Best brand of Polarizing filter?

[AndyA]

We go on Holiday soon and I'm considering buying a Polarizing filter. I don't think I 'must' have one, but I have a nagging feeling that I may regret not having one to use in bright conditions (said with all fingers crossed).

• What the general opinion on using them for landscapes etc?
• Which make is recommended (77mm)?
• Can they be used with a Lee filter kit?

Thanks in advance.

[mistral105]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Hi Andy - I use the Lee system - they do a circ polariser which fits onto a ring that is screwed onto the filter holder - so you need the circ polariser and ring if you alredy have the filter holder - i presume you have the 77mm adapter ring to screw onto the front of the lens sonar he Lee holder can fit onto it. Regards John

[S_J_P]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Andy, I think a polariser should be a "must have", as they offer something which can't be produced digitally in Post Production, the elimination (or at least reduction) of reflections, and a dramatic increase in Saturation. They're also a boon for reducing shutter speeds in bright conditions by 2 stops which can allow you to choose your desired aperture regardless of brilliant sunshine.

Their use does need careful consideration though, they work optimally at 90 degrees to the sun, and they can give peculiar results with wide angle lenses where the wide field if view leads to a variable affect across the image frame. They also need to be reset for almost every shot, and any lenses which rotate during focussing can make their usage problematic. They can also lead to vignetting on wide angle lenses. They can be prone to flare too.

Despite the potential problems, I use one most if the time when the sun is out, and particularly for seascapes. For land based landscapes they're probably of less benefit though.

The Hoya Pro-1 circular polarisers are reasonable quality at a reasonable cost, and they're quite slim, reducing the likelihood of vignetting.

Singh Ray LB filters cost a lot more, but from what I've heard they're excellent quality and have the added benefit of only around 1 stop of speed reduction.

[AndyA]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Thanks John. I'm not sure if I'd really use a polarizer with the Lee set-up, but thought I'd ask. I wonder if I might be better off just getting a filter for general use? :confused:

[Les McLean]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

As John mentioned, the Lee Polariser can be used on your Lee holder, but is darned expensive.
I have a screw on polariser, but must admit I very rarely use it, mainly for the problems mentioned by Steve regarding wide angle, so you can get a 'patchy' effect across the frame, particularly in the sky. For me the downsides of a polariser outweigh the benefits.
The only time I do use a polariser is to slow the shutter speed down on occasion by a stop or so (bit like a ND filter).
It's such a while since I used one, but I think it's the Hoya Pro 77mm filter I have, and it does what it says on the tin.

[AndyA]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Thanks Les :thumbup:

[DrJon]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

For a circular polariser IMHO the Hoya SHMC Pro-1 (the Pro-1 bit just means it's thin). Not HMC which is not so good. May not be easy to get any more. I have 58mm and 77mm ones plus a 72-77 mm step-up ring.

Couldn't agree more about it being one of the key filters to have, as hard to add later (not impossible to get the general effect, except on reflective surfaces like water/glass where it's super useful, I just did it to the sky for the picture on my about.me page).

(Edit) For example I'd need convincing this was really SHMC rather than a (less good, but not too bad) Pro1-D:

http://www.parkcameras.com/3372/Hoya-77mm-SHMC-Pro-1D-WB-PL-Circ.html

[mistral105]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Hi Andy - I have been out early this am and used my Lee CPF to reduce glare from he low sun on water and help make reflections crisp. ALso great for deepening the sky colour as well as richening other colours in an image. The 2 stop exposure reduction means it can help when you want to have a slow shutter speed for waterfalls etc.

The advantage of the Lee -I accept it is pricey - is that it will fit any of your lenses - you only need to have the adapter ring for the lens to mount the lee filter holder on. I have a 77mm filter I used on my previous 24-70L - the 24-70MKII I have needs an 82mm filter so the 77mm is now redundant.

Regards John

[ST-EOS]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

I'm with Les on this I have a Kenco 77mm version in my bag but seldom use it but... it's always there just in case.
I've sent you a PM Andy.

[jimsphotography]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Hi Andy,
Just came across this thread. I can not in all honesty recommend a Lee CPL used with a Lee filter system because the vignetting is obvious on a 24mm lens. The Lee CPL is way to thick - if you try the extra thin Heliopan CPL you will find that it is so thin you will not get vignetting even on a Lee filter system at 24mm.
Hope this helps
James

[briansquibb]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

I like the Hoya Pro as well

[jimsphotography]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Hi Andy,
Just read your original post with a bit more care. When you say can a CPL be used with a Lee filter system were you thinking of threading the CPL onto the lens and then adding the Lee system? If so can I say this is not a good idea.
If you use a polariser in conjunction with a filter ( say a grad filter or ND filter) then the These filters must be placed between the CPL and the lens. If light first passes through a filter and then through the CPL then any stress areas in the filter will be picked up by the polariser and appear as bands in your photographs. The only way of avoiding this is for the light to pass through the CPL first, then any other filter and lastly into the lens.
With the Lee system you have a special mounting system for a circular polariser which fits just slightly in front of the filter slots for the square ND or grad filters.
Hope this makes sense to you!
James

[AndyA]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Hi Andy,
Just read your original post with a bit more care. When you say can a CPL be used with a Lee filter system were you thinking of threading the CPL onto the lens and then adding the Lee system? If so can I say this is not a good idea.
If you use a polariser in conjunction with a filter ( say a grad filter or ND filter) then the These filters must be placed between the CPL and the lens. If light first passes through a filter and then through the CPL then any stress areas in the filter will be picked up by the polariser and appear as bands in your photographs. The only way of avoiding this is for the light to pass through the CPL first, then any other filter and lastly into the lens.
With the Lee system you have a special mounting system for a circular polariser which fits just slightly in front of the filter slots for the square ND or grad filters.
Hope this makes sense to you!
James

Bingo, that's what I had in mind ... but not any more after reading the above. :-)

Thanks very much to all for taking the time to reply, I do appreciate your advice. Thanks also to ST-EOS for your PM and the kind offer of a loan filter!

[jimsphotography]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

Hi andy,
Would I be collect in thinking you live in the Wyre Forest area? If so, you wish you could always send me a PM and then we could then arrange to meet up so you could have a look at my filter system
James

[AndyA]

Re: Best brand of Polarizing filter?

James, thanks very much for the offer. I'm up in North Yorkshire, the land of cloth caps, Whippets and Ferrets. :-)