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Do You Use A Polarizer Filter Shooting B&W ?

I don't honestly remember ever using a polarizer on B&W -- but then I don't use them much on color either. Much of what one gets with a polarizer could be had with a 25A filter on B&W, but a 25A on Ektachrome isn't so handy. In recent history my use of polarizers has mostly been to tune out reflections. One of my semi-annual activities includes doing a 'gallery walk-thru' of art shows I'm involved with installing. For that it's a bit of an art to choose angles and locations such that a polarizer will function to kill off reflections from the framed work behind glass. While personally I thoroughly enjoy shooting B&W film, such art show documentation with it would be somewhat un-useful! Considering what they cost and how seldom I use them, I'm a bit surprised at how many I own. (But hey, it's a hobby -- and there's food on my table!)
 
Yes to bring out skies if I do not have the colored contrast filters with me.
 

In the development of this thread I am even more surprised. I mean, if young photographers would only or mainly use a polarizer for its effects on colour would not be as surprising as learning that even fellows I regarded old-school do so. Seemingly our education was different. Now I really have to dive into old (foreign) text books to find out.
 
Selena Jain said:
Polarizing filters add contrast to shading photos and do likewise with high contrast pictures.
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Such statement is too generic. A polarizer only can influence contrast if there is polarisation at the lighting or at reflections. Also whether it adds or reduces contrast is dependand on situation and what the way you define the term contrast.
 
I don't know if a couple of things about polarizing filters have been already mentioned:
1. Polarizers are most effective for darkening the sky when the sun is at a 90º angle with the filter.
2. Unless you are metering through the lens, determining the filter factor can be difficult.
 
  • Kodachromeguy
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  • Reason: Too subtle for the recipient
Polarizers are absolutely mandatory in a serious photographers kit.
People who say otherwise are:
A. Unadventurous/not curious enough. In the same category as people who use the learned, “available light photographer” badge as a way to glorify their fear of flash and modifiers.
B. Missing out on some great effects and opportunities.

Being able to cut through water and window reflections is reason enough in itself to use one.

Polarizing the sky is the way to get the last stops down to dark skyes with the IR emulsions available today.

Polarizers can make dynamics much more manageable when shooting slide.

They can work as an intelligent ND filter.

etc.
 

Stop that! When you and I agree on anything, it's cause for concern.
Polarizing the sky is the way to get the last stops down to dark skyes with the IR emulsions available today.
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That's better. They're not absolutely necessary unless you want very black skies, but they're potentially going to alter the IR glow of foliage, as it's based on reflected IR light.
 
I shoot 99% b/w and very seldom use a polarizer except to reduce glare mostly. I prefer the effect of orange filter and use a #21 or #15 almost all the time with HP5+ for landscape work. I find red to be too much.
 
polarizer filter use is determined by the scene in front of the camera, not what film is inside of it.
 
Polarizers are a pain to use properly with a TLR or rangefinder camera. And nobody seems to mention the variable filter factor.
 
Pieter12 said:
Polarizers are a pain to use properly with a TLR or rangefinder camera. And nobody seems to mention the variable filter factor.
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Hmmm, lets see. TLR: bayonet the polarizer on the viewing lens and adjust as desired. Then remove and bayonet onto the taking lens with the same orientation.. Done.
Rangefinder: I agree that it can be clumsy. But with Leica's 39mm lenses, the 13352 swing out polarizer makes it easy.
Exposure: you hold the polarizer in front of your light meter.
 
Still a pain--you should be careful to maintain the orientation of the polarizer while you move it around from eye to meter to lens.
 
My Mamiya TLR works most easily if I use it with duplicate polarizers - one on the taking lens, and one on the viewing lens.
 
For RF cameras with the meter cell behind the filter (Canonet, Minolta Hi-Matic et al.) or TTL metering: Aim at the sky and adjust the polarizer for a minimum meter reading, then go back to the scene and shoot as normal.
 
Pieter12 said:
Polarizers are a pain to use properly with a TLR or rangefinder camera. And nobody seems to mention the variable filter factor.
Click to expand...

One of many reasons I chose SLRs over rangefinders and TLRs back in the 1960's and never looked back. If one is still using those and has problems with not seeing what they will get, they only have themselves to blame.
 
Pieter12 said:
Still a pain--you should be careful to maintain the orientation of the polarizer while you move it around from eye to meter to lens.
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I often will check which way i want the polarizer to be looking through it with my eye, not the camera. There's a white line in one spot on the ring of my polarizer. So I just note which way it's facing to orient it the same way when I mount it it on my lens.
 
I was just making the point that using a polarizing filter on such cameras is not necessarily straightforward. And changing the rotation a bit can make a big difference in the effect. But by all means, use the filter, I'm not knocking that.
 
I used a polarizer once with polarized sunglasses. Oh no, my SLR is broken. What a dipshit.
 
it was very difficult to locate a polarizing filter for my Canon M6 and I'll not go into the details other than because I got fed up with the search and failure, I created a filter myself. using some thrown away experimental plastic/resin material from work, it's been doing very well as either a polarizing filter or ND filter combined. So yes I use my own polarizing filter for black and white.

Canon M6 // Fotodiox EF-M to EF Adapter // Canon 100mm f.2 USM // Generic Slotted Filter Holder // Experimental Polarizing Filter // Vintage 1970's Velbon Tripod
 
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I rarely use anything but a mild yellow filter. It seems to improve more natural rendering. If dark skies and popping clouds are important than an orange filter will do. To me a red filter overdoes that effect.
 
If something is worth doing, it’s worth overdoing.
A 25 filter will only leave a very thin sliver of sensitized spectral sensitivity with conventional emulsions.
Quite different with the Aviphot derivatives and SFX.
 
I use a polarizer all the time with black and white, most times combined with a #41 orange filter. I use these on MF rangefinders. I just hold the filter up and look through to find the desired effect, note the position of something near “12 o’clock”. Most the time it’s one of the letters of “Made in Germany” written on the filter. Put the filter back on the lens, dial in compensation and shoot.

I still use a linear polarizer for my rangefinders. In the back on my head somewhere years and years ago I thought I had read a recommendation to use a linear polarizer with rangefinders. I don’t know exactly what that reasoning would be. They are getting very rare nowadays, most all are circular.
 
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