promises high optical quality and durable construction. When you purchase it, you get the filter itself, typically in eco-friendly packaging, and sometimes a small pouch.
This filter is specifically for photographers using lenses with a 39mm filter thread who want the classic, natural contrast enhancement that a yellow filter provides in black and white. It’s great for landscapes, portraits against bright skies, and separating green foliage from other elements. It’s likely not for you if your lens has a different thread size, if you prefer the dramatic effects of a red filter, or if you rely entirely on post-processing for contrast control without wanting in-camera effects.
Here’s a quick look at its characteristics:
Pros:
* Excellent optical glass quality from a reputable brand.
* MRC coating effectively reduces reflections and improves light transmission.
* Durable brass filter mount with good grip.
* Enhances contrast and darkens blue skies naturally for classic B&W look.
* QR code included for verifying authenticity.
* Eco-friendly packaging is a nice touch.
Cons:
* Requires exposure compensation (like any filter).
* 39mm is a specific thread size, limiting its use to compatible lenses.
* May not provide strong enough contrast for some photographers’ needs (compared to orange or red).
* Higher cost compared to budget filter brands.
- Includes #6, #13, & #25 Contrast Filters
- 【58mm Color Filter Kit】 This kit includes 9 pieces 58mm color filters (red, orange, blue, yellow, green, brown, purple, pink, and gray filter), 2 filter pouches, and a cleaning cloth
Exploring Its Capabilities and Advantages
The real heart of any filter lies in its performance, and the B+W 39mm Yellow Filter has been a reliable performer in my kit for tackling the challenges of black and white. Let’s break down its core features and the tangible benefits they bring to the act of capturing monochrome images.
The Classic Yellow Filter Effect
At its core, this is a yellow contrast filter. What does that actually *do*? When shooting black and white, colours are rendered as shades of grey. A yellow filter absorbs blue light while allowing other colours, particularly greens and reds, to pass through more easily. This has a profound effect on the resulting grey tones. The most noticeable effect is on blue skies, making them appear darker and more dramatic in the final image. White clouds, reflecting all colours including yellow, remain bright, creating a pleasing separation between the sky and clouds. Green foliage, which often blends into a mid-grey tone, becomes lighter and brighter, providing better contrast against darker elements like tree trunks or rocks. The benefit here is achieving a more visually appealing, classic black and white look right in the camera. It gives photos a natural pop that’s less harsh than stronger filters but significantly more impactful than shooting without one. For portraiture, it can slightly lighten skin tones and reduce the appearance of blemishes, though this is a secondary effect compared to dedicated portrait filters.
Optical Glass Quality and B+W’s Reputation
B+W is synonymous with quality in the filter world, and this filter lives up to that reputation. Filters are essentially adding another layer of glass between your subject and your sensor/film. If that glass isn’t optically flat and free from imperfections, it can degrade image sharpness, introduce distortions, or create unwanted internal reflections. The high-quality optical glass used in this B+W filter ensures that you’re not compromising the resolving power of your lens. When I use it, I trust that I’m getting the intended contrast effect without sacrificing the fine details that make a photo sing. The benefit is peace of mind and consistently sharp results, which is paramount whether you’re shooting high-resolution digital or fine-grain film.
The Advantage of MRC (Multi-Resistant Coating)
The MRC coating is a significant feature that elevates this filter beyond basic coloured glass. This isn’t just a single coating; it’s a multi-layer process applied to both sides of the glass. Its primary function is to minimize reflections from the filter surfaces. This is crucial because internal reflections can cause flare and ghosting, especially when shooting towards light sources or in backlit situations – problems that can ruin an otherwise good shot. The MRC also boosts light transmission, meaning less light is lost passing through the filter, helping maintain vibrant tones and allowing for slightly shorter exposure times compared to uncoated filters. Beyond optical benefits, the ‘Resistant’ part of MRC is key. The coating is designed to be more durable, resisting scratches from cleaning, and it has oleophobic and hydrophobic properties – meaning it repels oil (like fingerprints) and water. This makes cleaning the filter much easier and quicker, which is incredibly useful when you’re out in the field dealing with dust, rain, or accidental smudges. The feel of cleaning an MRC filter is noticeably smoother, and water beads up beautifully. The benefit? Cleaner, sharper images with less risk of distracting optical artifacts and a filter that’s easier to maintain in varied shooting conditions.
Durable Brass Mount and Thoughtful Design
While seemingly a minor detail, the material and design of the filter mount make a real difference. This filter features a brass mount, which is generally superior to the aluminum often found on less expensive filters. Brass is more durable and less prone to cross-threading or binding onto your lens. It provides a smoother, more secure fit. The black knurled edge on the mount offers a better grip, making it easier to screw the filter onto and off the lens, even in cold weather or when wearing gloves. A specific point raised by users, which resonates with my own experience with tricky lenses, is how well this filter’s slim profile and precise threading work with built-in lens hoods or specific lens designs where filter clearance is tight. The ability to screw the filter on completely and still attach a necessary sunshade or lens cap, as one user noted with a Cosina Voigtländer lens, is a testament to the quality and thoughtful engineering of the brass mount. The benefit is longevity, ease of use, and compatibility with potentially finicky lens designs, ensuring you can actually *use* the filter effectively with your equipment.
Specific 39mm Thread Size Considerations
The 39mm thread size is, by definition, specific. You need lenses that accept this size. While this might seem like a limitation, it’s a necessity for a perfect fit. Using the correct size ensures the filter sits flush against the lens, preventing light leaks and ensuring that the filter’s effect is uniform across the image. For a 39mm filter, this size is common on certain rangefinder lenses, classic manual focus lenses, and some mirrorless system lenses. B+W states this filter is good for down to a 24mm focal length on a full-frame camera (or equivalent on smaller sensors), meaning you’re unlikely to experience vignetting (darkening of the corners) with most lenses this size filter would typically be used on, which is a significant benefit for landscape and general photography.
Authenticity Verification
In a market flooded with counterfeit goods, the inclusion of a QR code to verify the filter’s authenticity is a simple but valuable feature. Scanning the code gives you confidence that you have purchased a genuine B+W product, ensuring you’re getting the quality and performance you paid for. The benefit is peace of mind and protection against inadvertently buying a lower-quality fake.
Water Resistance
While you wouldn’t submerge your filter, the water resistance property mentioned in the product description (partly due to the MRC coating) is beneficial for shooting in damp conditions or near water. It means that raindrops bead up on the surface rather than smearing, making it easier to keep the filter clean and usable when the weather isn’t perfect. The benefit is reliability and ease of cleaning in challenging environments.
Eco-Friendly Packaging
Although it doesn’t affect image quality, the shift to eco-friendly packaging is a positive detail. It shows a level of corporate responsibility and reduces waste. The benefit is a small contribution to sustainability, which is appreciated by environmentally conscious consumers.
Putting it all together, the features like the high-quality glass, effective MRC coating, durable brass mount, and precise sizing combine to deliver a reliable and effective tool for black and white photographers. It performs exactly as a quality yellow filter should, enhancing contrast and tone separation cleanly, without adding unwanted optical issues.
What Other Users Are Saying
Looking at feedback from other photographers who have used this filter, the consensus is largely positive. Many users appreciate B+W’s long-standing reputation for quality, even noting that while the initial cost might seem a bit high, the perceived build and optical quality appear to justify it. A recurring point of satisfaction is the filter’s physical design, specifically mentioning its compatibility and ease of threading onto lenses, including those with awkward built-in hoods that can make finding compatible filters difficult – a specific user highlighted its perfect fit on a Cosina Voigtländer 35mm f/2.5 lens, crucial for enabling the use of the necessary sunshade and lens cap. Photographers using it confirm it functions as expected for a classic yellow contrast filter, anticipating the typical results of improved contrast and darker skies, while acknowledging the need to account for exposure compensation.
Final Thoughts
Returning to the initial problem of flat, lifeless black and white images, it’s clear why tools like the B+W 39mm Basic Black & White (Yellow) MRC 022M Glass Filter are so valuable. They solve the problem of inadequate tonal separation and lack of in-camera contrast, issues that make achieving compelling monochrome photos challenging and time-consuming in post-processing. This filter is a great fit because it offers genuine, high-quality contrast enhancement from a trusted brand, boasts durable construction with its brass mount, and features advanced MRC coatings for optimal image clarity and easy maintenance. If you’re serious about your black and white photography and use a compatible 39mm lens, this filter provides a reliable way to capture more impactful images from the start. To learn more about this excellent filter and see if it’s the right addition to your kit, click here.
Last update on 2025-07-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API