need recommendations on good polarizing filters

[William Petruzzo]

I have a commercial client who has me shoot granite installations for her. Until now using creative angles + an inexpensive polarizing filter have been plenty sufficient until today. I had to reschedule one of her clients for the second time, which is painfully unprofessional, because their combination of white cabinets and very dark granite countertops made it impossible to capture usable images.

So, in order to keep her as a client I'm going to have to get my hands on higher quality polarizers. As a portrait photographer, I don't know much about them.

Can someone recommend some high quality polarizers that will go a lot farther to minimize reflections than the cheap Tiffen one I'm using?

 

[davebmck]

B&W make very high quality CP filters.

 

[ann]

how about singh-ray

 

[KmH]

I don't know of any filter makers known as B&W, but there is a filter maker known as B+W that makes quality polarizing filters.

A better polarizer will help but I'd almost be willing to bet the solution is in you lighting setup.

With no info on your gear/lighting setup though that's just speculation.

At any rate, you don't need the Kaeseman sealing but be sure to get the MRC coatings: b+w

 

[Garbz]

There was a thread on this very topic in the equipment section: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/...-purchase-advice-b-w-vs-hoya.html#post1813227

B&W make very high quality CP filters.

No B&W make very high quality SPEAKERS!

 

[davebmck]

Nit Pickers. Actually if you google B&W, you will find links to B+W.

 

[Garbz]

Actually the only link even remotely photography related when I google B&W at Google is Black and White magazine

BLACK & WHITE MAGAZINE | Main Page

(incidentally a great magazine, there must be something good about all things B and W )

 

[davebmck]

I have a foxfire extension for google and when I type in B&W, I get a drop down list which includes B&W filters. Selecting that takes me to a google page and the first item on the page is: Schneider Optics - Homefilters/filters_ for_still_photography/. The rest of the page is similar. Results depend on you tools.

 

[willli]

if you really one a good CP I will go with Hoya HD they are expensive but are the best polarizer

 

[William Petruzzo]

Thanks for the insight folks.

Let me elaborate a bit. Basically, all I'm looking for is a filter that will eliminate reflection as much as possible for the most reasonable price. I'm not concerned about sealing or brass casings or anything. The filter will literally only be used for an hour at a time, 2-3 times a week.

Here are the ones I'm looking at:
65016931 B + W 82mm Circular Polarizer Wide Angle Slim Mount Coated Glass Filter - for use on my 16-35
65016930 B + W 77mm Circular Polarizer Wide Angle Slim Mount Coated Glass Filter - for use on 24-70 + 70-200

These are both 'coated glass' but I'm not sure what that means. If coated is good, does multicoated mean it's even better? Will it make a difference for the filter's intended performance?

A better polarizer will help but I'd almost be willing to bet the solution is in you lighting setup.

With no info on your gear/lighting setup though that's just speculation.

At any rate, you don't need the Kaeseman sealing but be sure to get the MRC coatings: b+w

In fact there is no lighting set up. I'm in another company's client's home, so these shoots have to be quick and dirty, so there's no time and usually no need. Natural light does just fine. Large windows are the biggest challenge, but creative positioning usually does the trick, and I'm hoping with the help a better CP filter it will be even less of an issue.

The kitchen from yesterday was a problem because combination of light cabinets and dark granite. With the right lighting set up, that wouldn't have been a problem, but that solution is null because I neither have the time nor the space to artificially light the kitchen.

 

[William Petruzzo]

Any more insight?

 

[Joves]

Yes multi coatings are better. They are there to eliminate reflections between the glass elements. I use the Nikon polarizers as well as Hoya and, B+W. All three have different darknesses to each other. The Nikon is the lightest with the Hoyas being darkest. I love them all and use them as needed for what Im shooting.

 

[KmH]

.....The kitchen from yesterday was a problem because combination of light cabinets and dark granite. With the right lighting set up, that wouldn't have been a problem, but that solution is null because I neither have the time nor the space to artificially light the kitchen.

Yep, no lighting can be a problem, as much as a bad lighting setup.

 

[Garbz]

I just re-read your question and found something I missed. You have a Tiffen polariser already?

Polarisers aren't a silver bullet. They only stop polarised light. Take your tiffen polariser and hold it up to an LCD screen and turn it and you'll find that 99% of the light will probably disappear even on your cheap and nasty polariser.

B+W make great polarisers, and Hoya's Pro1D or SHMC series are not to be scoffed at either. They are very sharp, and will go lengths to reduce flare, however they are very very very unlikely to make any actual improvement on the reduction of glare in the granite over the cheap Tiffen. There is only so much polarised light reflected of a surface.

 

[William Petruzzo]

.....The kitchen from yesterday was a problem because combination of light cabinets and dark granite. With the right lighting set up, that wouldn't have been a problem, but that solution is null because I neither have the time nor the space to artificially light the kitchen.

Yep, no lighting can be a problem, as much as a bad lighting setup.

Right. In fact, the problem is compounded because the kitchen isn't real well lit to begin with. There's not much light in there. But, in all of my searching, I don't really ever see any really satisfying examples of reflection-less photos in this kind of situation.

In the past, I've used external light to help the situation, and it has. If you were shooting this kitchen, how would you suggest handling external lighting?

But also, the CP filters are a must anyways. What do you guys think of the two filters I listed before? Neither is multi-coated. How much will that matter?