John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

When some grump about others posts, I just sort of figure the grumper's morning corn flakes went down crooked and then belch.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

This is BS there were circular polarizers in the 70's. Canon f-1 and FTb required them to meter correctly and so stated in their instructions. They were expensive but readily available anywhere.
I used them with my Canon FTb etc in the 70's.

cambriaman Loc: Central CA Coast

Buying larger and stepping down is the way to go. Be sure to buy the largest one you expect to have a lens for.

Murray Loc: New Westminster

It wasn't a question. It was an apparently incorrect response.

bobburk3 Loc: Maryland

I agree! That was not a nicely worded reply. members ask questions because they are trying to understand how to use equipment and improve their knowledge.

James R. Kyle Loc: Saint Louis, Missouri (A Suburb of Ferguson)

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Again I find myself in total agreement with you on this point.

The VID is a good one as well.

Thank you for posting this.

CathyAnn Loc: Apache Junction, AZ

Learning to understand how to use my equipment and improve my knowledge is why I'm on this forum. And, being new to photography, I'm learning a lot. Often, I need to read something over and over again, over time, for it to start to sink in - and I take notes. It seems that a question can be asked many times and I'm picking up on some aspect I hadn't thought about before. Besides, it's good to revisit topics which let me know now much or how little I've retained. :-D

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

You cannot mount a filter larger than the lens with a step down ring. With a step down ring, the male thread is larger than the female thread. With a step up ring, the male thread is smaller than the female thread.

Macronaut Loc: Redondo Beach,Ca.

:?: :| :?:

GENorkus Loc: Washington Twp, Michigan

Sure it's possible.

Lets say you have a lens that normally takes a 62mm filter. Then attach a step-up ring to accept 82mm filters. Then use a step-down ring on that ring to accept a 72mm filter. Then put your larger than the original lens filter size, (the 72 filter), on that.

It'd be a "mish-mash" setup but can be done! If all you had available were those items, it'd work... not the best setup though.

RWR Loc: La Mesa, CA

Rather convoluted, but yep, it'll work!

DirtFarmer Loc: Escaped from the NYC area, back to MA

A linear polarizer will work with digital cameras. However, as noted, it may interact with metering and/or autofocus. Those two functions use reflected light from the camera's mirror. Reflections change the polarization of the light, so linear polarization of the light coming into the camera may change the light available to the metering/AF sensors. It will change with the orientation of the polarizer.

A circular polarizer is a double element. The first element is a linear polarizer. The second element is a "quarter-wave plate", oriented at 45 degrees to the plane of polarization of the light from the polarizer. That converts the linear polarized light to circular polarization without losing light intensity. Circular polarized light reflects like unpolarized light so there is no interaction with the metering/AF.

You can easily try out your old filter. Set your camera on a tripod and take a bunch of pictures of a scene with various orientations of the filter. It would probably be best to do this with a scene that you would expect to have some polarization of the light, e.g. looking at 90 degrees from the sun, maybe with some reflections on water. However, you're looking for effects of the polarization of the image light, so it's not strictly necessary to have the image polarized.


It does save the cost of some filters, but if you need to change lenses the time to change both the lens and the filter is increased.

A screw-on rubber hood will be a uniform depth all around, unlike the shaped hoods that are used with most modern lenses.