I'm confused (at least more than normal)

I saw a sepia filter in a store that is used on a camera with black and white (true b&w) film to give sepia prints. How do you make black and white film brown and why wouldn't this work with other colours. I know processors can make black & white film look sepia when prints are done and can see how that would work but can't see how you can make a black & white negative brown.

freakyclean

Color printing lab machines typically place a "sepia" cast to b&w negs printed on color paper. Your local lab can also process your C41 b&w films which is basically a waste of time becasue they're all crap.

Since b&w film is colorless, NO filter on a lense will tone a b&w neg. This process is done in the lab on any b&w print. Basically you bleach the print then recover the image in a toner bath....it's very cool, stinky but cool.

There are tobacco filters for color photography, they're really great for evening landscapes or city-scapes.

That's what I thought.

But the guy at the camera store said that's what this filter did and the companies (cokin) brochure shows the same thing he said - A brown sepia filter used with B&W film giving brown sepia prints. Next to it (in the brochure) is a red filter used with b&w film increasing the contrast which is correct.

Our local camera store is starting to process true b&w soon.

freakyclean

Since b&w film is colorless, NO filter on a lense will tone a b&w neg.

I would also be in agreement. I think there was an error in the wording or presentation of the brochure that may have been misleading. How can you add color to something that cannot produce color?