Ring on used polarizer wont rotate freely..

Got my polarizer. I scored a used one worth around $70 new for $37. There's a small photography store in town. The brand is Quantaray. The only weird thing about it is the ring doesn't rotate independently. It always starts unscrewing it from the lens when I try to rotate it. I'll have to be careful so I don't drop it. It seems like there's enough threads to hold it in place while I'm rotating it. Is there any way to fix it so the ring does rotate freely?

This polarizer was the best I could do. I figured even with the rotating problem, it was still better than anything I could get new for $30. I tested it out on the reflections in the glass display cases at the store and was pleased with the results. I think it would work well on the reflections on the tank at sea world. The owner of this little store is trying to get me to buy a flower hood for my lens as well. Do I really need one while shooting at sea world? I could get one, seeing as I spent only $37 on the polarizer. So yes or no on the flower hood?

Quantaray brand=junk

i would recommend the hood because it helps block stray light and provides a lot of protection for the front element without degradation of IQ, which i am sure your polarizer made by Quantaray does

A lens hood is always a good idea. Not only does it block unwanted light that could cause flare, but it acts as an excellent bumper for the front of your lens. I've never seen a polarizer that isn't a two piece affair so that it will rotate freely without unscrewing itself from the lens. Are you sure it's a polarizer? Perhaps the ring is just frozen. Try taking it off the lens and rotating it by hand to see if you can get the two rings to rotate independently.

Naturally Aspirated wrote in post #9291540
Quantaray brand=junk

i would recommend the hood because it helps block stray light and provides a lot of protection for the front element without degradation of IQ, which i am sure your polarizer made by Quantaray does

I talked to him for a while before buying it and he really seemed to know what he was talking about. He probably just straight up lied to me. It is a mom-n-pop shop, so I'm sure his stuff is over priced to begin with. I'm gonna shoot some of the mountains behind my house with it on and off and compare those two with how the mountains look to my naked eye.

crn3371 wrote in post #9291552
A lens hood is always a good idea. Not only does it block unwanted light that could cause flare, but it acts as an excellent bumper for the front of your lens. I've never seen a polarizer that isn't a two piece affair so that it will rotate freely without unscrewing itself from the lens. Are you sure it's a polarizer? Perhaps the ring is just frozen. Try taking it off the lens and rotating it by hand to see if you can get the two rings to rotate independently.

When I put it on my camera and held it up to this glass display case in the photography store and rotated it, the reflections disappeared. Unless there's another kind of filter that does that, I'm willing to be money this is indeed a polarizer. I have a another polarizer for my P&S and that one rotates freely. The one I got for my 50D has ridges on it to make gripping easier and I was looking at other kinds of filters there too and those were obviously one piece construction. The guy who sold it to me was puzzled as to why it wouldn't rotate freely.

I tried rotating it several times and no luck. This is weird. Should I get a flower hood or a straight one? Does it matter?

Frankly, if it were me, I'd go back to the store and return the polarizer. Used,or not, it's broke. Either have them sell you one that works, or go online and buy a good one from a reputable dealer. I would recommend that you get the genuine Canon hood for your lens, which is a petal lens and should only cost you about $30.

it could be possible that you purchased a regular polarizer and not a circular polarizer like you used to have

Naturally Aspirated wrote in post #9291876
it could be possible that you purchased a regular polarizer and not a circular polarizer like you used to have

Whether a linear polarizer, or circular polarizer, they're both 2 piece rotating optics.

crn3371 wrote in post #9291853
Frankly, if it were me, I'd go back to the store and return the polarizer. Used,or not, it's broke. Either have them sell you one that works, or go online and buy a good one from a reputable dealer. I would recommend that you get the genuine Canon hood for your lens, which is a petal lens and should only cost you about $30.

I think I can make it work. I pretty much have it set in my mind that all I can afford is cheapo used stuff. When I get a good polarizer, I'll get it new from a better store. I don't want to take this one back to just to get a new polarizer for $30 since that's pretty much all I'm able to spend right now. I only need to unscrew it a little bit to get the effect I need. It's not like it's in huge danger of falling off. It's true, I'll have to watch it closer than my other polarizer for my P&S though. Like I said, when I get a better one, I'll make sure it's in perfect working condition.

I can't order something off the internet in time for for the seaworld trip. I got this one more out of desperation than anything. I'll go somewhere else when I get my petal lens. Most mom-n-p pop shops here in Tehachapi are a bit shady. I only go there when I'm kinda desperate. I'll probably buy it from Sears so I can use my employee discount card and save me the sales tax.

Naturally Aspirated wrote in post #9291540
Quantaray brand=junk

i would recommend the hood because it helps block stray light and provides a lot of protection for the front element without degradation of IQ, which i am sure your polarizer made by Quantaray does

This is true is you're just a using a filter for protection. But what if you want to use a CP, like what the OP is intending to use, to minimize reflection on Sea Worlds aquarium. I don't think a lens hood would do the job.

A rubber lens hood, pressed against the glass, will let you screen off the outside light that causes reflections when shooting through aquarium tanks. And they're cheap. They don't provide a lot of bump protection, but they will cut reflections because they're flexible and can fit flush to the glass despite the camera angle you may use..

Jon wrote in post #9292873
A rubber lens hood, pressed against the glass, will let you screen off the outside light that causes reflections when shooting through aquarium tanks. And they're cheap. They don't provide a lot of bump protection, but they will cut reflections because they're flexible and can fit flush to the glass despite the camera angle you may use..

Exactly! But in almost all other uses, a petal hood made specifically for your particular lens, is a better choice. Why? Because at the widest angle of your lens, it will not vignette, and at the narrowest angle, it will provide the most protection from stray light. I have a rubber one that I share between a couple of lenses, and for all the others I have lens specific hoods. If you need it for the aquarium, I would get the rubber one now, and you can share it, if need be, between different lenses. Many of the rubber ones are adjustable for wide angle, telephoto, and in between.

By the way, check your photos closely when using that Quantaray. Take some of the same scenes with and without the filter. You may find that the ones with the budget filter are not as sharp as the others. You won't need the polarizer if the rubber hood is pressed up against the aquarium glass. By the way, $70 is a crazy price for that brand of polaizer. Even $37 seems a bit much for a new one.

jeromego wrote in post #9292809
This is true is you're just a using a filter for protection. But what if you want to use a CP, like what the OP is intending to use, to minimize reflection on Sea Worlds aquarium. I don't think a lens hood would do the job.

Jeromego is right. I'm buying the polarizer to take care of reflections in glass. Not so much for protection. I will be getting a petal lens hood too, but at a later date and probably not in time to take it to sea world with me.

Jon wrote in post #9292873
A rubber lens hood, pressed against the glass, will let you screen off the outside light that causes reflections when shooting through aquarium tanks. And they're cheap. They don't provide a lot of bump protection, but they will cut reflections because they're flexible and can fit flush to the glass despite the camera angle you may use..

When I go to sea world, the orcas always come up close to me. That may work for when the orcas are swimming around farther away from me, but not when they're 2 feet away. They come up to me because I bring along stuffed animals and stuff for them to look at, so they will literally press their faces to the tank staring at the stuff I bring. I need to be able to stand back so I can get good angles and still be able to diminish if not totally get rid of reflections in the acrylic. A circular polarizer is my best bet. I will still be getting a lens hood, but at a later date.

here's what i'd do...

return the polarizer to the mom and pop shop.

get a cheap rubber hood from that shop. they're usually less than $6. this should work if you want to put your lens right up to the glass.

next, if you have time, order a good CPL from amazon. if you have amazon prime, you'll get it in 2 days, or pay $4 to get it next day. if you don't, sign up for a trial.

if you can't do that, there are plenty of reputable stores in socal. if you're going down the 15, there's Calumet (http://www.calumetphot​o.com …ocDetail&ac.com​p.locID=SD). they're not the cheapest, and i've never been there, but they were nice on the phone and had everything i wanted to rent. call them and ask what their return policy on filters is. if you're not happy, can you return it for credit? then use the credit to buy the OEM canon hood and whatever else you need.

i'm all for supporting mom and pop stores, but you have to be able to trust them. if i go to samy's, i'm just another number. ask about filters and their eyes light up with dollar signs. i found a shop that charges more than samy's, but is trustworthy. my first visit, i got a wealth of information and never bought a thing. i told him i was still shopping around comparing prices. he had no problem talking to me even though i said i wasn't buying anything.

IIRC, the Quantaray is a re-badged line of filters for the Wolf/Ritz chains. Not the best, but definitely not a POS as some others are making it out to be. To avoid having the filter fall off your lens, be sure to rotate it in a counterclockwise direction when you're looking through the VF. If its a slim filter, it could be possible that you may be grabbing too much of the filter when making adjustments? Just a thought... OTOH, even some high-quality CPL's can be a tad too tight. As long as it does what you need it to, you needn't worry about it.