Graduated ND vs Polarizing Filter

[Anthony MD]

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Which filter would you use for the Leica 50mm Rigid Summicron…?

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[250swb]

2 hours ago, Anthony MD said:

Which filter would you use for the Leica 50mm Rigid Summicron…?

In M lenses, neither unless you have an LCD on the back of the camera. In operation you need to orientate both filters by seeing what is going on directly through the lens via the camera LCD in a digital rangefinder camera. But they both do different jobs, the ND simply reduces the amount of light for example in the sky if it's a graduated ND. But the polariser polarises light and the effect can be variable across the frame especially with wide angle lenses where one side of the frame can be heavily polarised and the other not much at all.

So what do you want to do with the filter? If it's just to make clouds or the sky darker or more dramatic in colour photography make an intelligent exposure so as not to blow highlights and edit the image in Lightroom and add an ND Gradient filter there. You can't however add a polarisring filter in Lightroom but with skill you can boost the blue channel to do something similar.

 

[spydrxx]

It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. A polarizer can at the right angle of light darken a sky or remove a reflection from glass or other shiny object. In any case it will need some extra exposure, depending upon the degree of overall polarization. A graduated ND will provide a reduction of light on a portion of the scene while allowing direct pass-through on the other portion - graduated across the filter in (usually) the horizontal plane. The effects of either the polarizer or graduated ND filters are best observed and set up with a camera body which has live view/LCD screen or a SLR. There is a polarizer specifically for Leica rangefinder lenses which has a swing out mount (13360) which their catalog says fits a 50 Summicron, but it is rather clumsy to use.

[jakontil]

I always have polarizing filter on my lens