Polarizer Filters: Circular or Linear?

[stevenhacker]

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I have a rather arcane question. I have several circular polarizer lens but seem to recall someone saying that you should use only linear polarizers with a camera that does not have autofocus such as my M 10. If this is correct I can use circular filters on my Q but not on my M 10. Is this true?

[pop]

You can use circular polarizers on every lens. You must use circular polarizers with certain SLR cameras. Otherwise, linear polarizers are ok. 

 

If uncertain, buy circular ones.

[Slowhands]

Circular will work on anything. The only issue you could run into is if you're adapting older lenses which may have rotating front elements. In that case, you'll have to focus without the polarizer, and then screw and turn the polarizer very carefully, hoping nothing moves. Honestly, that's too much of a headache for me — there's a reason those lenses tend to be cheaper at resale.

[Michael Geschlecht]

Circular will work on anything. The only issue you could run into is if you're adapting older lenses which may have rotating front elements. In that case, you'll have to focus without the polarizer, and then screw and turn the polarizer very carefully, hoping nothing moves. Honestly, that's too much of a headache for me — there's a reason those lenses tend to be cheaper at resale.

 

Hello Slowhands,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

The issue that you are writing concerning lens that rotate as you focus them is the same whether the filter you are using is a circular polarizer or a linear polarizer.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

[Slowhands]

Hello Slowhands,

 

Welcome to the Forum.

 

The issue that you are writing concerning lens that rotate as you focus them is the same whether the filter you are using is a circular polarizer or a linear polarizer.

 

Best Regards,

 

Michael

 

True, I could have worded it better — I meant it as a general warning for using lenses with rotating front elements.

[jaapv]

I have a rather arcane question. I have several circular polarizer lens but seem to recall someone saying that you should use only linear polarizers with a camera that does not have autofocus such as my M 10. If this is correct I can use circular filters on my Q but not on my M 10. Is this true?

No. You can’t use linear polarisers on a camera that uses mirrors in the exposure measuring .

[fatihayoglu]

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The only issue with using polarizes is, you can’t see the effect through viewfinder, you need to switch to live view

[UliWer]

With the traditional swing-out "Polfilter-M" you can see the effect through the viewfinder - better than with live view, where the adjustment of brightness may be irritating.

 

And you even can use polarizers without looking though them, if you follow this adivice:

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/116076-m9-and-polarizer/?p=1271115

 

Btw: Whoever wants to know something about polarizers should use the search function of this forum enter "Polarizer" and the author "lars_bergquist". You'll find any information you'll ever need. 

[pedaes]

With the traditional swing-out "Polfilter-M" you can see the effect through the viewfinder - better than with live view, where the adjustment of brightness may be irritating.

 

And you even can use polarizers without looking though them, if you follow this adivice:

 

https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/116076-m9-and-polarizer/?p=1271115

 

Btw: Whoever wants to know something about polarizers should use the search function of this forum enter "Polarizer" and the author "lars_bergquist". You'll find any information you'll ever need. 

 

We still miss lars whit and wisdom terribly. Bless him.

[tobey bilek]

They are 100% interchangeable as far as final results.

 

Since this is M10 forum,  the swing out polls are easiest to use.  Have the filter swing 180 degrees ending over the viewfinder or over the top of the camera if on a tripod.  Meter thru the pola over the lens.

 

Circulars are difficult to set to you can observe the final effect on RF cameras.

 

With  slr,  circulars will meter and auto focus properly.  Linear will not.  However a linear can be placed on the lens after exposure is determined and compensation for the filter is set.  Focus before or after.   It is possible to rotate the linear so as to get the shortest exposure,  set manually,  then rotate for effect.  I have done this many times.

[Dr. G]

How much of a disadvantage is it to use live view for adjusting the polarizer?  Does the Visoflex make this any better?

[Nick Bedford]

There is no disadvantage except I guess a little bit of battery power usage for the display and sensor?

 

I use a normal CPL filter for my landscape photography and use Live View to the find the most effective angle for the composition then go back to optical framing and capture.

 

How much of a disadvantage is it to use live view for adjusting the polarizer?  Does the Visoflex make this any better?

[Bill W]

I have the swing out system from my film days but I have not used a polarizer in years. I do some in post if necessary. FWIW

[Dr. G]

I have the swing out system from my film days but I have not used a polarizer in years. I do some in post if necessary. FWIW

I usually use a polarizer when shooting anything near water. I like being able to take the surface reflection away so the clarity of the water is apparent and below surface details can be seen. I'm not sure a post production polarizer can do that.

[adan]

1. Circular polarizers are needed when the metering or AF system of a camera uses a beam-splitter to send half the light to the viewfinder and half to the metering or AF sensor (regular mirrors are not an issue). Even a manual-focus camera that uses a beam-splitter for metering (Leica R series, Nikon F3 et seq.) will not meter correctly with a linear PL. Cameras with simple mirrors (Nikon F/F2, most SLRs pre-1980) don't need CPs. A regular mirror does not polarize light.

 

2. The only obvious downside to using a CP is that they usually cost more, due to the extra filter layer (a 1/4-wave plate that "spins" and depolarizes the light once the visual polarization effects (intensified skies, deleted reflections) have been achieved.) They are a "sandwich" of a normal linear PL and the wave-plate. It is theoretically possible that the extra layer increases the chance of some loss of overall sharpness (as with any filter, quality counts) - but after 40 years of using CPs, if this was really an issue, someone would have noticed by now.

 

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_Circular.Polarizer_Creating.Left.Handed.Helix.View.svg/1200px-Circular.Polarization.Circularly.Polarized.Light_Circular.Polarizer_Creating.Left.Handed.Helix.View.svg.png

 

3. Neither the Q nor the M10 use beam-splitters (the Q's AF/metering is off the image sensor itself, not a separate AF sensor), therefore a linear polarizer will work on either (and so will a CP, for more money). This is true regardless of whether one uses the M10's optical viewfinder or the EVF/LV screens.

 

Just don't try to look at the LCD on the back through a polarizer (liquid-crystal displays themselves operate based on internally polarized light) .

 

http://magazine.merckgroup.com/magazine.entdecker.corp/en/images/LCD_Infografik_ENG_380_tcm1113_40124.jpg

 

As Dr. G says, there are many places a polarizer will improve clarity or saturation by removing diffuse surface reflections. Off water, and also foliage (leaves are covered with a waxy substance that veils the underlying true color (any time of the year) with a gray/white/blue reflection.) (Bot. note - the waxy coating prevents excessive evaporation of the plant's "precious bodily fluids.")

 

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B89CMYtvptM/VDtNvk-Gw7I/AAAAAAAARHg/Ku6p3F4NRN4/s1600/141008-(131-of-395).jpg

[UliWer]

How much of a disadvantage is it to use live view for adjusting the polarizer?  Does the Visoflex make this any better?

 

 

I thought so - though from what I experienced yet. I'd say: EVF doesn't really help.

 

You decide on the position of the polarizer by looking how much it darkens your picture  or perhaps parts of the picture (sky etc.). But the EVF compensates for the changements of the polarizer; it acts as if you would stop down and makes the picture brighter. So you really do not see much difference between the different positions of the polarizer.

 

Perhaps I didn't use EVF in the proper way when I tried with the polarizer - you may be able to switch off the compensaton for light loss; I must try again. Though from what I know until now I'd call the traditional swing polarizer to be used though the optical viewfinder much more effective and easier to use. 

[jaapv]

Switch off "exposure simulation" in the menu.

[albertknappmd]

linear is fine and cheaper.