M9 and Polarizer?

[andalus]

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Am I coreect in assuming I can use a pol filer with an M9 just as I always have with a film based Leica? Any reason a Pol would not be advisable for the M9?

[jaapv]

No reason at all. And you can use any linear filter, no need for a circular one. The only thing that might happen - the M9 has a minimal residual IR sensitivity, which might be more noticeable with a Pol filter, but it still should be minimal.

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[andalus]

thanks very much for your response. yes, i like pol filters!

[AlanJW]

I just used polarizer on some shots of a marina where I wanted to avoid the reflections from the water. I used a "Moose" haze/polarizer, which is not ideal as it is circular (I think the linears are a little easier to judge for polarizing effects), but it worked just fine. If all you want to do is darken the sky and make the clouds "pop" I think you can do just as well in PP.

[Baptiste]

I'm waiting for one. The guy just mentioned that to get when the polarizing effect is maximized, you'll have to see when the shutter speed is maximized as well. I used that during a trip to japan (on D700), I got some nice dark blue skies when picturing Himeji castle

[brill64]

i've yet to make anything pop without a polariser..i always use one and why wait til post to do something when it can be done at capture. same goes for nd grads and whilst i'm at it, isn't a circular polariser what you need with ttl metering anyways??..

Edited March 24, 2010 by brill64

[Ed_K]

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So andalus, i take that you are looking into the Universal-Polfilter M (Order number: 13356), true?

[thrice]

isn't a circular polariser what you need with ttl metering anyways??..

 

Only for cameras with partially silvered mirrors in the light path to their metering cell. ie. not a rangefinder.

[mrphotog]

I bought a 49mm B+W F-pro linear polarizer and it works well at about 10% of the price of the Leica universal ($52 versus $470). The trick is that you have to look through the polarizer before you put it on the lens and note the position to get your desired effect. Then transfer this to the lens after mounting. So, it is a two step process rather than the simple one step with a DSLR or a simple two step with the Leica universal polarizer. From what I've heard (I don't own one), the Leica universal polarizer swings up so you can see the effect through the viewfinder and then swings down to cover the lens when taking pictures. Remember that you don't look through the lens with the RF, which is why the procedure is different. You can buy step up rings to cover most other lens diameters. I don't (yet) know about any vignetting issues.

[ho_co]

... isn't a circular polariser what you need with ttl metering anyways??..

 

Only for cameras with partially silvered mirrors in the light path to their metering cell. ie. not a rangefinder.

 

Remember the Leicaflex SL? It was the first camera that used a beamsplitter ("partially silvered mirror") to direct light to the metering cell.

 

Hence, Leitz was the first camera company to sell C-Pols.

 

Now ev'rybody's gettin' into the act.

[andalus]

I have a Universal Leica Pol but don't use it, cause it's awkward. I do have, however, a B&W linear pol, 46mm, for my lenses. I am not absolutely sure this works, but I think it does:

 

Say I'm shooting some landscape. So I focus and set aperture and/or shutter speed so that the central LED is lit up and shows correct exposure. Now, if I turn the Pol filter, and the LEFT led lights up a bit and the central Led dims a bit, I figure I'm cutting the light coming thru the lens, OR, that at this position, the Pol filter is doing its job. Then I hit the shutter button.

 

My assumption is that I have correctly taken a photo and correctly utilized the Pol. At any rate, I was in Kenya in January and did just this procedure, and my slides did seem to "pop" -- reflections cut, darker skies, etc.

 

By this method, presumably, I use a very simple, permanently attached B&W Pol on my lens and get the desired effects. No need to use the unwieldy Leica Universal Pol.

 

Does this make sense? Am I missing something here?

[lars_bergquist]

I'll do a repeat of my 'How to Use a Plain Polarizer With a RF Camera' piece. Here we go:

 

(1) Ascertain the direction of polarization of the filter. Stand outside a vertical window so that you have a strong reflection of the sky in the pane. Turn the filter so that the reflection is minimized. Without changing the orientation of the filter, mark a point at 9 or 3 o'clock on the rotating ring that carries the filter itself. Use a pencil, then add a more permanent mark. -- A line drawn from the mark through the center of the filter now marks the direction of polarization.

 

(2) If you want to extinguish a reflection, just mount the filter and adjust the rotating ring so that it is oriented at a right angle from the reflecting surface. Examples:

-- If you want to get rid of reflections on water, set the orientation to vertical (mark at 12 o'clock) because the reflected light is horizontally polarized. This also works for skylight reflected from foliage etc. if you want more saturated colours.

-- Similarly, if the reflecting surface has a different orientation, set the filter so that its orientation is at a right angle to the reflecting surface (that windowpane, again -- that was vertically oriented reflections, blocked by a horizontally oriented filter!)

 

(3) If you want to darken a blue sky, point the filter mark in the direction of the sun.

 

All these techniques should be tried out visually with a hand held filter, so you know how the thing works and what you can expect. Then you will not need to fiddle with the filter before mounting it; I never do. Auto exposure is NOT dependable as it can tend to wipe put much of the effect, also, do NOT believe that you can pinpoint best filter orientation by observing the meter. A little bit of nominal underexposure is often indicated. Say that you routinely apply normal exposure, 1/2 under and 1 under, by the exposure arrows, until you have learnt to judge the exposure right.

 

This is the simple and fast way to use a polarizer. No Rube Goldberg adapters. I use a plain linear coated Käsemann-type cemented and edge sealed B+W filter. To quote Oscar Wilde: I am a man of simple tastes, I simply take the best.

 

The old man from the Age of the Rangefinder

[ho_co]

Or train yourself to see polarization with the naked eye.

 

Haidinger's brush: the unknown sense.

[MarkP]

Well I'm on holidays under a beautiful blue Queensland sky

 

I'm looking at the sky. Direction of maximum PL with correct angle to the sun and confirmed with my PL filter.

 

After 20 minutes all I can see is blue field entoptic phenomenon (Blue field entoptic phenomenon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) but no Haidinger's Brush .

 

I will persevere!

[sblutter]

Play with the filter up to the naked eye, mark where it has the strongest effect in reference to the prevailing light source - like the sun.

 

With a small file make a permanent notch. You don't always want the max effect.

 

Quick & accurate but mind when you move your body!

 

You may want to play with it in different situations prior to marking

[sblitz]

or you can put the shutter speed on auto and note when it slows as you rotate the polarizer. it is what i do and it works just fine for me.

[250swb]

The problem with doing this with the meter is that the effect is either On or Off, and as we know this can be a crude method if you only want some of the reflections on water (for instance) to be removed. The best way to use a polarising filter other than buy the very expensive Leica version is to mark around the edge of a regular filter with different coloured enamel paint (Humbrol is good) and use whatever marking system you devise as a reference point. Indeed some polarising filters are numbered to start with, but the principle is the same, hold it up to the eye and see which paint mark is nearest the top and after screwing the filter onto the lens set it to the top. The other alternative is to use the machine gun approach and bracket a ton of shots with the filter at different points and choose the 'best' when you get home.

 

Steve

[jaapv]

I still have the contraption I made a few years ago - just a step-up ring with slots in it and a 77 mm filter. One can see the polarizing effect through the viewfinder that way.

I don’t use t any more - the swing-out Leica filter is very practical in use.

[Lenshacker]

I use two Polarizers, one on the camera- the second for viewing the scene by eye. The two polarizers are matched with an index mark. I just rotate the one on the camera to match the viewing filter once I get the orientation to my liking. When using two linear Polarizers, the two cancel out when at 90degrees and are at maximum transmission when aligned. Makes it easy to index them.

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Hallo,

Look here: Leica M

[MarkP]

I use two Polarizers, one on the camera- the second for viewing the scene by eye. The two polarizers are matched with an index mark. I just rotate the one on the camera to match the viewing filter once I get the orientation to my liking. When using two linear Polarizers, the two cancel out when at 90degrees and are at maximum transmission when aligned. Makes it easy to index them.

 

Exactly the way I use them. Very fast and efficient:

http://www.l-camera-forum.com/leica-forum/leica-m-lenses/368165-lux-50-asph-cron-90-aa.html Post #8