What's the "fastest" circular polarizer?

enoxatnep · 05-03-2012, 02:53 PM

Is it just the Singh-Ray LB Warm Circular Polarizer, which only adds 1-1/3 f-stop to an exposure, that is the "fastest" circ. polarizer out there? I'd like to know if there any that are just as fast if not faster, ex. 1 f-stop.

Last edited by enoxatnep; 05-03-2012 at 03:07 PM.

**Ron Boggs** · 05-03-2012, 03:22 PM

Looks like almost every filter company now offers a "fast" CP filter. I'm guessing that someone developed a "faster" polarizing foil and all the filter companies buy that stock. I'm using the new fast B+W, but similar is available from Heliopan and I recently saw an ad for faster CP from low end Kenko as well.

enoxatnep · 05-03-2012, 03:29 PM

Do they state exactly how many f-stops of light they block?

Anvh · 05-03-2012, 05:21 PM

B+W Kaesemann Circular Polarizing Multi-Resistant Coated Filter | Points in Focus Photography

Quote:

The B+W Kaesemann circular polarizers are rated with a filter factor of 2.3 to 2.8 or stopping between 1.2 and 1.4 stops. This is right in line with most quality modern circular polarizers and better than the 2 stop (filter factor of 4) loss of lower quality circular polarizers. In practice, the actual effect on the exposure is going to depend on how much of the scene is polarized light, and how much of that is being blocked.

That said; if you’re just using the polarizer to eat light, don’t expect more than about 1-1/3 stops out of these polarizers.

bdery · 05-04-2012, 05:27 AM

That doesn't make any physical and optical sense.

The only things you can improve on a "better" polarizer are

absorption and reflection by the material used to make the filter

degree of maximum polarization attained

With completely randomly polarized light, a real polarizer will cut half the light coming towards you. That's physics. There is no way around it in this universe.

The only sense I make of the claims mentioned here is that it almost never happens that you get 100% randomly polarized light. There is always a (smaller or larger) bias towards one polarization in real life. Soooooooo, it's possible to orient a polarizer in such a way that you loose less than a stop, in real life situations. BUT it does NOT mean that manufacturers have found a way to create light magically.

The other explanation might be that these polarizers are so cheap and poor quality that they fail to reject light properly, as they should. Care to bet?

enoxatnep · 05-04-2012, 03:28 PM

Thanks for the link, Anvh! I've just ordered the B+W Kaesemann.

05-03-2012, 02:53 PM	#1
enoxatnep Closed Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The edge of nowhere, Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 467	What's the "fastest" circular polarizer? Is it just the Singh-Ray LB Warm Circular Polarizer, which only adds 1-1/3 f-stop to an exposure, that is the "fastest" circ. polarizer out there? I'd like to know if there any that are just as fast if not faster, ex. 1 f-stop. Last edited by enoxatnep; 05-03-2012 at 03:07 PM.

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05-03-2012, 03:22 PM	#2
Ron Boggs Site Supporter Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: MT Photos: Gallery Posts: 1,350	Looks like almost every filter company now offers a "fast" CP filter. I'm guessing that someone developed a "faster" polarizing foil and all the filter companies buy that stock. I'm using the new fast B+W, but similar is available from Heliopan and I recently saw an ad for faster CP from low end Kenko as well.

05-03-2012, 03:29 PM	#3
enoxatnep Closed Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The edge of nowhere, Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 467 Original Poster	Do they state exactly how many f-stops of light they block?

05-03-2012, 05:21 PM	#4
Anvh Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 4,616	B+W Kaesemann Circular Polarizing Multi-Resistant Coated Filter \| Points in Focus Photography Quote: The B+W Kaesemann circular polarizers are rated with a filter factor of 2.3 to 2.8 or stopping between 1.2 and 1.4 stops. This is right in line with most quality modern circular polarizers and better than the 2 stop (filter factor of 4) loss of lower quality circular polarizers. In practice, the actual effect on the exposure is going to depend on how much of the scene is polarized light, and how much of that is being blocked. That said; if you’re just using the polarizer to eat light, don’t expect more than about 1-1/3 stops out of these polarizers.

05-04-2012, 05:27 AM	#5
bdery Pentaxian Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Quebec city, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 9,362	That doesn't make any physical and optical sense. The only things you can improve on a "better" polarizer are absorption and reflection by the material used to make the filter degree of maximum polarization attained With completely randomly polarized light, a real polarizer will cut half the light coming towards you. That's physics. There is no way around it in this universe. The only sense I make of the claims mentioned here is that it almost never happens that you get 100% randomly polarized light. There is always a (smaller or larger) bias towards one polarization in real life. Soooooooo, it's possible to orient a polarizer in such a way that you loose less than a stop, in real life situations. BUT it does NOT mean that manufacturers have found a way to create light magically. The other explanation might be that these polarizers are so cheap and poor quality that they fail to reject light properly, as they should. Care to bet?

05-04-2012, 03:28 PM	#6
enoxatnep Closed Account Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: The edge of nowhere, Alberta, Canada Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 467 Original Poster	Thanks for the link, Anvh! I've just ordered the B+W Kaesemann.