CC 50Y : yellow density 50 + around 1/3 stop
Contrary to the 80 Series filters (blue or orange) which are designed to rectify prevailing chromatic tints coming from the differences in colour temperature between the film and that of the light source(s), the colour compensating filters (cyan, magenta and yellow) correct dominant monochromatic colours, linked to various causes, from intrusive re•ections/glare/undesired rays to reciprocity failure. Originated from the famous Kodak® Wratten gels, the COKIN CC filters are equivalent to them chromatically, but have proven to be much more rugged/resistant in the long term. Working on the principle of subtractive syntheses of colours, these filters – each available in 6 different intensities that can be combined as necessary – allow for correction of any chromatic discrepancy.
Their uses are numerous and varied : balancing a mixture of light sources, compensating an aging flash tube, rectifying the occurrence of intrusive reflections/glare/an undesired ray, correcting the colour discrepancy in B mode that comes from reciprocity failure, removing the chromatic variation of certain films, etc. Their use is a matter of experience and attention, check of the film manufacturers’ instructions, knowledge of the light sources, and – with the latter – the use of a three-channel colour meter, such as the Minolta® III F, which measures ambient colour temperature and works directly with the CC filters.
Besides these purely technical uses (that often come up in commercial, industrial, or architecture photography),
these filters can also play a very interesting creative role by introducing a dominant colour, subtle or pronounced, according to the type of filter used. One can also discreetly emphasize the tint of certain pale subjects with a filter of density 05 or 10 in the appropriate colour.
