Bills Photo

I have a CPL it goes on the lens just fine. But then what. I know it sill continue to go around but how do I know how to adjust it? Looking thru the viewfinder I can not tell any difference from turning the CPL. Bill V

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

Point it at your computer monitor and turn it while looking through the viewfinder. You will see the effect.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

First of all, you should try it outside on a sunny day. Look through the viewfinder with the camera pointed at about a 90 degree angle to the sun and rotate the CPL. It will vary from no effect to deep blue sky and minimum reflection. If the angle to the sun isn't right, you won't see much of an effect. Go outside and experiment with it.

Izza1967 Loc: Bristol, England

I have found the biggest and most obvious effect when looking at water as when you turn the filter the water goes from showing the reflection of light and appearing white to making the water look see through and showing what is below the surface. The darkening of the sky is also obvious.

Erik_H Loc: Denham Springs, Louisiana

I also find that they add a general warming effect to grasses, etc.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

First understand that the polarizing affect works best, if it works at all, when you (as Jerry has stated) are 90 degrees from sun.

For example, once you are outside, extend your arms out with one arm pointed in the direction of the sun. You are now facing in a 90 degree angle. Now, the direction your head is now facing is the best position for you to use the filter. Then rotate it until you get the desired result. If you can, put the camera on a tripod and then rotate the filter, That helps to get it right. Look for reflections that you want to remove or colors on leaves and important parts that improve.......DO NOT, as most folks do, be led to believe that you are searching for a more saturated and darker blue in the sky......that is often an outcome but not the goal of the CPL filter for MOST (not all) landscape shots. When you see the sky getting darker and bluer IT IS AT THE EXPENSE OF THE Terra fauna

In my case the sky is not always improved with the filter, but the mountains, leaves, reflections - saturation and color of these are....at the expense of the sky.

There are other polarizing filters that are not circular - all areas of the image are affected.......this filter has a place, especially on overcast days.

GrahamS Loc: Hertfordshire, U.K

You cannot use a non-circular polariser (called a "linear" polariser) on a modern digital SLR camera, or any camera that has a partially-silvered mirror or an LCD focusing screen.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Sure you can! i am headed out today to shoot. i will post two images ...one with and one without, with a nikon d4 - i might add i rarely use the cameras metering system.

GrahamS Loc: Hertfordshire, U.K

http://www.bobatkins.com/photography/technical/polarizers.html

Bob says it all here.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Use one first just know your cameras meter can be fooled with it. Shoot manual, meter with a light meter, account for a 1 to 1.5 stops of light and check for yourself. It actually works better, IMHO and most of these are less expensive.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

If you depend on the DSLR camera light-meter for exposure, it must be circular or your camera will be fooled. But I disagree with Bob, from my experience, it does not affect the auto-focusing system (even on low light overcast days anymore than a 2 stop ND filter) as plenty of light passes through (when using one or the other) to exact a focus - at least with my Nikon cameras. At the same time, I almost always manually focus as well.

At the same time, I would rather use a linear filter 99 percent of the time and exclusively on overcast days. My reasoning is as follows:

A Linear polarizer is more effective in the modification of light, less likely to negatively impact the image quality, and clearly less costly.

Also be sure to use manual settings, check the histogram after the shot.

Rather than debate it....get or borrow both filters and try on your camera(s). Then tell me they do not work effectively.

Rich Maher Loc: Sonoma County, CA

Works great.

nikonshooter Loc: Spartanburg, South Carolina

Well, my plans to head out and shoot were cut short with my wife rescuing two of our grandchildren who have been ill with the flu. So I am back home helping out.

I will again head out tomorrow after Church and post my images of one without any filter, one with a linear, and one with a CPL. I will upload to a website with all of the exif data available for you to sort through...since I have both filters and many don't, it may help those in the "thinking about buying" one stage.

BTW, I am shooting the 232 anniversary of the "Battle of Cowpens" ...here is the website http://www.nps.gov/cowp/planyourvisit/event-details.htm?eventID=461271-245777

dar_clicks Loc: Utah

.. Ha! Of course! Hadn't thought of it before, just got CPLs for the digital cameras because I knew the Linear type would fool the meter, never thought about the rest.
.. Thanks a million for your insight & reply, also to others for the good links. Always good to be jolted into knowing more than I used to!

Bills Photo

Thanks to all who replied I may not be able to use because regulars how I turn the filter my eyes don't see any difference bill v