Does a Circular polarizer shift colors? I have become a daily reader and learn something every single day, thanks to all of you. In striving for true color in my images I've started...

clickety

I have become a daily reader and learn something every single day, thanks to all of you. In striving for true color in my images I've started using the color checker passport in my first shot to give a baseline for post processing the image. When using a polarizing filter is there a color shift and should I shoot the passport reference with or without the polarizer? I look forward to your comments, thank you.

SonyA580 Loc: FL in the winter & MN in the summer

I'm not sure if there is a "color shift" but some colors, and color saturation in some areas of the shot, will definitely change with the addition, and rotation, of the polarizer. I'd say shoot the passport with as many variables as you can to get a valid result.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

There SHOULDN'T be a color shift with a quality polarizer. You could do some tests shooting the passport with the same lighting and WB, with and without the polarizer, and see for yourself.

IBM

JohnSwanda wrote:

There SHOULDN'T be a color shift with a quality polarizer. You could do some tests shooting the passport with the same lighting and WB, with and without the polarizer, and see for yourself.

I doubt it , it's like polarizzed sun glasses , can't you just see it , but officer's the light was blue just be for the I crashed into that truck ,all polarized glasses are the same,

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

Cheap ones can affect colours, as the filter is rotated. Buy the best you can afford. If you can, test before you buy.

Gene51 Loc: Yonkers, NY, now in LSD (LowerSlowerDelaware)

clickety wrote:

I have become a daily reader and learn something every single day, thanks to all of you. In striving for true color in my images I've started using the color checker passport in my first shot to give a baseline for post processing the image. When using a polarizing filter is there a color shift and should I shoot the passport reference with or without the polarizer? I look forward to your comments, thank you.

That is an interesting question. Colors in the viewfinder do change. Often they intensify, as a result of removing glare and reflection, but the color of light generally does not.

Since the CCP creates a color profile of everything that hits the sensor, and takes into consideration the sensor's color response curve as well, the answer is yes, shoot the target with everything in place. Are you shooting raw and creating the dng profile in Lightroom?

Funny thing about polarizers - price is rarely an indication of neutrality in color rendition - a $60 Hoya tests better than a $115 B&W in this review:

http://www.techradar.com/how-to/photography-video-capture/cameras/best-circular-polarizer-filter-5-top-models-tested-and-rated-1320842

This is a comprehensive testing of a range of polarizers and it shows that as you increase the polarizing effect the extinction rates for different colors change, and they do so differently for each color, and not necessarily in tandem, which suggests that there can be a color shift. Again, Hoya is top rated.

http://www.lenstip.com/139.25-article-Polarizing_filters_test_2015_Results_and_summary.html

kymarto Loc: Portland OR and Milan Italy

There can be a slight shift on the yellow/blue axis as you rotate a CPL. it is mostly minor and easily corrected in post.

clickety

SonyA580 wrote:

I'm not sure if there is a "color shift" but some colors, and color saturation in some areas of the shot, will definitely change with the addition, and rotation, of the polarizer. I'd say shoot the passport with as many variables as you can to get a valid result.

Thank you for your reply

clickety

JohnSwanda wrote:

There SHOULDN'T be a color shift with a quality polarizer. You could do some tests shooting the passport with the same lighting and WB, with and without the polarizer, and see for yourself.

Thank you for your response.

clickety

IBM wrote:

I doubt it , it's like polarizzed sun glasses , can't you just see it , but officer's the light was blue just be for the I crashed into that truck ,all polarized glasses are the same,

Thank you.

clickety

IBM wrote:

I doubt it , it's like polarizzed sun glasses , can't you just see it , but officer's the light was blue just be for the I crashed into that truck ,all polarized glasses are the same,

Thank you for your reply

clickety

kymarto wrote:

There can be a slight shift on the yellow/blue axis as you rotate a CPL. it is mostly minor and easily corrected in post.

Thank you for responding.

clickety

Gene51 wrote:

That is an interesting question. Colors in the vie... (show quote)

Thank you for a thoughtful, informative response as well as for the links. Yes, I shoot raw + JPEG and process in Lightroom later but that may be days and miles later. My goal is to replicate what I actually saw and not rely on what I think I remember.

gvarner Loc: Central Oregon Coast

clickety wrote:

I have become a daily reader and learn something every single day, thanks to all of you. In striving for true color in my images I've started using the color checker passport in my first shot to give a baseline for post processing the image. When using a polarizing filter is there a color shift and should I shoot the passport reference with or without the polarizer? I look forward to your comments, thank you.

Polarizers cut glare and reflections. They don't affect color. They can improve the intensity of colors by cutting the glare but they don't change the color.

IBM

Pablo8 wrote:

Cheap ones can affect colours, as the filter is rotated. Buy the best you can afford. If you can, test before you buy.

Whatever, but mine is like shades ,and rotating it makes the glare on water clear up , I do use a blue blocker at times .