Quick question about UWA and CPL usage (Alaska trip help please!!)

[lyonsroar]

I'm going to Alaska at the end of the week...for about 2 weeks on a cruise with a few days in Denali beforehand.

Gear list:
Canon T3i
10-20mm f4-5.6
28-70 f2.8-4
35mm f2
40mm f2
85mm f1.8
75-300 f4-5.6
64 GB in Class 10 memory cards
Various CPL's. I have one for every lens.
Manfrotto Tripod.

My specific question relates to CPL usage on the 10-20mm. I bought a cheapo filter just to fool around with. I really like the way the sky looks in very specific areas of the picture, but not in others. I think this is just a function of using a CPL with a UWA. My question is, would I notice a difference using a better quality filter or is it always going to be blotchy like this? Is there a way to deal with this blotchiness? Multiple exposures maybe, rotating the filter a bit each time?

Sample pictures:


IMG_0175_wm by Lyonsroar91, on Flickr


IMG_0170_wm by Lyonsroar91, on Flickr

That said, any other tips for making the most of my short time in Alaska?
Much appreciated!
:thumbup:

 

[480sparky]

This is typical for a CPL, regardless of quality, on an UWA. The light in the sky is not evenly polarized, so a CPL will merely enhance that. A CPL will darken the sky most where it's 90° from the sun.

 

[TCampbell]

The level of polarization depends on the angle of light as compared to how you've tuned the filter. This isn't a problem with long or normal focal length lenses because the angle of view limits what the lens can see such that the difference in angles from one edge of the frame to the other isn't as great. When you use an wide or ultra-wide lens the difference in angles can be extreme so it's no longer possible to tune for all those angles simultaneously and you get the "sweet spot" surrounded by areas where you didn't get polarization.

 

[lyonsroar]

This is typical for a CPL, regardless of quality, on an UWA. The light in the sky is not evenly polarized, so a CPL will merely enhance that. A CPL will darken the sky most where it's 90° from the sun.

So there's really no point in buying a better quality one then.

 

[Derrel]

UWA lenses and polarizing filters go together like motorcycling and whiskey drinking...both pairings are a bad,bad,bad match, and both pairings are simply courting disaster.

 

[Big Mike]

I still use a CPOL filter on my UWA lens. Sure, there are times when this type of effect can be a problem, but they key is to recognize when it will be a problem, and knowing that you can remove the filter to avoid it.

There are plenty of other benefits that you can get from the filter...and while they too will change over the breadth of the wide view...it's not as noticeable as when it's the clear blue sky.
For example, the CPOL filter can change the way water reflects light. With a still mountain lake, you can go from seeing the bottom, to seeing the mountains reflected on the water, by adjusting the filter.

Various CPL's. I have one for every lens.

Really? For less than $20, you can buy something called a step up ring for your lens. This gives you larger filter thread so that you can essentially buy one filter (for the largest lens you own) and still mount it onto the smaller lenses.

So there's really no point in buying a better quality one then.

Well, since the quality of your image will be somewhat dependent on the quality the filter, it does make sense to have high quality filters. One thing that you get with higher quality filters, are better anti-reflection coatings. This helps to prevent lens flare, which is always an issue when using filters.

 

[480sparky]

........Really? For less than $20, you can buy something called a step up ring for your lens. This gives you larger filter thread so that you can essentially buy one filter (for the largest lens you own) and still mount it onto the smaller lenses. .........

However, it may prevent the use of a petal hood.

 

[lyonsroar]

I still use a CPOL filter on my UWA lens. Sure, there are times when this type of effect can be a problem, but they key is to recognize when it will be a problem, and knowing that you can remove the filter to avoid it.

There are plenty of other benefits that you can get from the filter...and while they too will change over the breadth of the wide view...it's not as noticeable as when it's the clear blue sky.
For example, the CPOL filter can change the way water reflects light. With a still mountain lake, you can go from seeing the bottom, to seeing the mountains reflected on the water, by adjusting the filter.

Various CPL's. I have one for every lens.

Really? For less than $20, you can buy something called a step up ring for your lens. This gives you larger filter thread so that you can essentially buy one filter (for the largest lens you own) and still mount it onto the smaller lenses.

So there's really no point in buying a better quality one then.

Well, since the quality of your image will be somewhat dependent on the quality the filter, it does make sense to have high quality filters. One thing that you get with higher quality filters, are better anti-reflection coatings. This helps to prevent lens flare, which is always an issue when using filters.

By 'every lens' I mean I have like 3 for different filter thread sizes. They're just Tiffen's. Inexpensive. I think the one I have for the UWA is...even cheaper. I've never noticed image degradation with any of the Tiffens. (I'm shooting for my own pleasure mostly, and for family and friends so the BEST quality is not necessary I guess) The 77mm does some funky things with the color sometimes, nothing I haven't been able to fix in post processing though.

Any other advice from you guys for shooting Alaska in July? I bought 2 more batteries and a tandem charger last night so now I'll have three batteries. I'm pretty much set on only bringing my sling bag as all my lenses and body fit in there snugly. I do wish I had a higher quality and greater length zoom lens, but that is beyond my price range.

I am really just going to make the best of it with what I have at the moment I guess.

 

[480sparky]

..........

Any other advice from you guys for shooting Alaska in July? I bought 2 more batteries and a tandem charger last night so now I'll have three batteries. I'm pretty much set on only bringing my sling bag as all my lenses and body fit in there snugly. I do wish I had a higher quality and greater length zoom lens, but that is beyond my price range.

I am really just going to make the best of it with what I have at the moment I guess.

How are you set for memory cards, as well as a method to back them up while you're away from home?

 

[lyonsroar]

..........

Any other advice from you guys for shooting Alaska in July? I bought 2 more batteries and a tandem charger last night so now I'll have three batteries. I'm pretty much set on only bringing my sling bag as all my lenses and body fit in there snugly. I do wish I had a higher quality and greater length zoom lens, but that is beyond my price range.

I am really just going to make the best of it with what I have at the moment I guess.

How are you set for memory cards, as well as a method to back them up while you're away from home?

I have three 15GB class 10 cards, one 15GB class 4, and one 4GB class 4. Pretty well set I think.

As for a way to back them up...well...that's more difficult. I own an external hard drive, but I won't have any way to transfer the data from the memory cards to the drive. :thumbdown:

 

[480sparky]

........As for a way to back them up...well...that's more difficult. I own an external hard drive, but I won't have any way to transfer the data from the memory cards to the drive. :thumbdown:

There are stand-alone products that will do that, but I prefer just to use a laptop.