Which 4x4" polarizer filter for Lee system?

[Karl Amo]

I have adopted the Lee filter system for my 4x5 camera. I have lens adaptor rings, a filter holder, a hood, and ND-grad and warming filters. My next purchase will be a 4x4" polarizer filter.

Lee sells a glass 4x4" linear polarizer that is uncoated.

I prefer either a coated glass polarizer, or an uncoated optical-resin polarizer. Do any of the 4x4"/100 mm square-filter manufacturers make these?

[michael waldron]

I have the Tiffen resin one (fairly expensive and used, it seems, for movies). It comes in a padded folding sleeve and has been fine so far. I think it was around $120 at B&H.

[Doug Dolde]

The problem using the square polarizer is that it can't be rotated independently of the grad filters. I use Lee's 105mm round polarizer which screws into a ring they also sell that goes in front of the foundation kit. But this won't work with the hood.

[Leigh Perry]

I use the same 105mm ring system as Doug, except with the B+W polariser (a huge chunk of glass).

[paul miller]

The problem using the square polarizer is that it can't be rotated independently of the grad filters.

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This is true, but the square polarizer CAN be rotated independently of the grads if you buy a "tandem adaptor" and two filter holders. The large 105mm glass Lee polarizers can be rotated independently of the grads if you have the round metal adaptor that gets screwed on the top of the "stack" of tabs that you screw together.

It's worth mentioning that my experience with the 105mm Lee glass polarizer is that it is very thick, and almost always results in some vingetting on a 90mm lens.

[Karl Amo]

Yeah, I have resigned myself to not being able to rotate a square polarizer independently of an ND grad filter. For me, being able to use a hood with the polarizer is more important.

I called Singh-Ray; their glass polarizer is not coated.

[Brian Ellis]

I used the Lee square polarizer with the Lee hood and it worked well though it was quite expensive, $150 or so back in the mid or late 1990s as I recall. I had a 90mm Super Angulon lens at the time and don't remember having a vignetting problem though I'm not positive I ever used the polarizer with that lens.

[Caroline Matthews]

I would get a parametric polarizer. Not only does it work in multiple dimensions, the name is the most aliterative of all the polarizers.

[Karl Amo]

Thanks for the replies.

From further web searches of commercial web sites, it appears that: -the Tiffen 4x4" resin polarizer is no longer being offered for sale, -no other resin 4x4" polarizers are available, and -no coated glass 4x4" polarizers are available.

For what it's worth: -Schneider makes a 4x4" glass polarizer that is edge sealed to prevent chipping and delamination, and -Schneider also makes a 1-stop 4x4" glass polarizer.

I am going to try to make a resin polarizer from commercially available materials. Failing that, I will buy a glass one.