Circular Polarizers
An explanation of what they do, why you should use one, what you gain and lose in the process, and how to handle them.
What do they do?
• Brighten or darken the sky in your images
• Decrease reflection intensity on glass and water surfaces (but not on metal)
• Enhance color saturation on flora
Why should you use one?
• To enhance the impact of images• To increase color saturation• To make white clouds stand out
against a blue sky• To intensify rainbows!• To see below the water’s surface
What do you gain?
• Artistic/creative control • Increased contrast in the image• Ability to salvage a bad image• See what the human eye can’t• You will develop an
understanding of and appreciation for reflections
What do you lose?
• 1.5 – 2.0 f/stops of exposure, due to the darkening effect of the polarizer
• Forces slower shutter speeds, or larger aperture settings
• Can’t use lens wider than 28mm • Can’t be used for panoramic shots,
due to inconsistent sky darkness
Mounted on SLR lens or handheld loosely
• Can be mounted on the front of interchangeable lenses
• Can be handheld in front of the lens on point & shoot cameras