Linear pola vs. Circular pola

[jsimoespedro]

Hi all,

What is the practical difference between a linear polarizer and a circular polarizer?

Thanks.

Joao

 

[chriscrawfordphoto]

Some SLR cameras has semi-transparent mirrors to allow some light to pass through them to autofocus sensors or light metering cells under the mirror. If you have such a camera, you need a circular polarizer because a linear polarizer causes inaccurate meter readings and interferes with autofocus.

All AF 35mm SLRs are like this. Several manual-focus cameras are too, like the Nikon F3, Olympus OM-4/4T, OM-3/3Ti, OM-PC, and OM-2sp

 

[AgX]

Three days ago this thread has been started on this issue:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[jochen]

The Nikon F-3 does not need circular polarizers as the camera has no semi-transparent mirror but many very very small slits in the center of the mirror.