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09-23-2014, 08:12 PM   #1
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Circular polarizer on a film lens?

I know that film lenses use LP kind, and digital lenses use the CP kind, but I've looked online but haven't really found any information on this.
Can I use a Circular Polarizer on a film lens?

09-23-2014, 08:29 PM   #2
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Yes, you can.
09-23-2014, 08:35 PM   #3
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The problem is not film or digital with circular polarizers. It is related to the Auto Focus system. Auto Focus systems do not work as well with Linear Polarizers, hence the need to use a Circular Polarizer.

So film or digital with Auto Focus you need a Circular Polarizer.

With manual focus, not using the Auto Focus confirmation, you can use a Linear Polarizer.

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Chris
09-24-2014, 08:54 AM   #4
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The lens I have is a manual focus lens (have a Sears TLS camera & 50mm f/1.7 lens)

09-24-2014, 02:35 PM   #5
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How would a Variable ND filter (especially ones made within the last few years) do on a film camera? Or would getting a ND filter at specific strengths be better?
09-25-2014, 06:41 AM   #6
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LP or CP will work about the same
ND filters are the same on film and digital....

it is very interesting to me that all those things were developed for film due to the limitation in sensitivity white balance and latitude, digital photgrahy uses the same techniques as in the past the only thing that has changed is the "sensor"
Get one of the Hedgecoe's photographer's handbook and you will find all sorts of nice techniques in there both for shooting (which remain unchanged) and for darkroom which have been transferred to potoshop
09-25-2014, 09:56 AM   #7
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QuoteOriginally posted by disconnekt Quote
How would a Variable ND filter (especially ones made within the last few years) do on a film camera? Or would getting a ND filter at specific strengths be better?
A variable ND, of course, gives you more choices. But perhaps at the expense of being thicker. This could present a problem on wider lenses. And in the case of film, a problem stacking a colored filter with a variable ND if you are shooting BW film with some wider lenses.

09-25-2014, 10:39 AM   #8
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I have used a variable ND on 35 MF and LF film, no problem. Just remember that if you have AF to turn it off before you put on the filter otherwise it seems like the camera does a lot of hunting for focus, at least my Pentax film cameras do, the LF or the Hasselblad not so, but that is probably becuase they do not have AF
09-25-2014, 02:21 PM   #9
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My film camera is a Sears TLS (which is a re-badged Ricoh TLS camera) which came out in/around 1967 and all manual focus.
09-28-2014, 12:03 PM   #10
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No problem with either CP or LP, shoose the one that you have or that you can finde cheaper.
As per ND filters, you can always play with them
Same ith graduated filters (my favorites)

QuoteOriginally posted by disconnekt Quote
My film camera is a Sears TLS (which is a re-badged Ricoh TLS camera) which came out in/around 1967 and all manual focus.
11-07-2014, 02:29 PM   #11
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If you are just starting out using a polariser, you must be aware that there is a risk of underexposure or 'flattening' the tone and light of a scene, especially in broad daylight. Of course an on-board TTL meter will note the polarisation and light loss and compensate for it, but often the photographer must add a bit more above the "average" that the camera is assuming. Matrix/multipattern/evaluative meters suffer the same problem to a greater or lesser degree. You get around these problems by experimenting and taking notes as you go along so you are able to refer back to what you were doing and build up an understanding of what happens when too much polarsation is applied.

Circular polarisers are the more dominant type of filter now and are required for cameras with multi-pattern metering systems, not so much as TTL-only.
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