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Hoya Polarizer, can I leave it on???

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ARB1

ARB1

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This is just a basic question I'm sure for most of you but I'd appreciate the advise. I just ordered a Hoya Circular Polarizer Multi-Coated Filter and would like to know if it can be left on the camera all the time or if it will drastically change my indoor shooting when kept on. I was wondering if it would change the f-stop to a great degree.

Thanks all

--
Photographers don't stroll through life without noticing each day.
 
I wouldn't leave it on, though that's a decision you ultimately have to make. You lose about 1.5 stops (if I'm remembering right). This not only affects how much flash you need, but also how well your camera can focus.
ARB1 said:
This is just a basic question I'm sure for most of you but I'd
appreciate the advise. I just ordered a Hoya Circular Polarizer
Multi-Coated Filter and would like to know if it can be left on the
camera all the time or if it will drastically change my indoor
shooting when kept on. I was wondering if it would change the
f-stop to a great degree.

Thanks all

--
Photographers don't stroll through life without noticing each day.
Click to expand...
--
dgrogers

http://www.pbase.com/drog
 
ARB1 said:
This is just a basic question I'm sure for most of you but I'd
appreciate the advise. I just ordered a Hoya Circular Polarizer
Multi-Coated Filter and would like to know if it can be left on the
camera all the time or if it will drastically change my indoor
shooting when kept on. I was wondering if it would change the
f-stop to a great degree.

Thanks all

--
Photographers don't stroll through life without noticing each day.
Click to expand...
Hi ARB1,

I've heard some people leave their polarizer on all the time for protection, much the same way others use a UV. I've never liked doing this outside though, because it does seem to cut out a substantial amount of light.

I just tried mine indoors, and it required me to open my lens up about 7 stops when focused on the same light wall as when I had it off.

I have the Hoya Super HMC, and they are nice filters.
--
Cheers,
markE
  • Oly E-20, LiPo, TCON300, TCON-14B, WCON, FL-40 Wacom Graphire II tablet, Epson PS 820
-Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/marke

 
markE said:
Hi ARB1,
I've heard some people leave their polarizer on all the time for
protection, much the same way others use a UV. I've never liked
doing this outside though, because it does seem to cut out a
substantial amount of light.
I just tried mine indoors, and it required me to open my lens up
about 7 stops when focused on the same light wall as when I had it
off.

I have the Hoya Super HMC, and they are nice filters.
Click to expand...
Mark,

To clarify, I am sure you meant seven steps in the aperture range, not 7 stops since the camera doesn't even have that range of apertures. For example, going from f/2.0 to f/4.0 would be:

2.0
2.2
2.4
2.8
3.2
3.6
4.0

or 6 steps (or clicks of the command dial.) I just don't want anyone to be confused as to how much light loss you will see with an average polarizer...

Todd

--
Todd Walker
Olympus E20, Olympus C3020Z
http://twalker.d2g.com
 
Todd Walker said:
Mark,

To clarify, I am sure you meant seven steps in the aperture range,
not 7 stops since the camera doesn't even have that range of
apertures. For example, going from f/2.0 to f/4.0 would be:

2.0
2.2
2.4
2.8
3.2
3.6
4.0

or 6 steps (or clicks of the command dial.) I just don't want
anyone to be confused as to how much light loss you will see with
an average polarizer...
Click to expand...
Yes, you're right, Todd. But now you blew it for me. I was trying to get everyone thinking I had the new E-30. :)
Thanks for the correction.

--
Cheers,
markE
  • Oly E-20, LiPo, TCON300, TCON-14B, WCON, FL-40 Wacom Graphire II tablet, Epson PS 820
-Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/marke

 
I don't see any reason to leave it on, I meen it has a purpose and is most effective when used for that purpose. Use it when you want to cut down glare and reflections, when you want to darken sky a bit, even bring out colors etc. Most people don't always want to minimise glare or darken skys, if you do, by all means leave that sucker on.

Also I've read a few things stating that using a PL filter will increase noise in the E-10/20, I imagine that there is in some cases becuase of darker exposures. My E-10 doesn't do blue skies very well at all to start with, darkinging them would certainly not help the problem.
ARB1 said:
This is just a basic question I'm sure for most of you but I'd
appreciate the advise. I just ordered a Hoya Circular Polarizer
Multi-Coated Filter and would like to know if it can be left on the
camera all the time or if it will drastically change my indoor
shooting when kept on. I was wondering if it would change the
f-stop to a great degree.

Thanks all

--
Photographers don't stroll through life without noticing each day.
Click to expand...
 
Id pop it off since it will put the camera using other f-stops and shutter-speeds then you would need to, its really not that hard to pop off ;) well the pictures dont go bad, but if you want them the best pop it off, oh btw which strength is the polarizer?
 
I'm one of the weirdos that leaves it on all the time. Most of my stuff is outdoors, and even on questionable days, the PL removes much of the glare from the tops of foliage, etc. Granted, when shooting indoors or in the studio, I remove it. The light loss is just too much to accept. It also makes a good neutral density filter for longer shutter speeds for special uses.

The loss of about 2 stops doesn't affect my shooting at all. The increased DOF of the camera offsets that loss easily. True, anything between the camera and the subject degrades the image a bit. For my shooting, it's not a problem at all. I'm also one of the weirdos that shoots in the program mode most of the time. Exmaple: the fireweed is less than 10 feet from the camera. EXIF data shows f4.0. Tripod. Dark day.



--
Archie
One day at a time
 
Ditto here, with respect to the CP (mine's a B&W). It's on all the time unless I'm doing an indoor shoot in limited light. On the shooting mode, though, I'll cancel my ditto since I shoot in aperture priority mode most of the time. :-)
James D. Howell said:
I'm one of the weirdos that leaves it on all the time. Most of my
stuff is outdoors, and even on questionable days, the PL removes
much of the glare from the tops of foliage, etc. Granted, when
shooting indoors or in the studio, I remove it. The light loss is
just too much to accept. It also makes a good neutral density
filter for longer shutter speeds for special uses.
The loss of about 2 stops doesn't affect my shooting at all. The
increased DOF of the camera offsets that loss easily. True,
anything between the camera and the subject degrades the image a
bit. For my shooting, it's not a problem at all. I'm also one of
the weirdos that shoots in the program mode most of the time.
Exmaple: the fireweed is less than 10 feet from the camera. EXIF
data shows f4.0. Tripod. Dark day.



--
Archie
One day at a time
Click to expand...
--
Garry

Garry's Page: http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~gschaef
 
I also tend to use it as most people use their UV filter. Since most of my shooting is landscape, I will remove it to use a ND or gradient.
ARB1 said:
This is just a basic question I'm sure for most of you but I'd
appreciate the advise. I just ordered a Hoya Circular Polarizer
Multi-Coated Filter and would like to know if it can be left on the
camera all the time or if it will drastically change my indoor
shooting when kept on. I was wondering if it would change the
f-stop to a great degree.

Thanks all

--
Photographers don't stroll through life without noticing each day.
Click to expand...
--
Bruce Robbins
http://www.brucerobbins.org
 
James D. Howell said:
I'm one of the weirdos that leaves it on all the time.
Click to expand...
(snip)
James D. Howell said:
The loss of about 2 stops doesn't affect my shooting at all. The
increased DOF of the camera offsets that loss easily.
Click to expand...
Hi Archie,

Shouldn't you be getting a decrease in DOF if you use the polarizer, since you have to open up the lens further?

BTW, nice land! Is that your back yard? :-)

--
Cheers,
markE
  • Oly E-20, LiPo, TCON300, TCON-14B, WCON, FL-40 Wacom Graphire II tablet, Epson PS 820
-Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/marke

 
Hi Mark. I believe that what James was suggesting is that, given the much greater DOF inherent in the digital camera as opposed to the 35 mm, he can afford the loss of DOF due to the use of the polariser. Perhaps he'll be back to either confirm or refute what I have now suggested. :-)
markE said:
Shouldn't you be getting a decrease in DOF if you use the
polarizer, since you have to open up the lens further?
Click to expand...
--
Garry

Garry's Page: http://www3.mb.sympatico.ca/~gschaef
 
Garry Schaefer said:
Hi Mark. I believe that what James was suggesting is that, given
the much greater DOF inherent in the digital camera as opposed to
the 35 mm, he can afford the loss of DOF due to the use of the
polariser. Perhaps he'll be back to either confirm or refute what
I have now suggested. :-)
Click to expand...
That make sense. I re-read his post and it sounds like that's what he meant.
Thanks.

--
Cheers,
markE
  • Oly E-20, LiPo, TCON300, TCON-14B, WCON, FL-40 Wacom Graphire II tablet, Epson PS 820
-Gallery: http://www.pbase.com/marke

 
Hi Guys

Yup, the increase in DOF with digital vs film. Around three stops or so. I usually check the fstop and add 3 stops to see if the DOF is close to what I want, then shoot away.

Not exactly Houston, TX, I'll grant, Mark. This is Hatcher Pass, about 70 miles north of Anchorage Alaska. It's one of my "favorite places". The Lodge is a year round operation, catering to the snowmobile crowd in the winter. It sits at the entry to Independance Gold Mine State Park. Really interesting area. From where this pic is taken, you can drive through the pass over the mountain range to intercept the road to Denali. Only in the summer, however. The pass opens around mid June and closes with the first heavy snowfall.

On this day, the clouds were heavy with light rain. I loved it. Shot many megabites. Thanks for the interest.
--
Archie
One day at a time
 
I agree with Archie and Garry. Most of my shots are outdoors so I tend to leave it on all the time. I find it doesnt degrade the pics and certainly does not give more noise. I use a cokin filter system along with my hoya cir pol and use the grads and nds at the same time as the polarizer.

Having said all that, this holiday I have replaced the pol with a skylight as I have done load of shots indoors and when outside it has been so gloomy I needed the extra couple of stops. I tend to only take of the pol when I have to and keep the number of changes to the minimum to make sure I keep the lens in the best shape.

.....oh and I never use P mode !!!! usually A.
ARB1 said:
This is just a basic question I'm sure for most of you but I'd
appreciate the advise.
Click to expand...
snip

--
Dr Bob

Gallery: http://www.gm0eco.com
!!!Haggis thread now in the Gallery!!!
 
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