Polarizing Filter Question

Do circular and linear polarizers have the same amount of effect in
reducing glare and darkening skies, etc?

I'm using a circular on my current digicam, and I have the impression that
it has significantly LESS effect than a linear I used many years ago on a
35mm camera. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.

TIA

Pete

On Sun, 18 Jul 2004 12:52:34 -0700, Pete wrote:


Do circular and linear polarizers have the same amount of effect in
reducing glare and darkening skies, etc?

I'm using a circular on my current digicam, and I have the impression that
it has significantly LESS effect than a linear I used many years ago on a
35mm camera. Maybe my memory is playing tricks on me.

TIA

Pete


Yes.

It is linear on the front, the part exposed to the outside world.
there follows a quarter wave plate, so that the camera sees circular
polarization inside. this prevents the camera from being confused by
polarized light.

something interesting to try, look through the filter into a mirror.
Observe the reflection of your eye, then turn the filter around, look
through it the other way.


--

- Charles
-
-does not play well with others

Pete writes:

Do circular and linear polarizers have the same amount of effect in
reducing glare and darkening skies, etc?

Yes. A "circular" polarizer is really just a linear polarizer with a
device called a quarter-wave plate mounted on the back. A linear
polarizer and a circular polarizer with the same linear polarizer on the
front will affect incoming light exactly the same.

On the other hand, the quality of polarizers varies.

Dave