What cameras need a Circular Polarizer? (Page 3): I don't disagree but I shoot a Canon 5DSr because of the absence of the low pass (anti-aliasing) filter and do get the moire effect in...

Blurryeyed Loc: NC Mountains.

CatMarley wrote:

Anti-aliasing filters are not used on most of the ... (show quote)

I don't disagree but I shoot a Canon 5DSr because of the absence of the low pass (anti-aliasing) filter and do get the moire effect in some of my birding images in feather detail.

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

camerapapi wrote:

I use linear polarizers with my digital cameras all the time. Never an issue.

But does it have a mirror? Digital is not the issue. Any polarizer will work with a digital sensor. It is the type of mirror that determines whether one requires a linear or circular polarizer. My bet is you are shooting with a mirrorless system.

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

rjaywallace wrote:

I successfully used Linear Polarizers on my Nikon FILM cameras for years.

I just realized that I in fact wrote linear polarizers in my reply, I apologize, I certainly meant circular polarizers!

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

JohnFrim wrote:

What is the "they" -- circular or linear -- in your statement?

Apart from the unresolved (in my understanding) of a possible interaction with the anti-aliasing filter on the sensor, CPL will NOT work BETTER than a linear polarizer on a mirrorless camera.

Many of the newer cameras have no anti-aliasing on the sensors.

bwana Loc: Bergen, Alberta, Canada

nadelewitz wrote:

The explanations of linear vs. circular polarizes vary in clarity as to what is affected.
Is difference important because of autofocus, modern metering, or both?

It's clear a DSLR needs a CPL.

Is a CPL needed on a film camera with autofocus? Film cameras with some meter types but not others?

DSLR if using manual focus?

Etc.

The think the proper question is "What scenes need a Circular Polarizer?". Not too sure if the camera type is really pertinent?

bwa

nadelewitz Loc: Ithaca NY

bwana wrote:

The think the proper question is "What scenes need a Circular Polarizer?". Not too sure if the camera type is really pertinent?

bwa

That's not the proper question at all for this thread. Whether the scene could benefit from polarization isn't the question at hand.
It is: I want to polarize. What type of polarizer works without causing focusing or exposure errors.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

nadelewitz wrote:

The explanations of linear vs. circular polarizes vary in clarity as to what is affected.
Is difference important because of autofocus, modern metering, or both?

It's clear a DSLR needs a CPL.

Is a CPL needed on a film camera with autofocus? Film cameras with some meter types but not others?

DSLR if using manual focus?

Etc.

As I understand it -- YES, use of a CPL may be appropriate for each of the listed camera types. Virtually any camera that has exposure or autofocus through the lens. Use of a CPL is not mandatory. It's up to the photographer whether to use the filter (or not) in accordance with their visualization of the scene.

photogeneralist Loc: Lopez Island Washington State

Back whenI got my first Canon film SLR (Ftb) the owners manual cautioned against use of a polarizer, since it effected metering. Of course all polarizers at that time were linear. My work around was to use the polarizer but to rotate the filter until the light meter peaked, manually set the exposure as the meter indicated , then rotate the filter for it's visual effect before I snapped the shutter. It was not very precise but it did work. The split image focus aid circle in the center of the finder screen didn't work but the ground glass outside of the center circle was not effected by the polarizer so I used that part of the finder for my focus.

Bill P

nadelewitz wrote:

So, let me try so sum up so far...
1. a linear polarizer messes up AF on ANY kind of camera. Or is it okay on AF film cameras?
2. a linear polarizer is BAD for METERING on "modern" cameras (DSLRs, bridge cameras, etc.)?

I'm trying to keep metering and autofocus separate here.

OK, we are descending into illlinformed territory. A circular polarizer is needed whenever polarized light will interact with some function, such as AF or metering. Film or digital makes NO DIFFERENCE AT ALL. Everything that can be affected negatively happens long before the light has reached the sensor or sensitive material.

And please let me take this time to visit something else that makes me grind my teeth. I've seen some video reviews, you know those things that are made by uninformed people, that seem to think the name circular polarizer comes from the fact that the filter rotates within the mount. That's just plain dumb.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

nadelewitz wrote:

The explanations of linear vs. circular polarizes vary in clarity as to what is affected.
Is difference important because of autofocus, modern metering, or both?

It's clear a DSLR needs a CPL.

Is a CPL needed on a film camera with autofocus? Film cameras with some meter types but not others?

DSLR if using manual focus?

Etc.

A linear polarizer can "mess with" autofocus (especially) and, in some cases, through-the-lens metering.

As such, a circular polarizer should be used with virtually any modern camera. The only cameras I would still use with a linear polarizer are old manual focus film cameras. Most of those use rather primitive metering systems (compared to today's) that aren't effected by a linear filter, either. Vintage film cameras which didn't have internal meters are certainly usable with one... But I'm not aware of any film cameras with TTL metering from around and earlier that had "problems" with a linear filter. Those camera typically did not have "fancy" metering modes like we see today or on some of the later, autofocus capable film cameras (which require a circular filter, anyway... for the AF system).

JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.

Funny how some folks jump to answer the original question without checking what answers have already been provided. Worse yet, they continue promulgating false or misleading information.

Considering that the "most modern" cameras today are mirrorless, CPLs are NOT necessary on "modern" cameras where the metering and autofocus operate from the image sensor directly. As has been stated several times now in various ways, if there is no mirror in the path of the function (focus, metering) then linear polarizers will work just fine.

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

JohnFrim wrote:

...linear polarizers will work just fine.

But since the DSLRs have been around for 2 decades, do they still make linear polarizer filters any more?

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Circular polarizer is used very loosely on these UHH threads and means the filter rotates. In the theory of optics there is technical circular polarization. Most physics of optics text books treat the subject.

JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.

DirtFarmer wrote:

But since the DSLRs have been around for 2 decades, do they still make linear polarizer filters any more?

That is a different question, and one that I have wondered about... will linear polarizers make a comeback, and will the price of a comparable quality linear polarizer be cheaper than its circular counterpart? Optically speaking the linear is simpler, with less "material" in the optical path, so it should actually provide less degradation in the image.

JohnFrim Loc: Somewhere in the Great White North.

John_F wrote:

Circular polarizer is used very loosely on these UHH threads and means the filter rotates. In the theory of optics there is technical circular polarization. Most physics of optics text books treat the subject.

Seriously???