# Advice and info on buying and using a CPL (Circular Polarizer)



## cayenne (Feb 13, 2014)

Hello all,

I was reading through another thread and saw mention of CPL. I googled it and found it is about circular polarizer filters (Should it be CPF?) 

Anyway, I read a bit and it seems you can use these to cut out the glare and shoot into water and see fish, and also that it could help with shooting skies to get a richer color, etc?

Can someone give me more insight as to what these are good for? Used for? Techniques for using it?

What lenses does it work best for? Wide? Tele? What situations are best for this?

After that...what are the good quality ones to get brand wise? Can you get one size and use stepper rings to use on different lenses, or is it best to get a couple of different ones to fit directly on your lenses?

Please feel free to post anecdotes, personal thoughts and uses, sample pics....and links to sites that really have good info on using these.

Thank you in advance,

cayenne


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## neuroanatomist (Feb 13, 2014)

A CPL is great for making skies richer (bluer), cutting reflections, and increasing saturation. It's one of the few filters that cannot be simulated with post processing.

With wide angle lenses, you get uneven polarization starting at about 24mm (on FF) - that means banding if you have a wide blue sky.

I have B+W Käsemann CPLs and they're great and very useful.


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## Logan (Feb 13, 2014)

i have a hoya cpl and it seems like it really catches the sun and flares/washed out the photo if the sun is hitting the filter directly. not sure if its normal or this specific filter.


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## Halfrack (Feb 13, 2014)

C-PL filters are amazing, especially since they also can be used as a ND filter (figure a stop right?). Polarized sun glasses give a good idea as to what it does to colors and light. When you're ready to go down the rabbits hole, the Cokin/Lee square filters will really be fun.

Don't purchase the cheapest one out there, a good filter will start at $60 and go up. I just spent $200 on a used 95mm CPL filter, the B+W or high end Hoya's are great. I think I have a number of the promaster 77mm filters that work fine.


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## alben (Feb 13, 2014)

I have a Cokin P series CPL filter along with ND grads for skies, CPL filters are best used at 90 degrees to the sun, (do not have the sun in front or behind you) or they give little to no effect. Cokins are OK but eventually I intend to switch to Lee filters.

Alan.


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## mackguyver (Feb 13, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> I have B+W Käsemann CPLs and they're great and very useful.


+1 on the B+W, but the Hoya HD CIR-PL (I own both) is nearly as good if money is an issue. Just don't make the mistake of buying a cheap one or you'll be disappointed and end up buying a more expensive one later.


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## surapon (Feb 13, 2014)

neuroanatomist said:


> A CPL is great for making skies richer (bluer), cutting reflections, and increasing saturation. It's one of the few filters that cannot be simulated with post processing.
> 
> With wide angle lenses, you get uneven polarization starting at about 24mm (on FF) - that means banding if you have a wide blue sky.
> 
> I have B+W Käsemann CPLs and they're great and very useful.



+ 100 for me too, my dear Teacher Mr. neuroanatomist.
Past 30-40 years, I have try PL filter and Cir. Pl filter from the Cheapo to best of the best, And At last, I fell in love with B+W Cir. PL Filter.
Surapon


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## mwh1964 (Feb 13, 2014)

A CPL is a must have. I recommend BW KSM and the best Hoya's. The build quality on the. BW is second to none and made in copper.


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## cayenne (Feb 13, 2014)

What's the difference between these?

http://www.amazon.com/Kaesemann-Circular-Polarizer-Multi-Resistant-Coating/dp/B004861IX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392321228&sr=8-1&keywords=B%26W+cpl+ksm

and 

http://www.amazon.com/Kaesemann-Circular-Polarizer-Multi-Resistant-Coating/dp/B0000BZLAC/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1392321228&sr=8-3&keywords=B%26W+cpl+ksm

Are these the ones ya'll are talking about?

*Also*, I'm getting from these posts, that this filter is pretty much only for outdoor use, is that correct? Are there any other applications for indoor shooting with strobes or flashes that these would be useful for?


Thanks for all the advice and info!!

Now, I have something *else* to put on the list of things to buy, the ever growing list.

cayenne


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## Logan (Feb 13, 2014)

xs=extra slim usually no front threads i think


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## mackguyver (Feb 13, 2014)

cayenne said:


> What's the difference between these?
> 
> http://www.amazon.com/Kaesemann-Circular-Polarizer-Multi-Resistant-Coating/dp/B004861IX0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392321228&sr=8-1&keywords=B%26W+cpl+ksm
> 
> ...


The "nano" coating, which makes the filter easier to clean and beads up rain drops, but I think that's the only difference. Also, you can use CIR-PLs in the studio to reduce glare when shooting shiny or reflective objects (there's another post on this right now).


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## Vivid Color (Feb 13, 2014)

B+W's coatings are amazing. When I was in Africa, I'd have dust on the camera, but it seemed to just slide off the B+W filters.


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## Slyham (Feb 13, 2014)

Bryan has some great information on CPLs. http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Circular-Polarizer-Filters.aspx


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## gshocked (Mar 9, 2014)

Hi,

I'm in Australia and a local shop near me keeps recommending Promaster HGX over Hoya HD filters?
I've read online they could even be from the same parent company. Has anyone hears this?

Thanks


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 9, 2014)

gshocked said:


> I'm in Australia and a local shop near me keeps recommending Promaster HGX over Hoya HD filters?
> I've read online they could even be from the same parent company. Has anyone hears this?



Promaster doesn't make anything, they buy from multiple OEMs and package stuff with their label. They sell cheap so brick-and-mortar shops can mark up substantially and make a big profit, so retailers just love to sell them to you. 

I'd pass...


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## Don Haines (Mar 9, 2014)

Circular polarizars aLso cut down reflection from glass.


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 9, 2014)

Don Haines said:


> Circular polarizars aLso cut down reflection from glass.



Reflections from anything. I was shooting my daughter skiing yesterday, the CPL really helps knock down the reflective glare from the sunlit snow.


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## mackguyver (Mar 10, 2014)

They also work as a ND filter to lower your exposure and will take the glare off of wet surfaces, which can have the effect of reducing the dynamic range by turning strong highlight areas into weak highlights or light midtones.

In the shot below, taken in horrible mid-day light, I was able to reduce my shutter speed to 1/2000s which gave me more room to adjust exposure for darker horses (where I dialed it up to 1/4000s or higher) and turn the logs from a white reflection into their natural color, restoring detail that would have been blown out without a C-PL.


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