Polarizing filter ?

[Camnu]

Since I shoot quite often in very bright scene, like on the beach or in the field of snow, would you recommend me to get a polarizing filter ? Or maybe a ND filter ? Please share your experience.

May I know a few things ?



1. What's the disadvantage of using a polarizing filter ?

2. What's a good filter brand/model for the kit lens 18-55mm ?

3. Is the filter semi-permanently screwed on the lens or it can be removed fairly easily ?

Thank you for your input.

 

[walie007]

I wouldn't do multi-shot panoramas with a polarizing filter on a sunny day

 

[Ponchsox]

The disadvantage is you lose a stop or so of light. I use a polarizer in sunny Florida all the time so it doesn't matter for me. I bought the Breakthrough X4 CPL for my 18-55.

 

[Rod McD]

Since I shoot quite often in very bright scene, like on the beach or in the field of snow, would you recommend me to get a polarizing filter ? Or maybe a ND filter ? Please share your experience.

CPL filters reduce any light that is polarised from reaching the sensor or film. They will darken blue skies, whether at the beach, snow or anywhere else, but only in the area of sky that is polarised. That's a band of sky roughly at 90 degrees to the sun. WA lenses take in a FOV which is wider than that band of sky, and if you use lenses from about 18-23mm and wider you will probably see the darkened band in your images - it sometimes doesn't look natural. It's also possible to over-use them, again producing unnatural looking images.

CPLs will also reduce polarised light reflected off surfaces that polarise reflections - including water, glass, metals and some foliage.

May I know a few things ?

1. What's the disadvantage of using a polarizing filter ?

The most important to consider is that they reduce shutter speed by about two stops. They may also give slight color casts. Like all filters they can also reduce resolution by incremental amounts. Whether that matters to you is personal - millions of images are published with polarised filters because their effect is more important.

2. What's a good filter brand/model for the kit lens 18-55mm ?

Any good quality brand. I have both B+W and Kenko and I can't tell the difference.

3. Is the filter semi-permanently screwed on the lens or it can be removed fairly easily ?

It's as easy to take them off as put them on. No-one would want or need to leave them on all the time because of the impact on shutter speed.

Thank you for your input.

Best thing is buy one and experiment.

Cheers, Rod

 

[MarcosV]

Comments below

Since I shoot quite often in very bright scene, like on the beach or in the field of snow, would you recommend me to get a polarizing filter ? Or maybe a ND filter ? Please share your experience.

May I know a few things ?

1. What's the disadvantage of using a polarizing filter ?

Whenever you pan the camera, you would have to re-adjust the polarizer. As others have mentioned, hard to use a polarizer when doing very wide stitched panoramas.

2. What's a good filter brand/model for the kit lens 18-55mm ?

B+W, Marumi

3. Is the filter semi-permanently screwed on the lens or it can be removed fairly easily ?

Filters can be unscrewed on any lenses fairly easily unless something keeps it from being easily removed (e.g., over tighten; leaving the filter on too long). Brass filters are supposed to help with this. Personally I remove all of my filters when i get home and bought a "filter wrench" to help remove stubborn filters.

When you buy filters, be sure to have a case or pouch to store the filter safely in your camera bag when not in use.

 

[imnotmarvin]

I would like to add, if you decide to purchase one or the other, be very careful if you purchase on eBay. There are apparently a lot of counterfeit filters making their way around the site. Always by from a known and reputable dealer.

 

[dv312]

I only use ND filter to slow down water or moving objects

With CPL one has to be careful about changes in light/direction of light/and colorization

If you like clear see through water/glass windows then CPL would help

I don't really care for them

The better ones are B+W/Hoya with multi coated and screw on

I'd not recommend the resin filters

 

[bs1946]

Since I shoot quite often in very bright scene, like on the beach or in the field of snow, would you recommend me to get a polarizing filter ? Or maybe a ND filter ? Please share your experience.

There are two kinds of polarizers made; circular and linear. Ignore the linear and get a good circular polarizer, also known as a CPL. The CPL's primary function is to reduce or eliminate reflections. It also makes blue skies bluer and it doubles as a 2-stop ND filter. The CPL is basically two ND filters joined together. As you rotate the front ring, you increase the polarizing effect.

ND filters are designed to cut light and there are a number of types. There are fix-ed stop solid ND filters, variable solid ND filters, and ND grads which are half dark and half clear. solid filters are designed to reduce your shutter speed to capture more detail and the 9-stop and 10-stop ones create the creamy water effect that is like bokeh for landscape photographers. Stay away from variables because even the best have inherent problems that can effect your images. Grads are designed to balance the light from the sky with the darker foreground to create a more balanced photograph. I'm told the most common solid NDs are 3-stop, which is what the X100 models have internally and 6-stop. Plus you can stack them to get a 9-stop effect.

May I know a few things ?

1. What's the disadvantage of using a polarizing filter ?

For maximum effect, a polarizer has to be at a 90 degree angle to the sun. as you face closer into or away from the sun, the effects of the polarizer are reduced. Cheap or poorly made polarizers can cause blotchy skies, color shifts, or just not work properly.

2. What's a good filter brand/model for the kit lens 18-55mm ?

The best filters use Schott B270 optical glass. Breakthrough Photography, B+W, Formatt-HiTech, and VU Scion all use Schott glass. Breakthrough Photography and B+W have the further advantage of using brass rings.

One brand I would not recommend is Hoya. I tried two different models in two different sizes and returned both because they caused blotchy skies.

3. Is the filter semi-permanently screwed on the lens or it can be removed fairly easily ?

Filter rings are generally made from brass or aluminum. Brass rings are less prone to getting stuck and are less likely to bend or wrack. In spite of what filter makes claim, aluminum rings are less expensive to use and are not as strong as brass rings, which is why all but a handful of the best filter makers use aluminum. They make filter wrenches to remove stuck filters but I carry one of those rubber disks used to remove stuck jar covers in the kitchen.

Thank you for your input.

 

[jhorse]

Since I shoot quite often in very bright scene, like on the beach or in the field of snow, would you recommend me to get a polarizing filter ? Or maybe a ND filter ? Please share your experience.

CPL filters reduce any light that is polarised from reaching the sensor or film. They will darken blue skies, whether at the beach, snow or anywhere else, but only in the area of sky that is polarised. That's a band of sky roughly at 90 degrees to the sun. WA lenses take in a FOV which is wider than that band of sky, and if you use lenses from about 18-23mm and wider you will probably see the darkened band in your images - it sometimes doesn't look natural. It's also possible to over-use them, again producing unnatural looking images.

CPLs will also reduce polarised light reflected off surfaces that polarise reflections - including water, glass, metals and some foliage.

May I know a few things ?

1. What's the disadvantage of using a polarizing filter ?

The most important to consider is that they reduce shutter speed by about two stops. They may also give slight color casts. Like all filters they can also reduce resolution by incremental amounts. Whether that matters to you is personal - millions of images are published with polarised filters because their effect is more important.

2. What's a good filter brand/model for the kit lens 18-55mm ?

Any good quality brand. I have both B+W and Kenko and I can't tell the difference.

3. Is the filter semi-permanently screwed on the lens or it can be removed fairly easily ?

It's as easy to take them off as put them on. No-one would want or need to leave them on all the time because of the impact on shutter speed.

Thank you for your input.

Best thing is buy one and experiment.

Cheers, Rod

Hi, I would add to Rod's excellent advice from my experience with the Fuji 18-55 (on a XT10 and now XT20). I often use a Circ-Pol filter, particularly for land and sea-scapes. I agree that they can degrade images and reduce the amount of light entering the lens. If you use a quality make then IQ is far less impacted to the point where most people would be pushed to see any difference. B+W, Hoya, etc are good.

On a bright day the light issue is of less concern, but all the same I opted for a Hoya HD 58mm, because it is good quality. In most scenic images I am unable to see any IQ issues whatsoever. Furthermore, because it claims to allow 25% more light transmission than other makes it allows more light in. I would judge from limited testing that the reduction of light is about one stop versus about two stops in most other filters.

For me, with selected use, the Hoya HD ticks the polarizing effects, good IQ and more light transmission boxes.

Hope that helps.

 

[Chris Sargent]

Another vote from B+W best polarisers that I've used. Polarisers are very useful especially for foliage where they can significantly reduce reflected light which improves the saturation of colours in the scene... this works well for water and I have found especially effective for wet rocks and streams.

Disadvantage is loss of 1-2 stops of light... but also un-even polarisation of the sky when used on wider angle lenses. Polariser works most efficiently at 90 degrees to the sun and as this angle changes across the field of view so does the polarised effect.

 

[Camnu]

Thank you very much for your advice and feedback. They are so helpful.

As I intend to use the CPL in very bright scene, so I don't really mind to lose 2-3 stops. However, I'm bit concerned that the CPL might degrade the IQ, even a little bit. In general, by how much do you think that the CPL improves the IQ in bright environment ? Very little, little or moderately ?



May I have one more question: since there are a lot of people in my big family wearing glass, does the CPL help to reduce the reflection on their glasses too ?

 

[bs1946]

Thank you very much for your advice and feedback. They are so helpful.

As I intend to use the CPL in very bright scene, so I don't really mind to lose 2-3 stops. However, I'm bit concerned that the CPL might degrade the IQ, even a little bit. In general, by how much do you think that the CPL improves the IQ in bright environment ? Very little, little or moderately ?

The CPL is primarily one of the two main landscape photography filters and its chief function is is to reduce or eliminate reflections from water and foliage which would be considered by most to improve the image quality. It also allows photographers to shoot through windows without the usual reflections. The two stop ND functionality is a bonus because of how CPLs are made.

As I said before, you need to invest in high quality filters or don't bother using them in the first place because cheap filters will degrade you image.

May I have one more question: since there are a lot of people in my big family wearing glass, does the CPL help to reduce the reflection on their glasses too ?

I've never used my CLP for this but in theory it should work.

 

[Deardorff]

Good brands?

Singh Ray is excellent. B+W is very good.