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just have a silly question regarding the use of circular polariser filter.

when using a cpl, you need to rotate the filter to achieve desired contrast, but what if a lens hood is attached aswell??
on a 18-35 where the hood is quite short, i imagine it wouldn't be difficult. but what about telephoto lens hood, like the 70-200, the hood looks too deep to put your hand inside and rotate the filter??

and also on a panoramic shot. every rotation of the camera will mean rotating the cpl filter to achieve desired constrast?? but in order to maintain same exposure for every frame, the usual technique is to manual exp, how does the cpl affect pano's??

i'm planning on ordering a cpl, and these questions came to mind.

thanks

genji,
What are the hood for?
I never shoot any lens with the hood on. Too much drama with hoods, drop on the floor, in the ocean, and hitting other.
No hood for me

So the answer is take off the hood when you want to use CPL filter

Birddog114 wrote:genji,
What are the hood for?
I never shoot any lens with the hood on. Too much drama with hoods, drop on the floor, in the ocean, and hitting other.
No hood for me

So the answer is take off the hood when you want to use CPL filter

well..they say its suppose to help reduce flare and also protect the glass.

but seriously its to make me look like a PRO

Genji, I don't think this is a silly question. I am looking forward to seeing other opinions.

When using the cpl, I take the lens hood off. I'm usually using the cpl to cut out stray light and glare that is bouncing around and so this should take away a large part of the reason for a lens hood. Seems to work for me anyway.

When doing panos, I set the camera up typically for the middle frame of the pano shots, then leave everything alone. So manual on everything and switch from AF to M after the initial focus on the middle frame. You don't want anything changing between frames else it'll be too difficult to seamlessly stitch them together. IMHO, that includes the cpl. OK so as you pan away from the central shot, the cpl may not be aligned optimally, but at least any differences between the frames should be gradual. If you go rotating the cpl between frames, I reckon you may get more obvious differences between frames making it harder to stitch.

One final comment, I love the cpl. It does great things for the sky and is absolutely essential for waterfall shots which I enjoy doing.

genji wrote:

Birddog114 wrote:genji,
What are the hood for?
I never shoot any lens with the hood on. Too much drama with hoods, drop on the floor, in the ocean, and hitting other.
No hood for me

So the answer is take off the hood when you want to use CPL filter

well..they say its suppose to help reduce flare and also protect the glass.

but seriously its to make me look like a PRO

If you have a chance to attend the mini meet, you'll see one of my bag with about 45 hoods from metal to rubber and plastic.

Flares? just try to shoot or pick up from difference angles.

Lens protection? you always have to taking care of your investments.

Look like a Pro? the hood won't make you look like a Pro, make you nut when you hit someone with the hood or accidentally drop it to the ocean floor, no joke here! it happened recently to one of our members, and the HB 29 costs nearly or more than $100.00

Genji,

I remove the hood when using a CPL. I don't think the flare would exist as the CPL would "filter" out the light angles and reduce the flare. Well that's my theory and I haven't found any issues with flares yet

Firstly Genji, I would say that the CPL was a fantastic buy. I should have got one earler. It really is a tremendous addition.

Secondly, with regards to hoods, I dont bother to use them with the CPL. It's far too fiddly to get my fingers in. If there is flare which isnt cut out by the filter, I use my hand to shade the front element.

As for panoramas, I don't think using a CPL is a very good idea because you might get uneven polarisation across the shots. I have been advised against using it for that purpose.

However, I would say get one, and then see how best you like to use it.

It is an issue, shooting with CPL and hood on - I just reach my finger around the hood and rotate it by the frame. Sometimes slipping up and ending up with fingerprints around the filter.

I've never tried a stitched pano taken with CPL on either, but that brings up a valid point with matched exposures. Since polarisers work best at 90 deg from the light source (ie. the sun directly out from your left or right shoulder), is there a point even attaching a CPL for panoramas?

Genji, if you want to leave your lens hood on and use your polariser at the same time , carry chopsticks in your camera bag !! sounds weird but works !! and gets some great looks from the public !!

I have CP and used to use it by sticking my fingers down inside the hood. As the lucky member whose 70-200 hood is now at the bottom of Sydney Harbour I no longer have this problem

Nikon Boy, I'd love to see you going in with the choppies. Gold.

stubbsy wrote:I have CP and used to use it by sticking my fingers down inside the hood. As the lucky member whose 70-200 hood is now at the bottom of Sydney Harbour I no longer have this problem

So you're the one! thanks for taking one for the team

i thought it would be one or the other but not both, and its been confirmed.

thanks

I saw a website which for the love of me I can't remember, anyway the guy had bought a second hood and dremmeled out a slot next to the base of the hood so he could rotate the CPL with his finger whilst the hood remaind on the lens which I think was a 70-200VR.
There was a fine line between allowing enough space for his finger and letting to much stray light entering when he removed the said finger.
With my 24-120VR there is enough room to rotate the CPL with your fingers, just need to be careful of the fingerprints

I cannot see the point of using a hood if you are using a CPL. Take the hood off