[arthur pappas]

I noticed some of my water shots have lots of reflection. After browsing thru the many helpful pages here I learned I need a filter. I bought this filter for my FA50 today. After screwing it on I noticed the end turns freely & have no clue why it would. The enclosed leaflet is nothing but advertising. Hmmm, the Tiffen website says:

Can be rotated to achieve desired effect.

Uhh what effect? I don't see anything when I look thru the finder & turn the filter. What am I missing?

The second part of my filter question concerns my incoming FA20. Would I buy the standard or doubly expensive wide variant?

[SpecialK]

Polarizer filters have two pieces of glass. One rotates. The angle from you to the sun when aimed at your subect, as well as the orientation of the rotating piece, affects how well the filter does the job.

[Jewelltrail]

Arthur:

To see the effects of your polarizer, you would be best out in the glare of the sun. It is here that a polarizer shows its magic, as washed out areas are revived. Also, when working to reduce/eliminate reflections on water (still water especially) just turn the polarizer until you have achieved your goal. I believe polarizers really shine when shooting waterfalls, because the sun's glare on the water is greatly reduced. A net effect to all this, when using the polarizer correctly, in the correct condtions, is to increase contrast. You will do well to get out and shoot with the polarizer, then go home and view the images--particularly the deep blues in the sky.


Regards,

Ernest

[arthur pappas]

Thanks for the help so far Ernest, should I leave the polarizer on all the time? On Tuesday I'm going to a BBQ & will be taking shots of friends both indoors & outdoors & am already wondering if I need to remove it.

[NicholasN]

Polarizers are also magic when shooting cars, aircraft etc as they help reduce the glare.

I use them during the day when shooting aircraft etc it help neutralize the harsh Australian sunlight and makes the light blue sky behind the aircraft a deeper blue which accentuates the aircraft.

The rotating dial on the front of the filter will have a small white line which should be turned facing directly upward to achieve maximum effect. The more that line is turned downwards the less effect the filter has to allow you to change the look of each shot as necessary.

[Wheatfield]

Thanks for the help so far Ernest, should I leave the polarizer on all the time? On Tuesday I'm going to a BBQ & will be taking shots of friends both indoors & outdoors & am already wondering if I need to remove it.

The polarizer is one of those filters that is unmatchable when you need one, good to have around, and over used, all at the same time.
Take the thing off unless you need it for either reducing reflections or increasing local contrast in skies and the like.
You'll figure out when to use it, the hard part can be figuring out when not to use it.
It's not a good candid tool, and it does cost a lot of light.

[christinelandon]

As a starting point, the polarizer is best used outdoors, when aimed at approximately 90º to the direction of the sun. It won't show its most dramatic effect if aimed in the direction of the sun or 180º away from the sun's location. It can reduce exposures by 1-2 stops, so it's not suited for most indoor shooting. That said, it can be effectively used for many purposes in outdoor photography, and for a few circumstances indoors.

Here's a wikipedia page on the basics of polarizers, other photographic filters, and their use: Photographic filter - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Terje-L]

Polarizer filters have two pieces of glass. One rotates. The angle from you to the sun when aimed at your subect, as well as the orientation of the rotating piece, affects how well the filter does the job.

This is not exactly the case. The polarizing effect is within the one piece of glass.

The effect is also dependent of the angle of light. In some conditions you don't see an effect at all.

The best way to use the filter is to look through the viewfinder and rotate the filter for maximum effect.

A polarizing filter reduces the light by two or more f-stops, so don't put it on unless you need it.

[arthur pappas]

Christine, thanks for the Wiki link, most helpful! I was fooling around with my camera aiming it at my LCD screen with a white background & turning the filter. With the white dot at the top position my computer screen looks very dark blue, & bright white with the dot at the low (6 O'clock) position. If I understand this correctly, the top position is "maximum" polarization and the low position 'zero' (or is zero not possible with filter on)?

[alohadave]

Polarizers are also magic when shooting cars, aircraft etc as they help reduce the glare.

I use them during the day when shooting aircraft etc it help neutralize the harsh Australian sunlight and makes the light blue sky behind the aircraft a deeper blue which accentuates the aircraft.

The rotating dial on the front of the filter will have a small white line which should be turned facing directly upward to achieve maximum effect. The more that line is turned downwards the less effect the filter has to allow you to change the look of each shot as necessary.

One thing about polarizers with cars is that not all car windows have the same polarization. This is mostly only an issue if you are shooting multiple cars in a shot. Some of the glass will go clear, while some will show more reflections.