Posted by Ken Henke on February 17, 2014 at 10:29 PM
Certainly have done the research, but read differing opinions on polarizing filters. So, I would rather ask users their experience with brands and types of p filters. So, any info you would be willing to share like warm polarizing filters, thin, coatings, etc. I would more than likely be using this filter on a variety of lens, but primary a 11-16 Tokina, 16-85 Nikon, and 90mm Tamron.
I currently use a cheaper version, the Pro Master, so one would assume there are much better choices.
Posted by John Mumaw on February 18, 2014 at 12:52 AM
Can't go wrong with Hoya polarizers. You can certainly spend more money, but I doubt you'll see a difference. You can get some great deals on them from Hong Kong dealers on eBay.
Seems to me that warming polarizers are a vestige from the film days. Nowadays, in-camera auto white balance will negate the warming effect, and you have much better control in postprocessing anyway.
Finally, be careful using those filters on ultrawide angle lenses when you have any skies in the image. Due to the nature of the wide angle, you'll almost always get ugly gradient polarization in the skies that is a real pain to fix.
Ken, I totally agree with John's comment on the Hoya units.
I'm another firm believer and user of the Hoya brand CP. Although my usage is only with film so it may not be the input you were looking for overall. I do also agree about usage where the sky comes into play. For me the usage is extremely minimal if at all there. For the gain in helping with the taming a bright. hazy, or weak sky comes the risk and repair of trying to correct the uneven look in PS. So, my usage is usually only for glare problems we all encounter with wet objects and or water in general.
Additionally, I'm not at all up on the film vs. digital with respect to the use of a warming polarizer. I will say I have the old Moose Peterson unit that was given to me as a gift from years back now. I've used it twice with film and found it way too off in color and appearing garish to me. I've never tried it with a digital setup to see if the results were any better. I much prefer a standard non polarized warming filter when it's required for shade issues.
Posted by Greg Vaughn on February 18, 2014 at 6:00 AM
What are the filter sizes for the Tamron and Tokina? If they are a size that matches one of the Nikon Circular Polarizers, that would be my choice. In the days that I was using film, I shot with both the Moose warming polarizer and the B+W warming polarizer (stronger warming), along with several brands of straight polarizers. They did the job with film, but since going digital I don't find a need for a warming polarizer - just fine tune the color temp in Lightroom or Photoshop.
Two reasons I highly recommend the Nikon polarizer: (1) top quality so there is no discernible loss of quality by adding another layer of glass to your lens, and (2) the thin design plus front threads on the filter mean that you can stack filters, adding a ND or a Cokin type filter holder on top of the polarizer without vignetting problems on all but the widest lenses. Some thin mount polarizers do not have front threads, and those that are not thin mount may vignette with wide lenses.
As John mentioned, too much polarization on a wide angle lens can result in very uneven sky tones, and even with the great controls in PS and LR it's hard to correct that issue.
I thought I'd just add that you shouldn't use a polarizer to make a multi shot panorama, the final image will have dark banding down the vertical of the image. Also at high altitude a polarized sky can be excessively dark if used incorrectly.
I use a polarizer a lot because I shoot during the day and almost always have glare and/or wet conditions. I have used both Nikon and Hoya filters for their metal (not plastic) rings, good machining on the threads and great quality glass. Well worth the price! Be sure to add a wide rubber band to your kit, as the thin, pro-type filters are often hard to remove without that indispensable aide.
Posted by Paul DeCesare on February 18, 2014 at 10:23 PM
I have a Hoya Pro 1 Digital 82mm CPL for my 16-35mm, but I actually prefer the B+W 77mm Kaesemann CPL for my other lenses, simply because it's much easier to clean than the Hoya. I also like the dense brass ring B+W uses, and of course the optics are great.
Posted by Ken Henke on February 19, 2014 at 12:44 AM
Really appreciate all the comments. Exactly what I needed to make an informed decision.
Yea, from my film days I am quite aware of the vignetting with wide angle lenses. Thus, with my current 11-16 tokina, I don't use a polarizer. But I also use a polarizer to tame reflections and generally improve color rendition for vegetation. So, I can envision some images where I might consider using a that filter on the wide angle. That would be a 77mm filter. The other lens I have would use 67 and 57 mm filters. Of course, step down rings would be used if I go for the 77mm.
In regards to filters sticking on the lens, I found using that rubbery shelf liner material works like a charm! I will be putting a piece of that material in my camera bag from now on.
Posted by Doug Koepsel on February 19, 2014 at 11:34 PM
Ken, I have been using the Promaster Digital HGX with no concerns. It is easier to clean than a Hoya filter I had.
My last CPL purchased was the Marumi Super DHG. Good ratings at a good price. It seems Marumi has a new Exus line with where the threads are Teflon coated. Here is a link for some CPL evaluations (a few years old). http://www.lenstip.com/115.1-article-Polarizing_filters_test.html
You might choose a thin mount to help prevent vignetting with a WA lens.
Discussion
8 repliesI currently use a cheaper version, the Pro Master, so one would assume there are much better choices.
Seems to me that warming polarizers are a vestige from the film days. Nowadays, in-camera auto white balance will negate the warming effect, and you have much better control in postprocessing anyway.
Finally, be careful using those filters on ultrawide angle lenses when you have any skies in the image. Due to the nature of the wide angle, you'll almost always get ugly gradient polarization in the skies that is a real pain to fix.
I'm another firm believer and user of the Hoya brand CP. Although my usage is only with film so it may not be the input you were looking for overall. I do also agree about usage where the sky comes into play. For me the usage is extremely minimal if at all there. For the gain in helping with the taming a bright. hazy, or weak sky comes the risk and repair of trying to correct the uneven look in PS. So, my usage is usually only for glare problems we all encounter with wet objects and or water in general.
Additionally, I'm not at all up on the film vs. digital with respect to the use of a warming polarizer. I will say I have the old Moose Peterson unit that was given to me as a gift from years back now. I've used it twice with film and found it way too off in color and appearing garish to me. I've never tried it with a digital setup to see if the results were any better. I much prefer a standard non polarized warming filter when it's required for shade issues.
Two reasons I highly recommend the Nikon polarizer: (1) top quality so there is no discernible loss of quality by adding another layer of glass to your lens, and (2) the thin design plus front threads on the filter mean that you can stack filters, adding a ND or a Cokin type filter holder on top of the polarizer without vignetting problems on all but the widest lenses. Some thin mount polarizers do not have front threads, and those that are not thin mount may vignette with wide lenses.
As John mentioned, too much polarization on a wide angle lens can result in very uneven sky tones, and even with the great controls in PS and LR it's hard to correct that issue.
Yea, from my film days I am quite aware of the vignetting with wide angle lenses. Thus, with my current 11-16 tokina, I don't use a polarizer. But I also use a polarizer to tame reflections and generally improve color rendition for vegetation. So, I can envision some images where I might consider using a that filter on the wide angle. That would be a 77mm filter. The other lens I have would use 67 and 57 mm filters. Of course, step down rings would be used if I go for the 77mm.
In regards to filters sticking on the lens, I found using that rubbery shelf liner material works like a charm! I will be putting a piece of that material in my camera bag from now on.
My last CPL purchased was the Marumi Super DHG. Good ratings at a good price. It seems Marumi has a new Exus line with where the threads are Teflon coated. Here is a link for some CPL evaluations (a few years old).
http://www.lenstip.com/115.1-article-Polarizing_filters_test.html
You might choose a thin mount to help prevent vignetting with a WA lens.