Obsolete Photo Gear #1

Obsolete photo gear cluttering up my bottom drawer. -

#1 Kodak Monochrome Viewing Filter

This filter is used to visually approximate the relative tones of gray produced in black-and-white prints by different colors under daylight illumination. It is very dark with only 10% luminous transmittance.

You're supposed to quickly move the filter back and forth several times in front of your eyes. If you simply hold it in front of your eyes and look through it then everything starts to blend together and the purpose of the filter is defeated. I find squinting works almost as well as this filter :)

In the digital era, you can just set B/W mode on your digicam, or post process. Much of the mystique has gone.