Polarizer filter in B/W photography

[Alberto Bregani]

I'm a b/w mountain photographer, my philosophy is (imperatively) "less is more":
Therefore i'm not a filter addicted. In my bag i just have the basics: a yellow triad (y#8, #y/g11, y/o 15 ) and a ND triad (grad 0.45, grad 0.9, nd 0.9).
They are resing 4x4" Lee filters, so i'm not talking about a cheap choice...

Since i've never seriously considered a polarizer filter ( i just use it from time to time) i'd like to know your opinion/experience regarding this type of filter in b/w landscape photography. I'm now using a normal (quite good) circular b+w filter, but I'd like to buy the Lee one to align it to the Lee system. Since it costs about 300$ (filter + adapter) ...i'll be pleasured to read your thoughts before i'll go for it; for me the Lee could be more handy to manage (i could use it together with other filters....) as well as its higher quality

Thanks a lot :-)
Alberto

[Ian David]

I find that a polariser can be very useful in both B&W and colour photography - I like it especially for removing (or reducing) the reflected glare off water, leaves, etc.

Are you thinking of getting the square Lee polariser? If so, you should be aware that this may cause you problems if you try to use it at the same time as an ND grad. Unless they are able to rotate independently, the desired alignment of the grad and the desired alignment of the polariser may not be possible to achieve at the same time.

You might therefore be best to stick to a round screw-in polariser. A 105mm one will work well with the Lee system, although it is quite heavy! I doubt that the Lee round polarisers are much better than the B+W ones.

Ian

[Alberto Bregani]

Thank you David
i need these kind of validations ;)

Yes, i'm going (if I..) to buy the circular and not the square one since i've read about those problems, thank you

As i wrote i'd like to buy the Lee because of the system i already have. It's just more handy for me ...
I'm with you thinking about B+W quality but i already have someone interested in buying my b+w so i could recover a pice of the investment

thanks for sharing your opinions ;)

A

[Ian David]

No problem, Alberto. What I meant was that any 105mm round polariser should fit the Lee 105mm adaptor ring. If your existing B+W polariser is not 105mm, you may find that a new B+W 105mm polariser is quite a bit cheaper than the Lee version (and just as good).

[Alberto Bregani]

wow| :eek:
i never thought about another pol filter... don't know why.. :-)
i have a classic 67mm b+w for Hasselblad
What a good piece of news; It sounds good
I'll check this option out and we'll see what to do

tks again!
A

[Ian David]

For example, have a look at Adorama's selection of 105mm polarisers. I just had a look and the Lee is about twice the price of B+W (or Sigma). Good luck!

Ian

[dave_whatever]

The Lee polariser is (as far as I know) actually made by Hoya, so the popular B+W and Heliopan alternatives should be at least as good quality if not better, and are thinner. I dropped my B+W polariser 6ft onto rough granite last year and there was hardly a mark on it.

[Brian Ellis]

I agree with you that less is more when it comes to filters, i.e. they should be used only when essential to the photograph. But I found a polarizer useful in b&w photography, mainly to reduce reflections, less often but occasionally to darken a sky.

As far as the Lee polarizer is concerned, I bought one and didn't like it because with some larger lenses (e.g. IIRC my 210mm APO Symmar) it bumped into the bed of my camera (a Linhof Technika) when I tried to rotate it. I came up with some sort of work-around that I don't now remember but whatever it was I found it to be a PITA to not be able to rotate the polarizer while it was on the lens and while I looked through the ground glass. I eventually sold it for that reason and went back to a threaded polarizer.

[Greg Lockrey]

I use Polarizers all the time... just be cognizant that in B&W as you effect the glare you also effect the presence of shadow. There are other filters for manipulating tone in sky, etc.

[rdenney]

A point to remember is that a circular polarizer is not needed for large-format applications. These are used for small-format cameras that use various polarized means to direct scenery light to the meter sensors. The linear polarizers ("top" in B+W lingo) are much less expensive than the circular polarizers.

Rick "who has a 105mm B+W for use in a Sinar filter holder" Denney

[Alberto Bregani]

For example, have a look at Adorama's selection of 105mm polarisers. I just had a look and the Lee is about twice the price of B+W (or Sigma). Good luck!

Ian

+1 tks :-)

[Alberto Bregani]

Thank you all Ian, Dave, Brian, Greg, Rick
you are always a great source of advices

I use it when i want to give a kind of ... small stroke(?) to the negative...
usually in late spring and september ...around 4/6 pm when you have a good quality of light;
It helps me to separate tones in a useful way, giving composition a kind of 3d effect
Don't know why with water/ waterfalls i 've always used ND... never come to mind to use polarizer
Bah...

Do you think could it be useful stack a Polarizer and ND filter together?
tks
A

[Greg Lockrey]

A point to remember is that a circular polarizer is not needed for large-format applications. These are used for small-format cameras that use various polarized means to direct scenery light to the meter sensors. The linear polarizers ("top" in B+W lingo) are much less expensive than the circular polarizers.

Rick "who has a 105mm B+W for use in a Sinar filter holder" Denney

I don't think he means "circular" vs "linear'' as for the digital sensor sense but round vs square. As for ND filters, I never used them as the exposure times with large format is already slow enough. I use yellow, orange and other colors for B&W tone compensating with polarized filter often. You'll have to add up all that exposure compensation or meter the scene through the filter combo.

[rdenney]

I don't think he means "circular" vs "linear'' as for the digital sensor sense but round vs square.

Maybe so. But circular polarizers are so ubiquitously required for small format that folks might not realize it isn't for what we do.

Rick "pie are round; cornbread are square" Denney