Do you need filters anymore if you have PS

[Dikkie]

I have a very slim polarizer filter that I can screw on my lens.
Too slim so you get quickly fingerprints on the filter.
But it's quite unfriendly to use... well, it takes a lot more time to take pictures.

You need to turn the filter until you see the effect you want.
Mostly I don't see that very well, or my eyes hurt after looking very precise through the viewfinder. I wear glasses too and my eyes are little weak.
When I turn the filter, the screw looses from the screwmount easily. Off course, the solution is turning the other side... but I don't want the filter to get screwed too hard.
Also, if you're autofocussing to different objects, you need to turn the filter every time to the right position.

You also need to get higher aperture or longer shuttertime with that extra glass in front of it. About one stop.

If you shoot in RAW format, you can adjust the white balance and contrasts afterwards so it looks great too...

Is it really advised/considered to shoot with a polariser?
Do you guys shoot with polariser very often?
What's your experience with the filter.
Do you get the money out of it, or do you get the effect with postprocessing too?

With a good lens-hood, you can get rid of some sun reflections from the side, maybe that's already enough.

Just don't want to spend lots of time taking pictures on my holiday, while my girlfriend is waiting until I'm finished. She has no patience to see me spending too much time with polarizers, tripods,... you know.

Maybe a neutral density filter can be the solution?
But than again, you will have longer shuttertime, need a tripod ...

 

[dEARlEADER]

I have a very slim polarizer filter that I can screw on my lens.
Too slim so you get quickly fingerprints on the filter.
But it's quite unfriendly to use... well, it takes a lot more time to take pictures.

You need to turn the filter until you see the effect you want.
Mostly I don't see that very well, or my eyes hurt after looking very precise through the viewfinder. I wear glasses too and my eyes are little weak.
When I turn the filter, the screw looses from the screwmount easily. Off course, the solution is turning the other side... but I don't want the filter to get screwed too hard.
Also, if you're autofocussing to different objects, you need to turn the filter every time to the right position.

You also need to get higher aperture or longer shuttertime with that extra glass in front of it. About one stop.

If you shoot in RAW format, you can adjust the white balance and contrasts afterwards so it looks great too...

Is it really advised/considered to shoot with a polariser?
Do you guys shoot with polariser very often?
What's your experience with the filter.
Do you get the money out of it, or do you get the effect with postprocessing too?

With a good lens-hood, you can get rid of some sun reflections from the side, maybe that's already enough.

Just don't want to spend lots of time taking pictures on my holiday, while my girlfriend is waiting until I'm finished. She has no patience to see me spending too much time with polarizers, tripods,... you know.

Maybe a neutral density filter can be the solution?
But than again, you will have longer shuttertime, need a tripod ...

some points to consider -

-lens hoods reduce lens flare... not glare as what a polarizer does

-typically a circular polarizer is a two piece unit, hence you should not worry about overtightening a polarizer if you are grabbing the outer disk and spinning counter clockwise from behind your camera

-very thin polarizers are typically an asset when using wide angle lenses, thick ones will show vignetting or fall off (darkened corners). you can buy thicker polarizers

-polarizers are most often used during high light levels, so compensation adjustments to aperture/shutter are typically a moot point

-you may not always see a difference when spinning the polarizer if you are not properly lined up with the sun (90 degrees)... it's polarizering effect will be useless but it will still increase contrast and bring you down a stop to prevent blowing out the sky... imo... it's always better to be a tad under exposed than to blow hightlights...

-the reduction of glare a polarizer provides can not be equalled in software editing

so yes... take it on your vacation and become friends with it....

 

[Dikkie]

so yes... take it on your vacation and become friends with it....

Ok thanks for the information.
I'll try testing it again and again at home before I go on holiday.

It's because I want to have less time in spending on photography on my holiday because it's a holiday with my girlfriend. And she's totally not patience when I'm doing silly things like messing with filters, tripods,... She's in the opinion: "just shoot and go.., it's a holiday, not a photoshoot".

But... I want to have good photo's afterwards... and not going back on my own to shoot everything again slowly.

 

[Dao]

If you like to take a photo of an object behind a window (or a piece of glass) at an angle during the day, you will see the different when you use the polarizer. Same with grass and any other shinny objects. And I believe it is very hard to do the same effect with Photoshop.


Also, take a picture of a pond, lake or river, it really make the different.

 

[Dikkie]

Some tests with the polarizer filter (sigma).
It was around 22h o'clock at evening fall...

Normal exposures:

Than, I underexposed 1 stop with better result:

Underexposed 1 stop

1 stop underexposed:

These are without adjustments in photoshop.
But as you see, not soo much difference...
If I manipulate the contrast a bit and saturation a bit in photoshop, I can get the same photo without filter.

I'm going to try later on in the middle of the day when the sun is brighter.

 

[dEARlEADER]

The test is somewhat irrelevant because the shooting condition doesn't really warrant the use of a polarizer. Instead of shooting at 10:00pm try the same test at 12:00 noon. Don't forget to spin the polarizer until you can see the effect through the viewfinder. If you can not see any effect you are not lined up with the sun properly. Your test would be more beneficial if you included a subject reflecting glare (water etc.) to show the benefits as well. Even still at midday you should notice increased contrast. You should not have to underexpose by a stop to perform this test either. Polarizers work fine at proper exposures.

 

[Joves]

Hi Joves :
On another thread I was asking about sunset pictures in general.
I was wondering exactly about how people take pictures exactly like the one you posted.
Could you please post the exposure/lense/speed/iso along with the filters you used ?

--nw

Your was the thread I meant to post that pic in. I used a circular polarizer. Shot with my D80 at 400ISO f/8.0 in Aperture Priorty so the camera chose 1/800 second for the shutter speed.

 

[Dikkie]

The test is somewhat irrelevant because the shooting condition doesn't really warrant the use of a polarizer. Instead of shooting at 10:00pm try the same test at 12:00 noon. Don't forget to spin the polarizer until you can see the effect through the viewfinder. If you can not see any effect you are not lined up with the sun properly. Your test would be more beneficial if you included a subject reflecting glare (water etc.) to show the benefits as well. Even still at midday you should notice increased contrast. You should not have to underexpose by a stop to perform this test either. Polarizers work fine at proper exposures.

I know... I went out to shoot at the middle of daytime too...
But that test was a disaster at the moment.
Because the filter was full of dust and fingerprints, I cleaned it with water and soap.
The pictures came out a little foggy because I guess there was water in it that condensed a little... I hope the filter is okay now. I'll do the test later on ;-) There's nothing to see on the filter, it looks clear. Hmm