Help with using a Polarizing filter

Pieter12 · Feb 6, 2022

Your problem is you are taking a reading through the filter, and then adding compensation for the filter, thus overexposing. No compensation is necessary. That's why you photos are so washed out.

Sirius Glass · Feb 6, 2022

Pieter12 said:
Your problem is you are taking a reading through the filter, and then adding compensation for the filter, thus overexposing. No compensation is necessary. That's why you photos are so washed out.

I agree. Take the light reading, put on the polarizer filter, rotate to the effect you want, and then photograph.

MattKing · Feb 6, 2022

benjiboy said:
That,'s right the AE -1 requires a linear polarizer, not a circular one.

Actually, with the AE-1, both types of polarizers work fine.
I'm old enough to remember when circular polarizers were relatively hard to find, and more expensive.

benjiboy · Feb 7, 2022

MattKing said:
Actually, with the AE-1, both types of polarizers work fine.
I'm old enough to remember when circular polarizers were relatively hard to find, and more expensive.

Only the Canon T 90, F1n, and F 1-N, because they have beam spitters need to use circular polarizers.

AgX · Feb 7, 2022

On the other hand, not all SLR metering systems that meter through the mirror need a circular polarizer. But these cameras became exceptions to the rule.

foc · Feb 7, 2022

Sirius Glass said:
I agree. Take the light reading, put on the polarizer filter, rotate to the effect you want, and then photograph.

Should that not be: put on the polariser filter, rotate to the effect you want, take the light reading, and then the photograph?

benjiboy · Feb 7, 2022

AgX said:
On the other hand, not all SLR metering systems that meter through the mirror needs a circular polarizer. But these cameras became exceptions to the rule.

All the Canon F1 focusing screens have a beam splitter in them, probably why they are so expensive as they were even when they were current in the 1980s they cost, £ 42 about $ 57.

AgX · Feb 7, 2022

As indicated there were other technologies employed too. The Cosina CSR has uncoated parts at the mirror behind which CDS cells are mounted. The Praktica VLC had the CDS cell located laterally outside the mirrorbox. Prisms behind the mirror reflect the light outward the mirrorbox. I assume the mirror in this case too having uncoated patches, hard to see due to the prisms.
(Even if not, there were no circular polarizers yet back then...)

Sirius Glass · Feb 7, 2022

foc said:
Should that not be: put on the polariser filter, rotate to the effect you want, take the light reading, and then the photograph?

It could be that way, but the OP was putting on the filter, rotating the filter, taking a light reading and then adjusting for the filter. Which was repetitive, duplicating, replicating and doing it again, and once more for good measure. Time to be the OP back to the simple basics first.

wiltw · Feb 7, 2022

foc said:
Should that not be: put on the polariser filter, rotate to the effect you want, take the light reading, and then the photograph?

Your description is correct for TTL metering cameras...

put on filter, rotate to best effect
take light reading thru filter
shoot as metered

As Pieter already pointed out...the profile of usage described by OP

Put filter on lens
meter images using the camera's internal meter.
reducing (lengthening) the shutter speed when taking a shot, to compensate for the reduced light.

...causes overexposure with resulting loss of color saturation, because Step #3 overcorrects the filter effect, which is already factored into the reading by #1 + #2

Help with using a Polarizing filter

Moderator

Privacy & Transparency

Privacy & Transparency