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panoguy · 05-11-2010, 07:21 PM

So, having read (over and over) Donkeypunch's great "ND Filter FAQ," I've been slowly getting used to the idea of having a filter in front of my lens. See, I'm one of those folks who never used an ND filter, (still) thinks UV filters are a scam, but I also thought a polarizer was only for days at the beach.

However, this article by Darwin Wigget (one of my favorite Canadian landscape photographers) on the Singh-Ray blog has totally turned my thinking of the CPL (circular polarizer) over to the "ooh goody" end of the spectrum:

Focus on Singh-Ray Filters: Seven Rules for Effectively Using a Polarizer

I never knew CPLs were great for rainbows (!), or overcast days (hey, a polarizer darkens blue skies, so if it's grey out...). Nor did I know they are more effective when the light is coming from an extreme angle (sunrise, sunset, etc.). Dang - look what I've been missing! Next someone will tell me that ND filters can be used to get shallow DOF under bright sunlight...

Just had to share.

Pentaxie · 05-11-2010, 08:33 PM

Well, at least now you know the power of a lens filter.

**Canada_Rockies** · 05-11-2010, 09:45 PM

Hi, Panoguy! That's a pretty good article, all told. I actually own one polarizer that fits my 77mm DA lenses. It does not go on my DA 12-24, because it will vignette, a lot. The other thing is that the polarizer I have is a Moose's Filter - a polarizer combined with an 81A warming filter. I suspect it's the same thing as stated in the link. I have found in the past that polarizers tend to have just enough blue transmission that they drive me crazy. With digital, I can always correct the white balance later, but why bother?

alohadave · 05-12-2010, 04:20 PM

A polarizer is also great for making foliage look better. Most leaves have a waxy coating that can give you lots of diffuse glare. The leaves don't need to be wet for a diffuser to help.

panoguy · 05-12-2010, 04:52 PM

Originally posted by Canada_Rockies

I actually own one polarizer that fits my 77mm DA lenses. It does not go on my DA 12-24, because it will vignette, a lot.

Hey Albert, that brings up another question I have about polarizers. I use one with my 50mm T/S when shooting near or on the water (lots of water here) and obviously at that focal length any variation in the polarization of a CPL isn't dominant.

Aside from vignetting on your 12-24, do you see the "dark blotch" effect with the wide-angles?

Originally posted by alohadave

A polarizer is also great for making foliage look better. Most leaves have a waxy coating that can give you lots of diffuse glare. The leaves don't need to be wet for a diffuser to help.

Good to know! I do use a polarizer when shooting fall colors, but my intention has been mostly to darken the sky to add contrast for the leaves. I'll play around a bit more...

Ira · 05-12-2010, 06:31 PM

Time to play devil's advocate here:

While I'm not disputing what he's saying, I don't believe some of those photos.

They look doctored, and I can't believe that a polarizer made that much of a difference in some of those shots.

alohadave · 05-12-2010, 07:59 PM

Originally posted by Ira

Time to play devil's advocate here:

While I'm not disputing what he's saying, I don't believe some of those photos.

They look doctored, and I can't believe that a polarizer made that much of a difference in some of those shots.

I don't see anything thing in them that looks out of line. A polarizer really can make that much difference.

**Canada_Rockies** · 05-12-2010, 10:26 PM

Originally posted by panoguy

Hey Albert, that brings up another question I have about polarizers. I use one with my 50mm T/S when shooting near or on the water (lots of water here) and obviously at that focal length any variation in the polarization of a CPL isn't dominant.

What is happening is that the colour of the sky is actually darker at right angles to the sun, and a polarizer makes it worse. Some years ago, a friend asked me if I had used a polarizer because a picture I took with my M 28/3.5 showed a heavy gradient in the sky. I had not, but the 28 was wide enough to show the effect that day. On film of course, and with Velvia.

panoguy · 05-14-2010, 09:36 AM

Originally posted by Ira

While I'm not disputing what he's saying, I don't believe some of those photos.

They look doctored, and I can't believe that a polarizer made that much of a difference in some of those shots.

Well, he frequently mentions using more than just a polarizer (grad NDs mostly) so it is entirely possible the polarizer is only part of the equation. I don't think he is intentionally skewing the results to make the non-polarized shots look particularly bad, but he is a well known pro and he probably had everything set up and "perfect" with all his filters (and T/S lens) for the money shot, then took off all the filters and did another capture for comparison's sake. The exposure and contrast (if processed from raw equally) would then be off a bit more.

audiobomber · 05-14-2010, 11:55 AM

I've only used a CPL in full sun, side lit situations in the past. I didn't realize it had any effect in diffused light. Good article, I'll be rereading that one.

Ira · 05-14-2010, 11:59 AM

I'm gonna try to pick up a step-up ring todau so I can use my 55 Hoya on all of my lenses as opposed to the Cokin, and I'll start getting into the habit of using it more often, especially since I shoot under so much strong sun.

Those results were outstanding.

Now, what are the chances that this photo "store" near me actually has one?

I called, and the guy told me to call back in a half-hour, because he was busy with a customer:

Probably shooting a passport photo.

05-11-2010, 07:21 PM	#1
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327	Landscapes and Polarizers So, having read (over and over) Donkeypunch's great "ND Filter FAQ," I've been slowly getting used to the idea of having a filter in front of my lens. See, I'm one of those folks who never used an ND filter, (still) thinks UV filters are a scam, but I also thought a polarizer was only for days at the beach. However, this article by Darwin Wigget (one of my favorite Canadian landscape photographers) on the Singh-Ray blog has totally turned my thinking of the CPL (circular polarizer) over to the "ooh goody" end of the spectrum: Focus on Singh-Ray Filters: Seven Rules for Effectively Using a Polarizer I never knew CPLs were great for rainbows (!), or overcast days (hey, a polarizer darkens blue skies, so if it's grey out...). Nor did I know they are more effective when the light is coming from an extreme angle (sunrise, sunset, etc.). Dang - look what I've been missing! Next someone will tell me that ND filters can be used to get shallow DOF under bright sunlight... Just had to share.

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05-11-2010, 08:33 PM	#2
Pentaxie Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Kuala Lumpur Malaysia Photos: Gallery Posts: 429	Well, at least now you know the power of a lens filter.

05-11-2010, 09:45 PM	#3
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Hi, Panoguy! That's a pretty good article, all told. I actually own one polarizer that fits my 77mm DA lenses. It does not go on my DA 12-24, because it will vignette, a lot. The other thing is that the polarizer I have is a Moose's Filter - a polarizer combined with an 81A warming filter. I suspect it's the same thing as stated in the link. I have found in the past that polarizers tend to have just enough blue transmission that they drive me crazy. With digital, I can always correct the white balance later, but why bother?

05-12-2010, 04:20 PM	#4
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	A polarizer is also great for making foliage look better. Most leaves have a waxy coating that can give you lots of diffuse glare. The leaves don't need to be wet for a diffuser to help.

05-12-2010, 04:52 PM	#5
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327 Original Poster	Originally posted by Canada_Rockies I actually own one polarizer that fits my 77mm DA lenses. It does not go on my DA 12-24, because it will vignette, a lot. Hey Albert, that brings up another question I have about polarizers. I use one with my 50mm T/S when shooting near or on the water (lots of water here) and obviously at that focal length any variation in the polarization of a CPL isn't dominant. Aside from vignetting on your 12-24, do you see the "dark blotch" effect with the wide-angles? Originally posted by alohadave A polarizer is also great for making foliage look better. Most leaves have a waxy coating that can give you lots of diffuse glare. The leaves don't need to be wet for a diffuser to help. Good to know! I do use a polarizer when shooting fall colors, but my intention has been mostly to darken the sky to add contrast for the leaves. I'll play around a bit more...

05-12-2010, 06:31 PM	#6
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	Time to play devil's advocate here: While I'm not disputing what he's saying, I don't believe some of those photos. They look doctored, and I can't believe that a polarizer made that much of a difference in some of those shots.

05-12-2010, 07:59 PM	#7
alohadave Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Quincy, MA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 2,024	Originally posted by Ira Time to play devil's advocate here: While I'm not disputing what he's saying, I don't believe some of those photos. They look doctored, and I can't believe that a polarizer made that much of a difference in some of those shots. I don't see anything thing in them that looks out of line. A polarizer really can make that much difference.

05-12-2010, 10:26 PM	#8
Canada_Rockies Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Sparwood, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 12,385	Originally posted by panoguy Hey Albert, that brings up another question I have about polarizers. I use one with my 50mm T/S when shooting near or on the water (lots of water here) and obviously at that focal length any variation in the polarization of a CPL isn't dominant. What is happening is that the colour of the sky is actually darker at right angles to the sun, and a polarizer makes it worse. Some years ago, a friend asked me if I had used a polarizer because a picture I took with my M 28/3.5 showed a heavy gradient in the sky. I had not, but the 28 was wide enough to show the effect that day. On film of course, and with Velvia.

05-14-2010, 09:36 AM	#9
panoguy Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Washington, D.C. Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 3,327 Original Poster	Originally posted by Ira While I'm not disputing what he's saying, I don't believe some of those photos. They look doctored, and I can't believe that a polarizer made that much of a difference in some of those shots. Well, he frequently mentions using more than just a polarizer (grad NDs mostly) so it is entirely possible the polarizer is only part of the equation. I don't think he is intentionally skewing the results to make the non-polarized shots look particularly bad, but he is a well known pro and he probably had everything set up and "perfect" with all his filters (and T/S lens) for the money shot, then took off all the filters and did another capture for comparison's sake. The exposure and contrast (if processed from raw equally) would then be off a bit more.

05-14-2010, 11:55 AM	#10
audiobomber Veteran Member Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sudbury, Ontario Photos: Albums Posts: 6,806	I've only used a CPL in full sun, side lit situations in the past. I didn't realize it had any effect in diffused light. Good article, I'll be rereading that one.

05-14-2010, 11:59 AM	#11
Ira Inactive Account Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Coral Springs, FL Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 5,216	I'm gonna try to pick up a step-up ring todau so I can use my 55 Hoya on all of my lenses as opposed to the Cokin, and I'll start getting into the habit of using it more often, especially since I shoot under so much strong sun. Those results were outstanding. Now, what are the chances that this photo "store" near me actually has one? I called, and the guy told me to call back in a half-hour, because he was busy with a customer: Probably shooting a passport photo.

Landscapes and Polarizers

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