# Circular Polarizing Filter.



## timethief (May 6, 2009)

On which of your lenses do you like using your polarizing filters and why ?


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## DRoberts (May 6, 2009)

Its not so much what lens but what setting...when shooting outside I generally always have one on. When shooting inside it needs to come off.


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## timethief (May 6, 2009)

well if you have polarizers for all your lenses i agree.


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## DRoberts (May 6, 2009)

This will give you quik idea of polarizer use, without getting to technical... Polarizer


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## benhasajeep (May 6, 2009)

Actually my CPOL fits all my lenses.  As I bought the best (what I felt was the best) CPOL that fit my largest filter size.  And then bought adapters to fit it to my smaller lenses.

As for use, like above on most of the time outside in daylight when shooting scenics.  Off at night and inside.


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## DRoberts (May 6, 2009)

benhasajeep said:


> Actually my CPOL fits all my lenses. As I bought the best (what I felt was the best) CPOL that fit my largest filter size. And then bought adapters to fit it to my smaller lenses.
> 
> As for use, like above on most of the time outside in daylight when shooting scenics. Off at night and inside.


 
How does that effect your aperture? I can't see how using the same filter on a 58mm f/4 lens would work just as well on a 72mm f/2.8 lens.
Not saying it wont, just need education on it I guess.


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## NateS (May 6, 2009)

DRoberts said:


> How does that effect your aperture? I can't see how using the same filter on a 58mm f/4 lens would work just as well on a 72mm f/2.8 lens.
> Not saying it wont, just need education on it I guess.



Well if he has a 58mm f/4 lens and a 72mm f2.8(assume this is the largest he has), then all of his filters are 72mm in size and he has step down rings for the 58mm lens.  This wouldn't affect aperture or anything else since the filter would be bigger than the front of the lens.


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## DRoberts (May 6, 2009)

Duh! I can be such an idiot sometimes...somehow I missed the largest adapted down to smallest part of that.


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## KmH (May 6, 2009)

DRoberts said:


> Duh! I can be such an idiot sometimes...somehow I missed the largest adapted down to smallest part of that.


Welcome to the human race.  :thumbup:


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## dcclark (May 6, 2009)

One thing that bears mentioning -- don't use a polarizer on an even moderately wide-angle lens, if you're going to use it to darken the sky. The sky will polarize unevenly, and results in a weird coloring issue where half of the sky will be darker than the other half -- depending on positioning, of course.


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## Garbz (May 7, 2009)

dcclark said:


> One thing that bears mentioning -- don't use a polarizer on an even moderately wide-angle lens.



This is not a "Don't use" but rather a creative decision. I'd take a half dark sky over a flat image anyday if the polariser achieves other purposes like removing glare on a lake. There's no rule to say a sky needs to be evenly dark.


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## B Kennedy (May 7, 2009)

This is also very true, but depeding on composition it can make for a very awkward picture.  It lends itself to more of a surreal photograph than one of what you actually saw through the lense.  You'd prolly be better off using a 2 or 3 stop filter to darken up the sky rather than just use a polarizer.  I guess just depending on what look/technique you're looking to achieve.



Garbz said:


> This is not a "Don't use" but rather a creative decision. I'd take a half dark sky over a flat image anyday if the polariser achieves other purposes like removing glare on a lake. There's no rule to say a sky needs to be evenly dark.


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## timethief (May 7, 2009)

so what do you prefer to have, a polarizer for every lens or highest polarizer size and adapters to fit all other lenses? and why


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## Montana (May 7, 2009)

I have a polarizer for most lenses that I use outdoors.  Why, because I like to use my lens hoods.  With step up rings, hoods cannot be mounted.  But sometimes its hard to turn circ. polarizers with the hood on.  LOL  Its not so bad with the petal hoods though.   I use the drop in one for the 600mm and find it very useful.

Derrick


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## dcclark (May 7, 2009)

Garbz said:


> This is not a "Don't use" but rather a creative decision. I'd take a half dark sky over a flat image anyday if the polariser achieves other purposes like removing glare on a lake. There's no rule to say a sky needs to be evenly dark.



True, but this is a very common (and easy to make) mistake for beginners. It becomes a creative decision only if you already understand what the problem is!


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## Garbz (May 8, 2009)

timethief said:


> so what do you prefer to have, a polarizer for every lens or highest polarizer size and adapters to fit all other lenses? and why



Look at the cost for a quality polariser and compare it to the most expensive step-up ring you can find. This question is really pointless if you have like me:
52mm lens, 58mm lens, 62mm lens, 70mm lens, and two 77mm lenses. A polariser for each of these would set me back $500 for an average one.


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## lovedigital (May 12, 2009)

I would like to apply to the wide anglelens such as24 mm/2.8 or 28 mm.f/2.8 because I want dark color goes up of the sky or cut the reflective light in the sea clearly .:lmao:

lovedigital

http://lovedigital.blogspot.com


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## benhasajeep (May 12, 2009)

timethief said:


> so what do you prefer to have, a polarizer for every lens or highest polarizer size and adapters to fit all other lenses? and why


 
The reason I went with a single large cpol was cost.  I wanted to get a good one.  And a 77mm cpol from B+W was at the time $177.  I have 5 different lens sizes.  If I were to get one for each lens that would have been $885 for just one filter type.  The step rings only cost me about $100.

I did by a second cpol when my wife starting taking pics on her own.  For her I bought a "decent" filter from a local camera shop while traveling.  Well my thoughts on buying the good ones were right on the money.  The "decent" filter that I got from the local store was just that, decent.  There was definately a quality difference.  Also, luckily I gave her the cheaper one as it ended up getting broken about a week later.

If you are shooting something where you need to change lenses fast and want the polarizer effect, then you should get more than one.  But if your have time and its not that big of a deal.  Having just one is no problem.  Especially if your on a budget.  I would always choose 1 really good one over several cheap ones anyday.  There is a difference.


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## timethief (May 12, 2009)

Thanks for feedback. appreciated guys.

Does anyone by any chance have some shots with a wide angle less using a cpol?
I am really confused now about the uneven effect it would cause. can anyone elaborate ? or know any place i could read about it ?


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## skieur (May 12, 2009)

I have a polarizer for every lens and use them often indoors as well.  It takes the harshness out of flash use at the close to medium distances and can reduce some extreme highlights when shooting in available light.

skieur


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## Garbz (May 12, 2009)

This is what the effect looks like. Though the majority of the time it's no where near that severe. It is in this case because of the time, angle and location (desert). If this were shot say in the mountains, earlier or later in the day, and facing a different direction it would almost not be noticable.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/images/KEN_6031-polarizer.jpg

Btw I have never seen a sky blackened that deeply with a polariser before. I am willing to bet there is quite a contrast bump in that photo too.


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