The curious case of the linear polar filter

[cosmicnode]

In the film days Nikon produced what is probably the finest example of a polarising filter for 52mm filter thread simply named the Polar filter supplied with 2 lens hoods. The filter itself had a 60mm thread onto which was attached the 35-55mm lens hood witch further increased the thread to 72mm for attaching the telephoto lens hood that went up to 200mm. Unfortunately linear filters I believe caused problems with the AF modules hence the adaption of the circular polar filter purely out of curiosity I wonder if a linear filter could be used with mirrorless bodies



















--
Mike.
"I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit, it's the only way to be sure."

 

[buildingsights]

In the film days Nikon produced what is probably the finest example of a polarising filter for 52mm filter thread simply named the Polar filter supplied with 2 lens hoods. The filter itself had a 60mm thread onto which was attached the 35-55mm lens hood witch further increased the thread to 72mm for attaching the telephoto lens hood that went up to 200mm.

and they still work

Unfortunately linear filters I believe caused problems with the AF modules hence the adaption of the circular polar filter purely out of curiosity I wonder if a linear filter could be used with mirrorless bodies

i never used a linear polarising filter but they suppose to work with mirrorless and may cause some trouble with DSRL...

 

[monte12345]

Because so many metering and AF systems were placed behind semi silvered mirrors in SLR's the "circular" polarizing filters became dominant. One early example was the Original Canon F-1 that was released in the early 1970's where the focusing screen had a semi silvered patch in the center of the screen that reflected to the meter sensor on the rear wall of the well that held the focusing screen. With the polarizer at a specific rotation the metering would be thrown way out of kilter. Later on when AF started showing up nearly every SLR had sensors within the mirror box than worked behind a semi silvered area in the main mirror.

Anyhow I was curious about the same thing and dug out an ancient Linear Polarizer from the early 70's and tested it on my Z7 II. Metering worked 100% perfectly. It also produced effects identical to my Circular polarizing filters with just one exception. Back when I started shooting film you could take two linear polarizing filters and stack them together and they would act as an adjustable ND filter by "crossing" the filters.

 

[pluton]

I have had a couple of 52mm Nikon Polar filters since time began (≈30 years). They have a obvious greenish color cast to the eye, similar to today's variable ND filters. They are uncoated (as was the style at the time) and have a stop that prevents the rotation of the filter past about 180º.

 

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

I never used a Linear one with regular photography, just a Circular one. Even way back in the 80s.

I do use Linear on a microscope. Two of them, actually. One in front of the light source and one in front of the objective. This allows for Brightfield/Darkfield viewing. Making what I'm trying to see stand out. I do use a DSLR to capture images, and it simply shows what I see through the eyepiece.

There is no difference between what the film I used to use and the sensors I have used since as far as that goes.

Stan

 

[WWeber]

When I started photography in the late 70's, the linear polarizer was the common one and circular polarizers were way more expensive. Later when semifreflective mirrors for metering and then AF become more and more common, the linear polarizers dissapeared.

I think, with DSLM linear polarizers will work as good as circular ones, because there is no semireflective component in the optical path, but because there are no linear polarizers in my bag, I can't proof it.

 

[monte12345]

I'll admit it, I am a bit of a Pack Rat. So I still have linear polarizers that I used on my F2 back in the 70's and 80's. Did a comparison between the linear and circular on my Z7 II and there was zero difference in the images produced.