Is using a circular polarized filter hard?

[JasonMX]

I am buying one tonight and practicing before my vacation next week. Are these filters tough to use? Does anyone have any tips or links to good tutorials? Thanks.

[BrandonSi]

Not unless your front lens element rotates.. for the most part slap the filter on and rotate by hand, then look through the viewfinder and determine if what you see is what you want. You usually get the most polarization at right angles to the sun, so if you're looking directly at the sun, turn 90 degrees either way.

[JasonMX]

Great, thanks for your help. What does the rotable lense do in the front too? Can you use that to tweak it?

[GyRob]

if your lens element rotates as you zoom or focus then you will always be having to ajust the polarizeing filter .better that the Lens front element does not rotate.
Rob.

[BrandonSi]

When you put the filter on your lens you can rotate it to adjust how the light is polarized through the filter, that's what it's a "circular" filter.. now you could imagine where the difficulty comes in if you're trying to rotate the filter by hand to suit your needs, and your front lens element is rotating at the same time while say you are zooming in or out.

[JasonMX]

Does the front end element rotate on a Canon Digital Rebel?

[BrandonSi]

Does the front end element rotate on a Canon Digital Rebel?

Depends on what lens you have attatched to it ;) The filter goes on the lens, not the camera body.

[Curtis N]

Does the front end element rotate on a Canon Digital Rebel?If you bought the kit lens with the camera, the answer is "yes." Look into the lens while you turn the focusing ring. It rotates as you focus.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Nope

[JasonMX]

If the polarizor keeps rotating each time the camera focuses, how do you actuall take a picture?

[JasonMX]

If the polarizor keeps rotating each time the camera focuses, how do you actuall take a picture?

[lostdoggy]

If the polarizor keeps rotating each time the camera focuses, how do you actuall take a picture?

Change to a lens that don't rotate or hold on to the shutter button lock focus and rotate the filter without letting go!!! But if you have three hands you could turn the filter as you focus.

[Curtis N]

If the polarizor keeps rotating each time the camera focuses, how do you actuall take a picture?1. Focus
2. Adjust polarizer
3. Shoot

Ok for landscapes, not for sports.

[montreal]

When you put the filter on your lens you can rotate it to adjust how the light is polarized through the filter, that's what it's a "circular" filter..

Actually, linear polarizers work in exactly the same way (you still need to rotate them). The difference is in what the filter does to the light.

[JasonMX]

"1. Focus
2. Adjust polarizer
3. Shoot"

So I need to shoot with auto focus off?

[ElleG83]

not necessarily. you could just auto focus but keep the camera still so it remains in focus on your subject, adjust filter then shoot.

[Curtis N]

So I need to shoot with auto focus off?You can use either auto or manual focus. As long as you don't move the camera after focusing (causing the AF to focus on something different when you press the shutter), you should be fine. Even if the camera refocuses and rotates the front element slightly, it won't have a significant effect on the polarizer.

As you rotate the polarizer, the change in its effect is very gradual. It doesn't need to be precise.

[chakras]

Actually, linear polarizers work in exactly the same way (you still need to rotate them). The difference is in what the filter does to the light.

Also, please correct me if I am wrong, TTL metering on cameras only work correctly with circular polarizers.

[Curtis N]

Also, please correct me if I am wrong, TTL metering on cameras only work correctly with circular polarizers.It's actually the auto focus that won't work with a linear polarizer.

[montreal]

It's actually the auto focus that won't work with a linear polarizer.

Correct. It behaves erratically (spelling?) Some pics can turn out fine and some other are out of focus or have ghosting. And sometimes it's just impossible to get a clear image even with manual focus. I know because I tried it once out of curiosity.

[robertwgross]

When a new photographer starts using a circular polarizer for the first time, it seems natural to rotate the filter around to get the maximum effect. By that, I mean the maximum blueness in the sky, or the maximum contrast to the white clouds. Sometimes, that is the desired effect. You might also experiment with rotating it only halfway to the maximum to achieve a more natural effect.

One problem can happen if you are using a wide angle lens and shooting perpendicularly to the sun angle. On one side of the frame, you may have the perpendicular angle and the maximum effect, so the sky looks very blue. But then by the other side of the frame, you are way off the perpendicular angle, so there is less effect, so the sky looks only halfway blue. So, there is inconsistent color across the sky, and that looks kind of fake. This is not a problem with a longer lens.

---Bob Gross---

[Rick Baker]

No. They are fairly easy to use and can make a big difference on how your image looks. Point your camera towards the sky and rotate the filter till you get a medium darkness. That usually works well for me.

[Jesper]

Here's a page that explains what a polarizer filter is useful for:
Understanding Polarizers (http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml)

[Jonny]

Ok, I was going to post a new thread with my question but this looks a good place to ask!

How do you guys use a cp filter with a hood???? If i put one on my 100-400 it is a real pain to rotate it without taking off the hood.

Am i missing a trick to this somewhere??

[Big_B]

I take the hood off when using a CP.