Polarizer Filter help

jamzz_ · Nov 11, 2013

hi guys, right now i'm more of a newbie into the world of dslrs and i need a little help. right now im awaiting the arrival of my Canon EOS Rebel T3 18-55mm IS II Lens Kit and im looking for a reasonably priced polarizing filter that i can use in my photography....
Any help would be greatly appreciated...
Thanks a million in advance to all who can help...

robbins.photo · Nov 11, 2013

Well as in most things photographic you get what you pay for I'm afraid. Cheap polarizing filters generally don't do nearly as good a job as their more expensive brethern. I've been fairly happy with my Hoya HD CPL - I hear a lot of people recommend Tiffen but I can't really speak to them myself because I don't own one. Top of the line would probably be B&W.

jamzz_ · Nov 12, 2013

i have been seeing tiffen pop up quite often in my searches well. thanks for the help

TCampbell · Nov 12, 2013

B+W is the gold-standard... but expensive. Also the physical diameter of the filter will have a big impact on the price tag. A B+W high end CPL will be over $100. Part of the price tag of a B+W has to do with the durability of the filter... coatings to keep dirt off, avoid reflections, resist weather, etc.) So you're paying for more than *just* the optical performance alone.

BUT... the Hoya Pro1 series are actually EXTREMELY good (optically probably just as good as the B+W filters). They will cost substantially less.

I *think* the 18-55mm lens has a 58mm filter diameter (someone please chime in and correct me if I'm wrong).

As I check Amazon... the price on the B+W 58mm CPL is about $115. The price on the Hoya Pro1 58mm CPL is about $58 (roughly half the price.)

You can search for YouTube videos that demonstrate the difference between good filters and bad filters.

Also... be aware that polarization has everything to do with the angle of the light (which is why you have to rotate the filter to "tune" it). It turns out if you use a CPL on a very wide focal length, you get banding (a dark area where its really has a strong effect) and very weak areas where it doesn't do much at all. Polarizers are really good for normal through telephoto focal lengths... and also work for mild wide angles... but watch out for extremely wide angles as you may not like the results.

Good luck!

jamzz_ · Nov 12, 2013

thanks a lot for the help!

JanMaklak · Nov 12, 2013

I think the choice of polarizer needs to balance price and performance. If his is your hobby and there is no professional application I would be hard pressed to tell you to buy the high end filter. Certainly I would never tell you to buy the absolute cheapest either. I have had luck with moderately priced polarisers as well as low end ones as well. Once someone is paying you a substantial amount of money for your photographs consider a better quality filter but not now if you have a limited budget.