Polar Pro PL series

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I just received my Polar Pro 6 filter pack...I have a question about the PL filters, the PL, the ND8/PL and the ND16/PL...do they need to be screwed on in a certain way, like an ND grad would on a camera lens? When I hold them up to the light, I can't see any variation in light/dark in the glass...normally the darker area would be at the top of the filter to darken skies and leave the ground unaffected...but I can't detect any differentiation in these.

For those of you who own these, do you just screw them on or do you somehow have to check for light/dark areas to make sure the dark part of the filter is at the top of the lens, and if so, how do you do this, do you have to power up your Phantom and check the camera view with the Go app?

Thanks,
Tamara
 
I find it easiest to see the filter change while turning it in front of a computer screen. The dark area of the filter should be covering whatever reflective light you're trying to block out.

For tips on how polarizing filters work in general, check out this video:

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And, this guy explains how to remember where the darker areas of the filter are located:

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I just realized, none of these filters are graduated, which is what I'm used to with the dslr gear, that's why I couldn't find a dark and a light section...this all depends on how you rotate them. With that in mind, given they make everything dark, sky and land, how do you find your results when using them? I think the only graduated filters PP have are the colored ones, where the top of the filter is blue or orange.

Makes me wonder how you achieve a darker sky without darkening the ground as well?
 
SRP makes this GND filter. I own it and like the quality and results, but it's extremely tough to slide on and off the camera. For that reason, I don't use it much.
 
Thank you...I think that's part of the reason I went for the Polar Pro, they're very easy to screw on and remove again.
 
I own many brands of filters. The SRP filters are the only filters that don't fit properly. Well, that's my opinion I suppose. I contacted SRP and they told me that's as-designed.
 
I just realized, none of these filters are graduated, which is what I'm used to with the dslr gear, that's why I couldn't find a dark and a light section...this all depends on how you rotate them. With that in mind, given they make everything dark, sky and land, how do you find your results when using them? I think the only graduated filters PP have are the colored ones, where the top of the filter is blue or orange.

Makes me wonder how you achieve a darker sky without darkening the ground as well?

I basically settle for somewhat unsatisfactory results with all of my ND filters. I'm certainly no pro but the need for a graduated filter is obvious to me and they do exist. The bottom line for me: properly exposing the sky means the ground is to dark. Proper ground exposure and the sky is blown out. Fixable in post on shorter clips, but too much work on longer clips.
 
You can trust your tertestial photograoher skills here, same principals apply as for your dslr polarising filters.

I would check the ultimate rotation for best effect on site though (rather than the computer monitor trick). As you have no doubt learned the ultimate orientation of the filter usually varies when you move the camera around with respect to the position of the sun.
 
I just realized, none of these filters are graduated, which is what I'm used to with the dslr gear, that's why I couldn't find a dark and a light section...this all depends on how you rotate them. With that in mind, given they make everything dark, sky and land, how do you find your results when using them? I think the only graduated filters PP have are the colored ones, where the top of the filter is blue or orange.

Makes me wonder how you achieve a darker sky without darkening the ground as well?

UAV Bits has graduated filters
 
You can trust your tertestial photograoher skills here, same principals apply as for your dslr polarising filters.

I would check the ultimate rotation for best effect on site though (rather than the computer monitor trick). As you have no doubt learned the ultimate orientation of the filter usually varies when you move the camera around with respect to the position of the sun.

I haven't learned it yet, LOL, I haven't had a chance to try them out, and I've only ever used a CPL or neutral grad on my camera...I guess some experimentation is in order. Is there any point to using one of these filters on a cloudy day, or do you guys only make use of them on bright, blue sky days?
 
I don't understand how to set a PL filter on an aircraft.
1st - it is a digital camera and the filter should be a CPL filter, not a PL filter.
2nd - there is no "dark" area of the filter. The filter operation principle can be viewed using your fingers. If you hold your fingers parallel, one hand in front of the other, a lot of light comes thru. As you turn one hand the light is reduced - it is a little hard to shut off the light with big fingers. The light from the TV is polarized meaning if you put a screen up in front of it with closely spaced lines on it you can see the TV picture. As you rotate the lines the rays from the TV are blocked because they are perpendicular to the lines on the screen.

The TV light is polarized by the design of the display. So is a phone, computer, GPS - anything with a display. HOWEVER, all displays are not oriented the same way. That drives me crazy when wearing sunglasses especially when trying to read a gas pump display.

Any light that gets reflected becomes polarized as in light reflected from water or windows. That is why polarized sunglasses work and you can do the same demo on the TV with sunglasses.

So if I am flying with a CPL filter I must be trying to photo something that has reflected light coming from it. Water, windows, etc. So how do I set the filter? Probably the best idea might be to use sunglasses since they seem to be oriented for reflected light - it is sort of unbelievable that most reflected light is oriented the same way. Set the lens so that you can see thru the glasses - you can do that using the camera with the filter mounted. But that is just a guess that I have yet to verify using my Panny Lumix camera. They don't make remotely adjustable CPLs yet.
 
OK, I just did a crude test. I looked thru my CPL filter at light reflected from the glass cover on a halogen lamp. As I turned the filter, the reflected light dimmed slightly. At that point I placed my sunglasses in front of the lens and virtually nothing changed. This indicated to me that the Lens was oriented the same as the sunglasses. I then rotated the sunglasses and the light became more dim. It did not go dark because one is PL and one is CPL. A CPL lens works different than a PL lens. The lines on a PL lens are straight - and you cannot see them as the spacing is in the relm of a wavelength of light. But both type reduce reflection and Circular must be used with digital filters and I don't remember why.
 
OK, I just did a crude test. I looked thru my CPL filter at light reflected from the glass cover on a halogen lamp. As I turned the filter, the reflected light dimmed slightly. At that point I placed my sunglasses in front of the lens and virtually nothing changed. This indicated to me that the Lens was oriented the same as the sunglasses. I then rotated the sunglasses and the light became more dim. It did not go dark because one is PL and one is CPL. A CPL lens works different than a PL lens. The lines on a PL lens are straight - and you cannot see them as the spacing is in the relm of a wavelength of light. But both type reduce reflection and Circular must be used with digital filters and I don't remember why.
A CPL is simply a linear polariser with a circular polariser directly behind it. The linear polariser provides for the effect. The circular polariser may help some cameras (almost always- if not exclusively those with partial mirrors ie SLR) to correctly meter exposure and perform autofocus. In reality the CPL had minimal effect on exposure error and no influence in focus for most cameras. The circular polarising component will exhibit no visible change when rotated.
 
I find it easiest to see the filter change while turning it in front of a computer screen. The dark area of the filter should be covering whatever reflective light you're trying to block out.

For tips on how polarizing filters work in general, check out this video:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

And, this guy explains how to remember where the darker areas of the filter are located:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.
Finding out you've been mis-using the CPL this whole time...cray cray. BUT at least I know now!! LOL!! I'm excited for this weekend to go out flying and using my CPL correctly!!
Thank you for the post!
 

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