Polarizing Filters
May 25, 2021 17:13:16 #
rhudston
Loc: Nova Scotia
Way back when, in the days of film (as I might say to my grandchildren), when you turned a polarizing filter on an SLR, you could see the effect of the filter through the viewfinder. The sky got darker then lighter, contrast increased and decreased, glare disappeared and reappeared - all until you got the effect that you wanted. I tried one of the new circular polarizing filters with a mirrorless camera and found no change in effect no matter which way I turned the filter, so I dug into my old kit and tried my old linear polarizing filter. Same thing - no change in effect no matter which way I turned it. Why?
May 25, 2021 17:18:54 #
Since the issue might be camera specific, it might help to mention it ...or not. 
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May 25, 2021 17:33:21 #
Circular polarizing filter works on my Nikon D600 (yeah, old) when viewed through the screen on the back (Nikon calls it liveview) which is like a mirrorless camera sorta.
May 25, 2021 18:14:16 #
More than you want to know. https://www.lindseyoptics.com/blog/linear-polarizer-vs-circular-polarizer-whats-the-difference/
May 25, 2021 18:19:58 #
May 25, 2021 19:36:43 #
rhudston wrote:
Way back when, in the days of film (as I might say... (show quote)
one c p i bought from hunts photo you cannot see the change unless im looking at water (the ocean or a pond ) the one i bought from Johnson photo supply i can see the change in lighting no matter where I point it
May 26, 2021 04:13:50 #
Orphoto
Loc: Oregon
In general you can eyeball the shift if viewed with the lense side toward you. Not the other way around.
No idea why you have trouble on mirrorless. Works great in live view (nikons).
No idea why you have trouble on mirrorless. Works great in live view (nikons).
May 26, 2021 05:41:02 #
Depends on the brand. A Marumi I had you could see the changes clearly, the Breakthrough I've got it is a lot more difficult to see the changes.
May 26, 2021 05:42:16 #
Polarizing filters work wonderfully well on all my mirrorless cameras. What camera are you using?
May 26, 2021 05:42:32 #
It would help to know what specific camera you are having trouble with.
May 26, 2021 05:46:23 #
cmc4214
Loc: S.W. Pennsylvania
Could it be that the EVF is not letting the change show? I had an older camera with an EVF, and I had to lock exposure to be able to see the change from a polarizer.
May 26, 2021 05:58:40 #
tcthome
Loc: NJ
rhudston wrote:
Way back when, in the days of film (as I might say... (show quote)
Are you in the manual shooting mode ?(I'm not sure this would matter but I have only used a CP in the Manual mode ). I would hold the filter up to the sky ( no lens) & turn it to see if you can see if has any affect or change as you turn it.
May 26, 2021 07:19:36 #
525erving wrote:
one c p i bought from hunts photo you cannot see the change unless im looking at water (the ocean or a pond ) the one i bought from Johnson photo supply i can see the change in lighting no matter where I point it
That sounds more like a variable nd filter.
May 26, 2021 08:40:11 #
May 26, 2021 09:16:59 #
rhudston wrote:
Way back when, in the days of film (as I might say... (show quote)
The effect is going to be subtle. Your mirrorless is going to adjust the view as the exposure changes, so you won’t necessarily notice it getting darker. What you will notice is a difference between clouds and sky, a more subtle difference between sky and foreground or a lessening of reflections.
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