Lens hood + polarizer

[SLOShooter]

Just wanted to know if anyone had any tips to spin a polarizer while you've got a lens hood on? I find it hard to spin the ring.

 

[ksmattfish]

You can get a rubber lens hood that screws onto the filter itself. Then you just turn the hood, and the ring turns.

You can also cut a notch out of one side of the hood to allow your fingertip to go through and turn the hood. Some hoods come with a notch.

 

[SLOShooter]

I'm guessing the ones that spin are circular hoods? The one I have now is a petal and from my understanding spinning it would pretty much ruin any benefits of the petal shape.

 

[MostlyDigital]

Uh oh, dumb question alert!.... Why spin the filter?

 

[Big Mike]

A circular polarizing filter has two elements (I think) and you can vary the polarizing effect by rotating one element.

 

[MostlyDigital]

Oh dam, i'm an idiot. Mine spins and I always wondered why.... hmm I have to figure out how to use it now...lol...

 

[SLOShooter]

You'll notice that if your shooting a sunny scene and you spin the polarizer the image that you see in the viewfinder will change because the amount of polarization is changing.

 

[ksmattfish]

I'm guessing the ones that spin are circular hoods? The one I have now is a petal and from my understanding spinning it would pretty much ruin any benefits of the petal shape.

Yes. The petal style hood is usually a bayonet mount, so that it always sets correctly aligned.

 

[ksmattfish]

Oh dam, i'm an idiot. Mine spins and I always wondered why.... hmm I have to figure out how to use it now...lol...

Check this out...

http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3039&highlight=polarizer

 

[Kodan_Txips]

Just a point, but it may be an important one.

A linear polarising filter consists of only one sheet of glass, with some sort of "grid" manufactured within it.

I anticipate that the same will be true with a "circular" polarising filter - it is just that the grid is cirular rather than running in parallel lines.

Another point thus arises. A circular piece of glass can contain parallel lines, and be a linear filter. A square filter can have a concentric circular grid, and thus be a circular polariser.

Don't be fooled by the physical shape of the filter, it is the grid pattern that counts.