Circular Polarizing Filters – If there’s one thing you Need

It might be safe to say that a circular Polarizing filter doesn’t enhance your image, it actually corrects it. When shooting outdoors there is light being reflected on just about anything.

Images will quickly be washed out with glare or sometimes called haze. Contrast will be reduced and saturation will suffer. A polarizer will help cut that reflection so that you can see the true colors in your image.

non-polarized-polarized-example

We use the same Shutter, Aperture, and ISO settings in both examples above. The difference in image quality was seen when the polarizer was turned to block the stray reflections of light.

The ‘blown out highlights’ in image left are not caused by poor shutter or poor aperture settings. This is caused by very bright reflections of light. Without being able to capture the details in this image, the information is lost, and there is no way to correct this in Post Processing.

Even HDR photography with different exposures in this case, will not produce satisfactory results. For video capture where the image is captured in real time a CPL is a very important filter to use outdoors in bright daylight.

Also Read: Achieve even greater image control by pairing your filter with the advanced optical performance of the Cinematics CT2 Custom Housed Zeiss Lens, ensuring professional-grade results.

CPL filtersVS ND filters

Circular Polarizing Filters – If there’s one thing you Need

CPL filters are unlike ND filters that simply cut out the amount of light coming into the lens. A polarizer blocks light that is being reflected from a certain angle. To use a circular polarizer you attach it to the front of your lens.

ND filters and CPL filters serve different purposes in photography. ND filters control the amount of light entering the lens, ideal for long exposures and avoiding overexposure.

CPL filters reduce reflections and enhance colours, making skies, water, and foliage more vibrant. Here’s a comparison:

AspectND FilterCPL Filter
Light ControlReduces light for long exposures.Reduces reflections and glare.
Use CasesAvoiding overexposure, motion blur effects.Enhancing skies, managing reflections.
Effect on ColoursNo effect on colours.Boosts colour vibrancy and saturation.
Creative PossibilitiesSilky water, blurred motion effects.Vivid, dynamic images with better contrast.

Part of the filter can spin around so would basically turn the filter around until the image looks good. You can see from the video (above) the results are immediate!

This is not just for DSLR lenses. You should look into CPL filters for any camera or consumer camcorders (there is also an iPhone version). They come in different sizes according to your filter thread size, so shop accordingly.

Author Note:

Excellent quality filters can be found among some names like Tiffen and Hoya, but several inexpensive versions can be found starting at $3 dollars.

We are using an inexpensive version for these tests. Cheaper CPL – Circular Polarizing Filters Can be Found Below:

Also Read: How Many Photos Can 16GB/32GB/64GB/128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB Hold?

Olivia Speranza

Olivia Speranza

Olivia Speranza is a seasoned journalist and dynamic host with a passion for technology, filmmaking, and creative innovation. With years of experience in the tech and media industries, she has become a trusted voice for aspiring filmmakers, content creators, and tech enthusiasts alike.

Leave a Reply