View Full Version : Polarizing Filter


Eduardo Mayen
February 28th, 2002, 10:03 PM
Im shooting with the XL1 with a Fujinon Lens. I want to saturate the colors as much as possible. Should I go with a circular polarizer or should i save my money and just buy the linear one.

Ken Tanaka
March 1st, 2002, 01:17 AM
I'd recommend a circular polarizer (CP). It's my understanding that CP's have a coating on the lens-side of the filter that prevents the lens' own polarizing coatings from causing color aberrations when used in combination with the filter.

Charles Papert
March 1st, 2002, 05:33 AM
That's news to me. Circular polarizers are designed to avoid issues with camera systems that use beam splitters that polarize the light passing through them, to avoid cross-polarization which can black out the image or fool the internal metering system, both functions of film cameras . Although as I write this, I wonder about the prism that divides the incoming light rays to the 3 chips inside the camera. I've always used a linear polarizer with excellent results with 3 chip cameras though. My preference is the B&W/Schneider True-Pol.

Adrian Douglas
March 2nd, 2002, 06:54 AM
The problem with using a CP on the Fujinon lens is that the front element rotates so you'll have to change the CP position everytime you zoom or focus.

Charles Papert
March 2nd, 2002, 11:34 AM
That's a good point Adrian, and true of the linear polarizer as well. It's an excellent argument for using a mattebox with rods in combination with the manual lens to prevent this from happening. Although I understand the front element of the new 16x manual lens doesn't rotate....?

Digital Dan
March 20th, 2002, 09:29 PM
I use one of those "Moose" polarizers on my GL1 - it combines an 81A with a cir pol. Sort of a warming effect. Really cool. Different. Especially nice for colorful foliage, early and late light.

Andrew Leigh
March 22nd, 2002, 11:06 PM
Hi all

Somewhere I read that linear polarisers confuse AF systems and that for video circular polarisers are a must. Don't ask me where or when I read this but that's what caused me to go the circular route.

It may have been in one of the Canopus forums.

Regards
Andrew