Choice of polarizing filters: I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find...

RonKoris Loc: St. Helena Island, SC

I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find them from 39 to 200 dollars. Any recommendations as to a good brand.

repleo Loc: Boston

B+W seems to be the longtime favorite here. Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL is the new kid on the block and getting great reviews. I have both (different sizes). I prefer the Breakthrough mostly because the knurled edge makes it easier to rotate it with a lens hood on.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

RonKoris wrote:

I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find them from 39 to 200 dollars. Any recommendations as to a good brand.

Hoya makes excellent quality polarizers and are highly rated.
Dollar wise you don't have to spend the most but the cheap are definite no-gos.
Look at ratings on Google.
But I use the Hoya from pro recommendations and research. I use it on my EF 100-400mm MII and it works great.

rgrenaderphoto Loc: Hollywood, CA

For that lens, you need an uncompromising filter. I've ruined a great lens with a cheap polarizer. My preferred brand in Breakthrough.

Joe Blow

RonKoris wrote:

I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find them from 39 to 200 dollars. Any recommendations as to a good brand.

I would go with a Hoya or B&W. The benefits of the super expensive filters are overblown. You would not be able to tell the difference between a photo shot with a $50 B&W or Hoya and a $200 CP filter. BUT, if money is no concern, then sure, spend the $200.

Also, a lens hood can help as well.

JohnSwanda Loc: San Francisco

RonKoris wrote:

I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find them from 39 to 200 dollars. Any recommendations as to a good brand.

Are you talking about blown highlights? If so, it may be just be a matter of overexposure, and a higher shutter speed might solve the problem. If you really need a filter to lower exposure, a ND filter might work as well as a polarizer.

Leicaflex Loc: Cymru

I use LEE Filters "Masters of Light"

http://www.leefilters.com/

leftj Loc: Texas

RonKoris wrote:

I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find them from 39 to 200 dollars. Any recommendations as to a good brand.

Here is just one. Breakthrough Photography. Not cheap but superb quality.

jwm1944 Loc: Maryland

Just spot meter on the Egrets!

billnourse Loc: Bloomfield, NM

I have a B+W that the ring froze up on. I had heard about Breakthrough, so I got one to try. I sent the B+W back to the company and they got it working, but in the meantime I have come to really like the Breakthrough. And the 25 year warranty is something no other filters has.

Bill

dpullum Loc: Tampa Florida

I did not find the scientific study I was looking for but ran across this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/victorvonsalza/sets/72157604729605541/

Do not fall for the "ya get what ya pay for".... bunk... some more expensive are not as good as mid range price... eg "canon" they charge for the name.

Wanderer2 Loc: Colorado Rocky Mountains

A good review of circular polarizers:

https://www.lenstip.com/139.1-article-Polarizing_filters_test_2015.html

Hoya, B+W, and Marumi are highly rated.

What ever brand you buy I would suggest the top of the line model, although others disagree.

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

RonKoris wrote:

I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egerts in strong morning light. Thinking about a polarizing filter for my Canon 100-400mm lens. Find them from 39 to 200 dollars. Any recommendations as to a good brand.

Not sure that a polarizing filter will solve your problem. The light from the egret is probably unpolarized. Light is polarized when it is sky light around 90 degrees from the sun or when it's from a glossy surface at the appropriate angle (which depends on the surface). Light from a matte surface is unpolarized.

If you have a polarizer on another lens, try it out on your egrets. No matter whether the lens is long enough. All you want to see is if the polarizer can affect the exposure of the egret relative to the rest of the scene.

leftj Loc: Texas

dpullum wrote:

I did not find the scientific study I was looking for but ran across this: https://www.flickr.com/photos/victorvonsalza/sets/72157604729605541/

Do not fall for the "ya get what ya pay for".... bunk... some more expensive are not as good as mid range price... eg "canon" they charge for the name.

And how did they get the name so they could charge more?

camerapapi Loc: Miami, Fl.

"I am having trouble with burn-out on shooting great egrets in strong morning light."

Are you talking about great white egrets? I do not see how a polarizer could help. Maybe what you need and I am not sure of that, is a ND filter. A polarizer will require 2 extra stops of exposure but still I cannot understand how you plan to control that background unless you meter properly.
Come to think of it, are you exposing your subject properly? A great white egret, if that is your subject, reflects lots of light in sunlight and the exposure is not easy.