Polarising filter
Discussion
When taking shots of passing cars, race meetings and road events, sometimes the reflection on the windscreen hides the driver/passenger. Would a polarising filter cut out the reflections?
Any experience of using them for car shots? Would they cut out reflections on bodywork at the same time?
I would like to see the drivers but don't want a flat photograph.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
Yorkie
Any experience of using them for car shots? Would they cut out reflections on bodywork at the same time?
I would like to see the drivers but don't want a flat photograph.
Any suggestions?
Thanks in advance
Yorkie
short answer = yes!
complex answer - theres two types of polarizer - circular and linear. I havent read up on the differences.
You rotate the filter for the directed effect- as you rotatate, suddley, woah- i can see through the windscreen. Some polarizers are much better than others, and it doesnt always work the way you want it to. The one i use at work for video is rubbish, the one i have for my stills is much much better. The work one is a single piece of glass, my photography one is two pieces of glass- i imagine if i read up more, one would be linear and one would be circular!
Because the polarization changes with the rotation of the filter, if your lens rotates as it focuses, you could loose the lovely effect you just set up- not a big issue, just set up your focus before rotating the filter to get the effect you want.
polarizers are also great for shots of water or sky. Ive had shots were the sea looks terrible, far too much reflection, pop on the polarizer and it all dissapears and i can see the fish!
edit: you also mentioned bodywork - the polarizer will reduce reflections on a cars bodywork, but this is no bad thing, often makes paintwork look 'deeper' especially mettalic paint. A photogrpaher ages ago told me when doing outside car photography he'd ofetn use a tripod, take multiple shots, rotating the polarizer differently for each panel of the car, and would combine the shots after. - no idea if thats right or wrong in car photography circles, but the results looked very nice.
complex answer - theres two types of polarizer - circular and linear. I havent read up on the differences.
You rotate the filter for the directed effect- as you rotatate, suddley, woah- i can see through the windscreen. Some polarizers are much better than others, and it doesnt always work the way you want it to. The one i use at work for video is rubbish, the one i have for my stills is much much better. The work one is a single piece of glass, my photography one is two pieces of glass- i imagine if i read up more, one would be linear and one would be circular!
Because the polarization changes with the rotation of the filter, if your lens rotates as it focuses, you could loose the lovely effect you just set up- not a big issue, just set up your focus before rotating the filter to get the effect you want.
polarizers are also great for shots of water or sky. Ive had shots were the sea looks terrible, far too much reflection, pop on the polarizer and it all dissapears and i can see the fish!
edit: you also mentioned bodywork - the polarizer will reduce reflections on a cars bodywork, but this is no bad thing, often makes paintwork look 'deeper' especially mettalic paint. A photogrpaher ages ago told me when doing outside car photography he'd ofetn use a tripod, take multiple shots, rotating the polarizer differently for each panel of the car, and would combine the shots after. - no idea if thats right or wrong in car photography circles, but the results looked very nice.
Edited by Fordo on Friday 14th May 09:04
Fordo said:
A photogrpaher ages ago told me when doing outside car photography he'd ofetn use a tripod, take multiple shots, rotating the polarizer differently for each panel of the car, and would combine the shots after. - no idea if thats right or wrong in car photography circles, but the results looked very nice.
Might be common practice, it's something I've got in mind to try when I start using PS. Notably Ken Brown does this, you should check out his shots where he lightpaints using flash in a softbox. Here's a vid of the polarising effect (can't link due to poxy flickr URLs)http://www.flickr.com/photos/7211625@N06/450857849...
AndWhyNot said:
Fordo said:
A photogrpaher ages ago told me when doing outside car photography he'd ofetn use a tripod, take multiple shots, rotating the polarizer differently for each panel of the car, and would combine the shots after. - no idea if thats right or wrong in car photography circles, but the results looked very nice.
Might be common practice, it's something I've got in mind to try when I start using PS. Notably Ken Brown does this, you should check out his shots where he lightpaints using flash in a softbox. Here's a vid of the polarising effect (can't link due to poxy flickr URLs)http://www.flickr.com/photos/7211625@N06/450857849...
that might be a concept i can use for an upcoming project (video)- If i can modify a matte box, and attach a 2nd follow focus control, to it, I could do 'polarization pulls'. Could look very cool on a black car, if theres something interesting reflected in the bodywork, that would 'appear' as i pull polarization. i'll email the guy, dont want to steal a concept
GetCarter said:
Don't buy a linear polorizer - it will all go terribly wrong. (Assuming you are on a DSLR).
Can you expand on this?I'm also thinking about a filter for my D40, to reduce blowout (I think that's the phrase) on my pictures... especially on white cars, glass, sky, etc...
Do I need a circular polarizer?
Dave^ said:
GetCarter said:
Don't buy a linear polorizer - it will all go terribly wrong. (Assuming you are on a DSLR).
Can you expand on this?I'm also thinking about a filter for my D40, to reduce blowout (I think that's the phrase) on my pictures... especially on white cars, glass, sky, etc...
Do I need a circular polarizer?
There are different standards of Hoya filters - at very different prices.
I've got a Cokin circ Pol.
It's visible effect is nothing like the same as the effect of my decades old Hoya linear filter.
It will sort of work but bear in mind the effect of polarising is very specific to the direction of light and that may not fit well with subjects that are inconsistently placed in respect of where the light is coming from and how they are reflecting it.
Weekend before last, being bright and sunny, I stuck the Cokin on the front of my 70-300 DO lens and clicked away. OK, the sun was a little erratic and clouds passed by, but even when the light was good the results were erratic in all ways, not the least of which was focusing where the 1 to 2 stop penalty seemed to leave the system struggling. Might have worked on a Pro body but on my 400D it just left things rather soft compared to the non-filtered shots. Even in bright sunlight the effect was not great.
It is possible, I suppose, that the DO (Diffractive Optics) lens does not work well with polarised light - I need to read up on that - but basically with AF systems preferring abut f5.6 as a minimum aperture any lens with a max aperture around f4 to f4.5 with f5.6 at the zoom end is likely to struggle in any scenario, especially action shots.
That's not to say it won't work but in some circumstances it may not give the results you hope for without a fight.
Or it may be that my Cokin is not of the quality that the price indicated. Perhaps I should test something more costly.
I've got a Cokin circ Pol.
It's visible effect is nothing like the same as the effect of my decades old Hoya linear filter.
It will sort of work but bear in mind the effect of polarising is very specific to the direction of light and that may not fit well with subjects that are inconsistently placed in respect of where the light is coming from and how they are reflecting it.
Weekend before last, being bright and sunny, I stuck the Cokin on the front of my 70-300 DO lens and clicked away. OK, the sun was a little erratic and clouds passed by, but even when the light was good the results were erratic in all ways, not the least of which was focusing where the 1 to 2 stop penalty seemed to leave the system struggling. Might have worked on a Pro body but on my 400D it just left things rather soft compared to the non-filtered shots. Even in bright sunlight the effect was not great.
It is possible, I suppose, that the DO (Diffractive Optics) lens does not work well with polarised light - I need to read up on that - but basically with AF systems preferring abut f5.6 as a minimum aperture any lens with a max aperture around f4 to f4.5 with f5.6 at the zoom end is likely to struggle in any scenario, especially action shots.
That's not to say it won't work but in some circumstances it may not give the results you hope for without a fight.
Or it may be that my Cokin is not of the quality that the price indicated. Perhaps I should test something more costly.
Just a point - don't think that a circular polariser has to be circular in shape - it refers to the way the glass/plastic polarises the light, not the shape of the mount.
Losing two stops is normal - but then IMHO the greatest benefit of polarisers is in sun so light shouldn't normally be an issue.
Losing two stops is normal - but then IMHO the greatest benefit of polarisers is in sun so light shouldn't normally be an issue.
Thanks for the input... I'm a little worried now as I thing I might end up with a memory card full of crap when I get home...
It's this one - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...
ETA - Will it come with instructions?
It's this one - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...
ETA - Will it come with instructions?
Edited by Dave^ on Monday 24th May 14:28
Dave^ said:
Thanks for the input... I'm a little worried now as I thing I might end up with a memory card full of crap when I get home...
It's this one - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...
ETA - Will it come with instructions?
I use a 77mm 7DS jobbie on my 15-85mm, it's ok rather than amazing (but then for the price that's all I expected), it tends to leave a very slight colour cast but again if you shoot RAW that's not a problem, and no, it doesn't come with instructions so I've taken some time to write some very detailed ones for you - fit to lens, turn outer ring until you see the desired effect in the viewfinder, take photo. It's this one - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...
ETA - Will it come with instructions?
Edited by Dave^ on Monday 24th May 14:28
Dogsey said:
Dave^ said:
Thanks for the input... I'm a little worried now as I thing I might end up with a memory card full of crap when I get home...
It's this one - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...
ETA - Will it come with instructions?
I use a 77mm 7DS jobbie on my 15-85mm, it's ok rather than amazing (but then for the price that's all I expected), it tends to leave a very slight colour cast but again if you shoot RAW that's not a problem, and no, it doesn't come with instructions so I've taken some time to write some very detailed ones for you - fit to lens, turn outer ring until you see the desired effect in the viewfinder, take photo. It's this one - http://www.7dayshop.com/catalog/product_info.php?c...
ETA - Will it come with instructions?
Edited by Dave^ on Monday 24th May 14:28
Tempted to take laptop with me and check!!
Dave^ said:
Tempted to take laptop with me and check!!
If you don't get a chance to spend a few minutes familiarising with the thing before you go I would certainly recommend taking the lap top. If you have worked out what goes on .... you may get away without the laptop. One of the joys of 35mm days was that you had to assume that what you thought you saw in the viewfinder was what you would see on the prints (or slides) when they arrived a few days after you got home. Now we feel the need to check everything at the time ... :-|Used to shoot about 10x 24 or 36 exposure rolls on a 2 week holiday. Now take the same number of frames 'just in case' in a single day, over and above the ones I wanted to take.
It's a funny world.
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