7Xi + Minolta 28-80 P.Zoom + Polarizer - Does cam shoot dark as I see it at viewfinder or Normalized

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

I bought an minolta 7xi and 28-80 power zoom with kenko circular polarizer filter. Today I went to sea coast and took many silhoutte photos againts the sea and sun with Fomapan 100. Viewfinder image was darker due to polarizer and I want to ask does camera take dark images as I see it from the viewfinder or lightmeter would normalized the shutter speed and diaphram ?

 

[koraks]

An SLR camera will photograph what you see, but if you don't apply meter corrections, then the light meter will indeed normalize back to an average/weighted middle grey tone (nominally 18%). However, since a polarizer, depending on how it's oriented, will make the blue sky darker in relation to other elements of the scene (such as e.g. clouds), remove reflections etc., these tonal differences will remain preserved.

 

[Mustafa Umut Sarac]

An SLR camera will photograph what you see, but if you don't apply meter corrections, then the light meter will indeed normalize back to an average/weighted middle grey tone (nominally 18%). However, since a polarizer, depending on how it's oriented, will make the blue sky darker in relation to other elements of the scene (such as e.g. clouds), remove reflections etc., these tonal differences will remain preserved.

I always loved polarizer images at color photography but I could not understand anything except the darker viewfinder. I tried to rotate circular polarizer but my eyes could not say a difference. Is it always this way ? The color images with deep reds , blues or greens appears at the scans by suprise ?

 

[koraks]

No, you do really see in the viewfinder what happens. It works best with a clear blue sky, but the effect is also generally easy to see on reflective surfaces (still water, plant leaves, looking at glass at an angle, human skin as well). In some cases there may be virtually no difference; e.g. overcast skies will not change when you look through a polarizer filter and then turn it, and also matte objects that have no shine to them don't change. As I said above, a SLR camera like the Minolta you referred to photographs the exact image you see in the viewfinder, so any effect visible to the eye can end up in the film, but conversely, if you can't see it in the viewfinder, it will also not be in the image.

 

[Paul Howell]

As you turn the polarizer you should a slight change in brightness as the effect increases or decreases with the aliment of the two elements. As noted by koraks with black and white film a blue sky will darken a bit increasing contrast with clouds. It will also help reduce atmospheric haze but can decrease shadow detail. I use a polarizer in the peak summer months to reduce haze in desert landscapes.

 

[xkaes]

What you see is what you get and the camera will make any needed adjustment in exposure.

 

[loccdor]

Try rotating the polarizer while you look at a phone or monitor screen if you want to see a dramatic change. That's because the light from these screens is already polarized in a certain direction. That's also how variable ND filters work - two polarizers.

 

[pentaxuser]

Yes my experience is that the range through which you turn the filter to see the change is quite small so quick turning might cause you to pass through the darkening effect without it being really noticeable

pentaxuser