Filters falling off
Discussion
I've got a 77mm Hoya Pro1D lens protector and a Hoya HD CPL to go with my favoured lens - my Tokina 11-16mm. The lens protector is pretty well wedged on to the lens - it won't come off by hand. No real problem right now as I don't want it to, and I've got a filter removal tool for when I do. The CPL however is giving me a few issues.
Twice now whilst wandering about the CPL has fallen off. Touch wood (I've not cleaned it up, having just found it in a car park) it seems to have survived a couple of 2-3 foot drops into countryside grass and mud (think the lens cap helped) but this is getting silly. Am I being really thick somehow in how I'm attaching it? This shouldn't be normal.
Twice now whilst wandering about the CPL has fallen off. Touch wood (I've not cleaned it up, having just found it in a car park) it seems to have survived a couple of 2-3 foot drops into countryside grass and mud (think the lens cap helped) but this is getting silly. Am I being really thick somehow in how I'm attaching it? This shouldn't be normal.
nellyleelephant said:
Do you use the CPL with the lens protector? (assuming you mean UV filter when you say protector)
No, a dedicated lens protector:http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0009K7CZC/ref=...
Pickled said:
I'd personally bin the lens protector, never seen the point in putting an inferior piece of glass in front of an expensive lens, but thats a whole other can of worms!
I've gone for one of the better regarded ones as I'm of the opinion that if I've got to put glass in front of the lens it should be decent quality (hence not wanting to spend another £75 on a new CPL.) I've gone through one lens protector already - so that's saved me a scratch on a £400 lens.chrisj_abz said:
take it the CPL is a screw on one? if so you may be unscrewing it when you are adjusting the filter...
It's a screw on but in honesty I've never quite got to grips with adjusting the CPL. It's on my 'to tinker with,' list but I've never intentionally adjusted it. I've never found that it just unscrews off though - it's always needed to be unscrewed and then pulled, though in quite what order I'm not sure - it's that much of a faff (or I'm that inept) combined with the fact that it lets a lot of light through it often lives on there. I can't remember the figures off the top of my head but the Hoya HD CPL's let a silly amount of light through and shooting handheld at 11mm I can get away with some relatively long exposures.tenohfive said:
It's a screw on but in honesty I've never quite got to grips with adjusting the CPL. It's on my 'to tinker with,' list but I've never intentionally adjusted it. I've never found that it just unscrews off though - it's always needed to be unscrewed and then pulled, though in quite what order I'm not sure - it's that much of a faff (or I'm that inept) combined with the fact that it lets a lot of light through it often lives on there. I can't remember the figures off the top of my head but the Hoya HD CPL's let a silly amount of light through and shooting handheld at 11mm I can get away with some relatively long exposures.
Personally I would lose the protector, no point in decent lenses if you stick more glass in front that doesn't add to the image. As far as not adjusting the CPL, the whole point of them is that you DO adjust them to get the desired effect.I don't wish to teach you how to suck eggs, but http://www.camerapedia.org/wiki/Polarizer
nellyleelephant said:
Personally I would lose the protector, no point in decent lenses if you stick more glass in front that doesn't add to the image. As far as not adjusting the CPL, the whole point of them is that you DO adjust them to get the desired effect.
I understand your point of view but like I say - I've dropped the camera once. It scratched the lens protector when it would otherwise have scratched the lens. Some people trust themselves not to do that - I don't, and I've no doubt I'll drop it again at some point.And I know I should get to grips with using a CPL properly - and I will - but it fell by the wayside as part of the massive learning curve that has been my first year with a DSLR. It's near the top of my to do list, but for the sake of this topic it's safe to say I'm not spinning it off the lens by adjusting it.
So...any ideas how this could be happening or a solution?
A polarising filter is made of two parts. The rear ring screws tight; the front ring rotates freely. Turning them relative to each other is what gives you the variable polarising effect - did you realise that or have you just been putting it on and hoping it does something? You say you leave it quite a lot - do you need to? It will lose a stop of exposure.
nellyleelephant said:
It should stop, but the outer ring should keep spinning, that is how you adjust it.
Simpo Two said:
A polarising filter is made of two parts. The rear ring screws tight; the front ring rotates freely. Turning them relative to each other is what gives you the variable polarising effect - did you realise that or have you just been putting it on and hoping it does something? You say you leave it quite a lot - do you need to? It will lose a stop of exposure.
Cheers. I do most of my photography during the day when there's no shortage of light - on the odd occasion I can get out for a sunrise or sunset I take it off, but as most of my photography is daytime and at 11-16mm it's not been much of an issue to leave it on. Lazy I know.Next time we've got some sunshine I'll go hunting for a suitably reflective river or lake, pop it on the tripod and have a proper play with it - try and put the theory into practice. If I'm honest I bought it for a trip to the Lakes but didn't get the chance to play with it in advance (nor on the trip - it was grey for most of the trip) and it's just been on the backburner since then - whilst I'm becoming more comfortable I've still got a hell of a lot to learn.
OK.
PLs do two main things:
1) Increase colour saturation, most notably deepen blue skies
2) Reduce reflections
3) On the minus side, most PLs lose two stops of light
4) In extremis you can use them as a slight ND filter due to (3) above.
The effect varies massively on ambient lighting, angle of lens to sun and rotation of filter. Also, on an 11-17 the effects will vary across the frame, so not ideal. It certainly isn't a 'fit and forget' thing, but a tool to enhance certain situations.
How did I work all this out? By putting one on the front and observing. If something doesn't make the results better, don't use it
PLs do two main things:
1) Increase colour saturation, most notably deepen blue skies
2) Reduce reflections
3) On the minus side, most PLs lose two stops of light
4) In extremis you can use them as a slight ND filter due to (3) above.
The effect varies massively on ambient lighting, angle of lens to sun and rotation of filter. Also, on an 11-17 the effects will vary across the frame, so not ideal. It certainly isn't a 'fit and forget' thing, but a tool to enhance certain situations.
How did I work all this out? By putting one on the front and observing. If something doesn't make the results better, don't use it
Thanks for the advice. I've been lazy with it so far, I was desperate to avoid losing half or more of the shot to reflections and didn't really give the subject the attention it needs. I've read a couple of articles around their use and will try and put it into practice next week, but if anyone has any other practical advice I'm all ears.
The maximum effect is with the camera at 90 degrees to the sun, eg at 3 or 9 o'clock to you. Turn it and watch the effect, it will vary as you rotate it. Often the best result is not the maximum, it is slightly less than maximum.
Uses include bluing up skies, it works particularly well with fluffy white clouds, in cutting down reflections on water in landscapes, and off non metallic surfaces such as car windows. Foliage usually looks better with a polariser, more green and vivid.
Uses include bluing up skies, it works particularly well with fluffy white clouds, in cutting down reflections on water in landscapes, and off non metallic surfaces such as car windows. Foliage usually looks better with a polariser, more green and vivid.
I managed to loose a Hoya HD CPL of the front of a lens.. Nice chip in it but doesn't seem to effect photo's unless at f22 or above. I know it was on but can't have been on well enough. It's come loose a few times since, I only rotate it in the clockwise direction so it doesn't loosen, but its a pain.
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