Polarizing filters

[tim]

I just got a polarizing filter, a mid priced one from a local store, and I can't recommend them highly enough. It's let me take photos during the day again, whereas before there was too much dynamic range and I didn't even bother. I know how it works in theory, more or less, but in practice it seems to cut the really bright highlights down and keep the darker things brighter, reducing the dynamic range nicely. If you like taking photos during a bright day with lots of sunshine, get one!

[pierrot]

It's mid-summer in NZ, obviously! ;)

[tim]

Yep :)

[sparker1]

Tim, I tried my polarizer recently on the 75-300 mm IS lens and most of the shots were out of focus. Apparently, the CP prevented the auto focus from working right. Any ideas on this?

[pierrot]

Not the filter by itself (polarizing) but more surely because it steals light reaching the sensor by 1 or 2 stops.

[scottbergerphoto]

Tim, I tried my polarizer recently on the 75-300 mm IS lens and most of the shots were out of focus. Apparently, the CP prevented the auto focus from working right. Any ideas on this?
The CPL doesn't affect the AF operation. As mentioned, it does reduce the light entering the camera by 1-2 stops.
Scott

[Redbird_xo]

Tim, I tried my polarizer recently on the 75-300 mm IS lens and most of the shots were out of focus. Apparently, the CP prevented the auto focus from working right. Any ideas on this?

The 75-300 IS lens uses the front group rotating extension AF system which will be interfered by the circular polarizing filter. A solution is to use linear polarizing filter, but I heard it's a pain to use (not to mention the limited availability of such filter).

[tim]

Use manual focus?

[I Simonius]

I am completely new to digi cameras but am going to get the new 350. It's 10 years since I had a decent camera.
I used a polariser a lot and want to again, will it work with the EF-S lenses that go with the 350?
I redd the thread on the 10-22 wide and liked the idea of that, I like a wide lens (used to have the 17mm long ago when I had film cameras (F1s) so that's one I might go for, but all suggestions gratefully received.
I had though of one wide and one medium to longish, but I don't like nose heavy glass too m uch anymore, my poor old back won't take it

thanks

Simon

[tim]

So long as you get the correct size any lens should accept a filter. Can't help you with lens selection with those criteria sorry.

[KennyG]

A solution is to use linear polarizing filter, but I heard it's a pain to use (not to mention the limited availability of such filter).

You should not use linear polarizing filters as they effect the AF.

[GyRob]

A bright day ? in the uk its May 20 this year then back to normal dull and damp .
Rob.

[I Simonius]

So a circular polariser will work ok with the EF-s lenses?
Not that I understand the difference between EF and EF-sS but it'll come
I seem to remember linear polarisers were the cheaper and more common version a while back
Is there a good thread already running for lens choice for the 350?
Don't want to spend a fortune but not to be too cheap either
I guess there's no such thing as a 50mm for this camera?

thanks

Simon :D

[Redbird_xo]

You should not use linear polarizing filters as they effect the AF.

Thanks for the info. Luckily, I didn't get lured into buying such filter along with the purchase of the 75-300 lens.

[robertwgross]

Today I used a circular polarizer for something completely different from its normal intended use. I was deep in a redwood forest, and the light was rather filtered. Normally, there would be little use for the polarizer. However, I had a waterfall in front of me, and I wanted to get the "silky" effect, yet I had no neutral density filter with me to slow down the shutter enough, so I used the circular polarizer ('cause that's all I had with me).

---Bob Gross---

[cactusclay]

Congrats on the new polerizer Tim.

[I Simonius]

I alwaya did prefer the pol to ND filters, better than graduated NDs as well you can adjust a pol to have the same effect with extra juicy colours :D

[Redbird_xo]

Today I used a circular polarizer for something completely different from its normal intended use. I was deep in a redwood forest, and the light was rather filtered. Normally, there would be little use for the polarizer. However, I had a waterfall in front of me, and I wanted to get the "silky" effect, yet I had no neutral density filter with me to slow down the shutter enough, so I used the circular polarizer ('cause that's all I had with me).

---Bob Gross---

Learn something new today. Thanks for the tip.

[Jon]

The 75-300 IS lens uses the front group rotating extension AF system which will be interfered by the circular polarizing filter. A solution is to use linear polarizing filter, but I heard it's a pain to use (not to mention the limited availability of such filter).

No, the circular polarizer won't interfere with the AF system. That's the whole point of using circular polarizers. With a linear polarizer, the amount of light going through the partially-reflecting mirrors in the AF and AE systems will be affected (since the partially reflecting mirrors also polarize the light passing through). To see this in operation, line up two pairs of polarized sunglasses and rotate one of them. You'll see the doubly-polarized area darken. Circular polarizers "un-polarize" the light coming through the filter (having screened out the "bad" light already), so the two won't interact like linear polarizers.

What will happen with a circular polarizer on a lens where the front elements rotate in focussing is that you'll have to re-set the polarizer after focussing, because the filter, as well as the front element, rotated.

[Carzee]

I have just looked up "Moose's Warming circular polariser". It says it removes a bluish cast, but does it introduce an orange cast? (say if I was shooting snow scenes?) If so, for shooting sunrise on sand dunes and beaches with surf I could live with it...

[gmaize]

...add this to the list of dumb things I learned while using my circular polarizing filter.

Do not install them (stacked) over any other filters on your lens (in my case it was a regular old daylight filter, which I have on all my lenses), especially with the wide angles at the minimum focal length, as you can get get the corners of your pictures cut off. Similar to having installed an incorrect sized lens hood.

We'll just chalk this one up in the lessons learned column.

Jon, thanks for the tip about readjusting the polarizer after you focus. I'll have to remember to check this out with my different lenses to see if the front elements rotate while focusing. Glad I checked in and learned something today.

--gmaize.....riding home on the Amtrak and POTN'ing wirelessly.

[Carzee]

Amtrak... would have to be cool thing to do.



Whats playing on the muzac? Let me guess, "Wreck of The Old Forty-Nine"?

[gmaize]

Amtrak... would have to be cool thing to do.



Whats playing on the muzac? Let me guess, "Wreck of The Old Forty-Nine"?

Thankfully, not Muzac, when the passengers get too load I just plug in the earphones to the laptop and crank it up.

Riding the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to OC everyday.....visually not a bad commute , huh!

[london]

Living and shooting in California, my polarizers are essential -- not just for bringing out contrast on bright days but but also, and especially, for reducing haze. Here's the thing, I often have trouble adjusting them. All too often, I rotate them so most, but not all, of the sky is muted. Basically, the sky looks brighter on one side than the other. It's so hard to get that right. Sometimes, I will even get a weird dark spot on the upper part of one or the other side of the sky. I haven't found a good way to solve this when I'm shooting in broad daylight (since it's usually too bright to see the LCD clearly). Any suggestions from the polarizer pros?

Scott.

[robertwgross]

For years and years, I used a polarizer cranked to the maximum. Then one or two people commented that my skies looked too artificial. So, I took one standard scenery shot (my favorite mountain) with 100% polarization, 50%, and none. Then I showed those around. The most votes were for the 50%, and then 100%. Nobody liked zero polarization.

---Bob Gross---

[I Simonius]

Living and shooting in California, my polarizers are essential -- not just for bringing out contrast on bright days but but also, and especially, for reducing haze. Here's the thing, I often have trouble adjusting them. All too often, I rotate them so most, but not all, of the sky is muted. Basically, the sky looks brighter on one side than the other. It's so hard to get that right. Sometimes, I will even get a weird dark spot on the upper part of one or the other side of the sky. I haven't found a good way to solve this when I'm shooting in broad daylight (since it's usually too bright to see the LCD clearly). Any suggestions from the polarizer pros?

Scott.
The wider the angle of the dangle the more you will see the 'partial' darkening effect. Nothing you can do about it. The thing is you can see the effect THROUGH the lens, so don't bother reviewing it, as you said you can't see it in bright daylight anyway.
Experiment at different times of day.

The best (ideal) effect I think for pols is where you can use a 50mm lens inbroight sunlight to isolate a subject by making the background really dark. (polarised)
Some don't like it so strong so the more subtle approach is to shoot at an angle where it doesn't influence the sky so much but removes highlights from grass, water etc, giving a saturated landscape.

For really wacky effects there used to be COLOUR polarisers, don't know if you can still get them - boy did they mess with the colours!

[jfrancho]

For years and years, I used a polarizer cranked to the maximum. Then one or two people commented that my skies looked too artificial. So, I took one standard scenery shot (my favorite mountain) with 100% polarization, 50%, and none. Then I showed those around. The most votes were for the 50%, and then 100%. Nobody liked zero polarization.

---Bob Gross---This is great advice. A circular polarizer is adjustable for a reason. Just have remember that if the front element rotates to focus or zoom, you'll have to readjust. (I know you know this, robert, but I wanted to reiterate)

[I Simonius]

For years and years, I used a polarizer cranked to the maximum. Then one or two people commented that my skies looked too artificial. So, I took one standard scenery shot (my favorite mountain) with 100% polarization, 50%, and none. Then I showed those around. The most votes were for the 50%, and then 100%. Nobody liked zero polarization.

---Bob Gross---
I still like totally maxed out polarised sky, provided it covers all or most of the sky - what I do think looks unnatural is where only a spot of sky is pol'd.

It tickles me that people happily acccept black sky's in B+W (effectively a super saturated B+W sky) but object to it in colour.

If only there was a way to get auto polarisation like auto bracketing, a polariser is time intensive ;)