Do You Use A Polarizer Filter Shooting B&W ?

pentaxuser · Sep 19, 2021

brian steinberger said:
I use a polarizer all the time with black and white,.

Well at least that makes you a serious photographer, it appears

I use one occasionally myself and sometimes in conjunction with a red but it's just a pity that we got close to labelling all non users of polarisers as being "non serious" photographers

pentaxuser

AgX · Sep 20, 2021

brian steinberger said:
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.

Well, the polarizers of the circular type have one more optical element incorporated. Thus why use such if not necessary?
The same time I am known for saying "If it got no practical effect, why bother?"

BradS · Sep 20, 2021

Kodachromeguy said:
When I drove through the Texas Panhandle, the clouds and sky overwhelmed everything. Here is an example of a Fuji Acros frame from Chillicothe, Texas, taken with a polarizer. West Texas is fascinating.

Update, more Chillicothe here:

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2020/03/small-towns-in-texas-panhandle.html

View attachment 272457

Andrew,
Your photo makes me want to road trip to West Texas! Thanks for sharing it...and thanks too for the link to your Blog. I will be enjoying the blog for a few hours/days....

Vaughn · Sep 20, 2021

One interesting use of a polarizer in color photography deep in the forest or jungle is to reduce the blue light reflecting off of leaves from bits of open sky. Basically tames the differences of color temperatures in one's image. All the same leaves are the same shade of green without the blue tint on some of them. I do not own a polarizing filter and have low use of colored filters. For most of my B&W work I want (and often depend on) those leaves being brilliant.

Kodachromeguy · Sep 21, 2021

BradS said:
Andrew,
Your photo makes me want to road trip to West Texas! Thanks for sharing it...and thanks too for the link to your Blog. I will be enjoying the blog for a few hours/days....

Thank you. West Texas is fascinating, especially when the sky is angry and overwhelming. Mid-summer might be a bit rough with the heat.

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2020/04/small-towns-in-texas-panhandle-quanah.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2020/04/small-towns-in-texas-panhandle-on-way.html

https://worldofdecay.blogspot.com/2020/03/towns-in-texas-panhandle-nocona-and.html

I sometimes used a polarizer and sometimes a med. yellow filter. I wonder if any company made a deep yellow B60 filter?

IMetodiev · Feb 23, 2023

I do, sometimes even just in place for an ND when I need a slower shutter speed.

sorelrjphoto · Apr 6, 2023

Yes, I almost always use a polarizer, it can help with attaining longer exposures, increasing color separation/contrast, darkening the sky, and getting better detail in somewhat reflective surfaces like rocks and foliage. Maybe it's not the best technique, but it works for me.

Sirius Glass · Apr 6, 2023

I used to use it more. I have to get back to taking it out and trying more often.

GregY · Apr 6, 2023

I used a polarizer when i used color transparency film. Since i only shoot B&W i don't even own one now

Donald Qualls · Apr 6, 2023

I don't think I've ever owned or used a polarizer. They're hard to use well on anything other than an SLR anyway. The main things they're good for (as I understand it) are removing water surface or glass glare, and preferentially darkening (part of) the sky for color films where a yellow, orange, or red filter isn't acceptable.

Sirius Glass · Apr 6, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I don't think I've ever owned or used a polarizer. They're hard to use well on anything other than an SLR anyway. The main things they're good for (as I understand it) are removing water surface or glass glare, and preferentially darkening (part of) the sky for color films where a yellow, orange, or red filter isn't acceptable.

Thus polarizers are prime candidates for SLRs and view cameras.

Donald Qualls · Apr 6, 2023

Sirius Glass said:
Thus polarizers are prime candidates for SLRs and view cameras.

I've also never (yet) used color film in a view camera. Got a box each of Portra 160 and Ektachrome 100 in 4x5, but haven't loaded any of them into film holders yet.

Sirius Glass · Apr 6, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I've also never (yet) used color film in a view camera. Got a box each of Portra 160 and Ektachrome 100 in 4x5, but haven't loaded any of them into film holders yet.

I have a box of 20 boxes of 10 sheets each of 4"x5" Kodak VividColor 160 film in my freezer, that I am too lazy to get of my ass shoot, develop and print. No viable excuses.

DREW WILEY · Apr 6, 2023

I've been shooting landscapes my whole adult life, and NEVER use a polarizer with either b&w or color film, on any kind of camera (except for polarized copystand purposes in the lab). I like natural reflections and hues as they are. if you aren't careful, something just looks and tastes off when polarizers come into play.

xkaes · Apr 6, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I've also never (yet) used color film in a view camera. Got a box each of Portra 160 and Ektachrome 100 in 4x5, but haven't loaded any of them into film holders yet.

You don't know what you are missing. Here's a shot from the west side of Zion NP on Agfacolor 100 4x5"-- WITH A POLARIZER, of course!!! Fujinon SWD 65mm f5.6 on a TOKO NIKKI II. Somehow B&W does not do it justice.

Sirius Glass · Apr 6, 2023

DREW WILEY said:
I've been shooting landscapes my whole adult life, and NEVER use a polarizer with either b&w or color film, on any kind of camera (except for polarized copystand purposes in the lab). I like natural reflections and hues as they are. if you aren't careful, something just looks and tastes off when polarizers come into play.

Prime reasons for using a polarizer for black & white film are get rid of specular reflections, glints and unwanted reflections [example: window reflections].

eli griggs · Apr 6, 2023

I use polarizers with b&w and colour, depending on what is needed to get the pic I want.

Understanding and using filters, particularly colour contrast filters is key for a lot of good photography, IMO.

MTGseattle · Apr 6, 2023

@GLS To me, the sky plays second fiddle to the tones and variation of textures in the fields in foreground and middle of the scene. That's a really nice image.

Helge · Apr 6, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I don't think I've ever owned or used a polarizer. They're hard to use well on anything other than an SLR anyway. The main things they're good for (as I understand it) are removing water surface or glass glare, and preferentially darkening (part of) the sky for color films where a yellow, orange, or red filter isn't acceptable.

They can do magic to a scene in the most unexpected ways. A rainbow for example is intensified, both in colour and B&W with a polarizer. Same inside many cloud types.
Often the effect is subtle, but good photography is often plussing a lot of little effects to created something exceptional.

You can also control flash in unexpected ways with a polarizer or two.
Put a pol filter in one orientation on the flash and another on the lens in perpendicular orientation, and suddenly you can shoot directly into the flash without seeing it.
And that is just starters.

Layer a circular and linear polarizer and rotate them and you can control the colour temperature of a scene in a way that is just not possible with normal colour filters.

GLS · Apr 7, 2023

MTGseattle said:
@GLS To me, the sky plays second fiddle to the tones and variation of textures in the fields in foreground and middle of the scene. That's a really nice image.

Thanks. I have a print of that one above my mantlepiece.

GLS · Apr 7, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I don't think I've ever owned or used a polarizer. They're hard to use well on anything other than an SLR anyway. The main things they're good for (as I understand it) are removing water surface or glass glare, and preferentially darkening (part of) the sky for color films where a yellow, orange, or red filter isn't acceptable.

Depends on the type of filter system you use. With any of the systems which use a holder on front of the lens (rather than individual screw-in filters), the degree of polarisation can be set on the filter with the holder off the lens, then the whole thing can be reattached without altering its position.

xkaes · Apr 7, 2023

GLS said:
Depends on the type of filter system you use. With any of the systems which use a holder on front of the lens (rather than individual screw-in filters), the degree of polarisation can be set on the filter with the holder off the lens, then the whole thing can be reattached without altering its position.

That's what I do -- all the time -- with screw-in polarizers. That's why they rotate.

Alan Edward Klein · Apr 7, 2023

Donald Qualls said:
I don't think I've ever owned or used a polarizer. They're hard to use well on anything other than an SLR anyway. The main things they're good for (as I understand it) are removing water surface or glass glare, and preferentially darkening (part of) the sky for color films where a yellow, orange, or red filter isn't acceptable.

They also saturate colors especially the green leaves and green grass by removing the light Reflections off of foliage. In fact they could over saturate so you might want to back off from 100% polarization to something halfway.

DREW WILEY · Apr 7, 2023

xkaes - would be nice if you could one day see one of my own SW waterfall prints, WITHOUT a polarizer of course, but see it in person, full 30x40 inch Cibachome print from 8X10 chrome film, or the scaled down 24X30 Fuji Supergloss equivalents done when my biggest color enlarger was down for service. Its full range of hues and tonality would be squelched if a polarizer had been used, not to mention the unwanted extra exposure time needed. Color neg response if somewhat different, of course.

Reflections are beautiful. Sparkle is beautiful. Over-saturation is annoying and kitchy. That's what Fauxtoshop is for. Treat polarizers like a pet rattlesnake; they need to be handled thoughtfully.

Kodachromeguy · Apr 7, 2023

Here is another example of a polarizer with black and white Fuji Acros film, Yashica Electro 35CC camera with 35mm lens, Mineola, Texas. I think the polarizer is effective in this type of situation. And no, it is not especially hard to use on a rangefinder camera.

Do You Use A Polarizer Filter Shooting B&W ?

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