Bloody acrylic filters - garbage all of them!!

[Sheetshooter]

Acrylic and CR39 filters are a pain - they can't be coated! Despite the protestations to the contrary by counter-jockeys in camera stores I ALWAYS purchase multi-coated filters whenever possible. The exception of course is things like ND Grads where alternatives are thin on the ground.

But years ago I bought the Sinar system of acrylic filters for some reason totally lost from me at this point in time.

Anyway, for regular wet-process printing one might never see the aberrations but tonight I have been scanning a few old 4x5s and anywhere that there is a bright specular highlight there, a few millimetres away, is a secondary image of the hot-spot in shots where the acrylic filters were utilised.

Easy enough to get rid of the secondary image in most cases (not all) but just an indication of how we are now able to see things that were once not so noticeable.

I spoke years ago to the chap in Wales who makes most of the quality acrylic filters (Lee, Hi-Tech and Sinar .... Sinar now discontinued) and he said that the Sinar filters were only his third grade of acrylic - he had two better but that didn't stop the Swiss from charging about $150 each for 100mm square filters .... and the 5-inch were even dearer. Heaven help what the nitty gritty of Cokin turns out to be. I do have and use a couple but might give them the flick after tonight's revelation.

Cheers,