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Polarising Filter Yes / No


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Sailing to Norway next month doing a fjords cruise, taking my Panasonic G7 with 12-60 and 45-150 lens, just wondering if it would be worth buying a polarising filter. If so how often would you use it or would you leave it on all the time.

 

 

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I'm not disciplined enough to bring my polarizer with me AT ALL, so I never get practice with it. IMHO, you have to be comfortable with it, because you can't just throw it on and be done; it needs to be twisted so you can select the idea alignment for a particular shot. You can't just switch to a vertical composition without unswitching the filter (have to keep "right side up" through the switch). Excursions never seem to be slow enough to make a polarizer feasible enough to my liking.

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Personally, I would say take it. They are pretty small and they can actually make a difference depending on what you are photographing. If you don't use it, then you aren't really out anything because it doesn't take up much space. If you do then you can see differences between photos with it and without it. I like to use my polarizing filter to create greater contrast in the sky. I would guess that the same might be said of ice sheets, but I have never used it for that. They really aren't that hard to use. Put it on, look through the lens, turn the polarizer, see if you like the image better.

 

I always travel with my polarizer and about 4 different ND filters.

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I'm going to order one I think it doesn't take up too much room better to have it than not I suppose. Is the Hoya Pro 1 Digital a good one?

 

Should I get a 58mm and a 52mm or just get the 58mm and a step down ring?

 

I always buy the filter for my largest diameter lens then use rings. That is generally cheaper than having to buy multiple filters of the same type.

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I'm going to order one I think it doesn't take up too much room better to have it than not I suppose. Is the Hoya Pro 1 Digital a good one?

 

Should I get a 58mm and a 52mm or just get the 58mm and a step down ring?

 

I started with a step-up ring and one size but ended up ordering a second one to eliminate the need to fumble with it out in the field and to be able to have both lenses mounted at the same time.

 

My personal favorite is the Moose Peterson Warm Polarizer from Hoya. I realize that white balance can warm up the typically blue tint a polarizer can cause, but the Moose really pops the foliage. I got my first one for Alaska and was very pleased with how it performed.

 

Dave

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I'm not disciplined enough to bring my polarizer with me AT ALL, so I never get practice with it. IMHO, you have to be comfortable with it, because you can't just throw it on and be done; it needs to be twisted so you can select the idea alignment for a particular shot. You can't just switch to a vertical composition without unswitching the filter (have to keep "right side up" through the switch). Excursions never seem to be slow enough to make a polarizer feasible enough to my liking.

 

 

My god you are making it sound like a major undertaking to use. They are really EASY to use. You rotate the camera 90 deg you just rotate the fiter 90 deg....it really isn't that hard.

 

A CPL is one of the few filters effects that you really can't reproduce in post processing. They are cheap enough and small enough to always have with you and only take a minute to screw on. I don't use it all the time but it is always with me.

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and those big 200-500 and 150-600 zooms are 95:mad:
Additional thoughts....

  • it's been mentioned to get the biggest filter. I noticed once the filters exceed 77mm.... the prices spike.
  • there are some filters that come with water repelling coating.... great for surprise showers
  • you may want to consider multi-coatings for clearer images by reducing reflections
  • don't forget to spin or adjust the polarizer to filter out the rays.
  • don't make the mistake of getting old "linear" polarizers. Linear polarizers mess up the camera autofocus.

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My god you are making it sound like a major undertaking to use. They are really EASY to use. You rotate the camera 90 deg you just rotate the fiter 90 deg....it really isn't that hard.

 

A CPL is one of the few filters effects that you really can't reproduce in post processing. They are cheap enough and small enough to always have with you and only take a minute to screw on. I don't use it all the time but it is always with me.

 

THANK GOD you posted this. It was making me nervous!

 

I'm very new to photography, but taking my Nikon D3300 on my first cruise (to Alaska). Bought a zoom lens (18-300 mm) upon the recommendation of a relative who is very into photography, familiar with Nikon, AND familiar with my skill set. It came with a filter kit as part of a package deal, and cousin said to definitely use it with the glacier shots. He can always help me with any photo editing afterward.

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THANK GOD you posted this. It was making me nervous!

 

I'm very new to photography, but taking my Nikon D3300 on my first cruise (to Alaska). Bought a zoom lens (18-300 mm) upon the recommendation of a relative who is very into photography, familiar with Nikon, AND familiar with my skill set. It came with a filter kit as part of a package deal, and cousin said to definitely use it with the glacier shots. He can always help me with any photo editing afterward.

Multi-filter kits sold with camera bundles are unlikely to be of the highest quality. Take pictures of something with fine detail like leaves on a fairly distant tree with and without the filter. Look at the images closely. If the ones with the filter on are noticeably fuzzier than the ones without, spend the extra $50 or so to pick up a better filter. Earlier on I recommended the Moose Peterson Warm Polarizer from Hoya since it is a good quality polarizer with pleasing color rendition. If your kit filter ends up being "window glass", take a look at it.

Dave

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My god you are making it sound like a major undertaking to use. They are really EASY to use. You rotate the camera 90 deg you just rotate the fiter 90 deg....it really isn't that hard.

 

A CPL is one of the few filters effects that you really can't reproduce in post processing. They are cheap enough and small enough to always have with you and only take a minute to screw on. I don't use it all the time but it is always with me.

I think you missed my point. UV/Haze filter is set-and-forget. ND filter is set-and-forget. Color filters for contrast enhancement for B&W photography are set-and-forget. CPL is absolutely not set-and-forget. They work best when you're shooting with the sun at your side, and need attention if you're moving around (like a whale watch, or other sorts of OHLOOKSQUIRRELDIDYOUSEEITHUHHUHHUH kinds of photography). If you're not already disciplined at using it before an Alaska cruise, an Alaska cruise is NOT the place to use a CPL.

 

They also don't work well on wide-angle lenses, for the same reason as mentioned above: with the sun at your left (or right) shoulder, the wide range of angles means you'll have a transition in the blueness of your sky that's unnatural, moreso the wider your focal length.

 

I'm not going to tell you to not use one. I'm just going to say that it's not set-and-forget, and an Alaska cruise is busy and different enough that I don't find a CPL to be a benefit.

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Honestly, they're very easy to use. Go ahead and buy one (I use Hoya) and practice with it a bit before you leave. That way, you can get comfortable with it and it will give you an idea what different shots will look like with and without it. Its truly up to your eye what you like. :)

 

My former editor at the newspaper thought he was a camera guru...bought all the photographers a cheapo polarizer, slapped his on his camera and never took it off. Never. Then he couldn't figure out why all the shots he took of the basketball team were dark or why every shot he took in the auditorium looked like a dungeon. *face palm*

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I love linear polarisers over circulars but they don't work too well with most newer AF systems.

 

I think it's a question of phase detect vs contrast detect auto focus.

 

SLR cameras [and Sony 'SLT' cameras] use phase detect focus - these may give inconsistent results with linear polarizers, so circular polarizers are preferred.

 

Most fixed lens and mirrorless cameras use contrast detect - and that will work with either style of polarizer

 

There are, as always, exceptions. Some high end mirrorless cameras [sony A9, Olympus EM1 mark II] have on sensor phase detect elements.

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Another thought... there's normal filters and then there are "slim". The slim filters may be hard to grip for some.... but they minimize dark corners when shooting wide.

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Thank you for all the advice. I took out the camera to "play" yesterday down at the local waterfront. I forgot to do the "with the filter off" comparisons (I was excited that I was finally seeing the difference when I spin it - it was so overcast the other times I had the opportunity to do it.). When I zoom clear out though, it is slightly fuzzy... but I'm not sure that wasn't me :) So, going to experiment one more time before purchasing a Hoya or other high quality CP lens. Quick newbie question though - do UV filters also take out glare?

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Quick newbie question though - do UV filters also take out glare?

 

UV Filters have little or no effect on glare. The UV filter removes the high-frequency UV light that is scattered by moisture in the atmosphere and reduce visible haze in photos. They work on digital cameras but the effect is not as great as it was on film since the sensor already has a filter for the infrared and upper UV ranges. They are most often used as a clear protective filter.

 

Dave

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