When to use a circular polarizing filter
CPL filters work best when there is a lot of light. They are incredibly versatile and can help you take better photos in various situations.
Reducing reflections
The most common case of using a circular polarizer is for removing reflections. When photographing through windows, glass or other reflective surfaces, a CPL filter can help to eliminate them and capture what’s behind the glass with clarity.
Shooting water scenes
When you want to shoot a landscape with a sea, river or lake where you can see through the water, a circular polarizing filter is something that you need. By reducing reflections on the water’s surface, the filter will reveal the submerged textures and details. This can make a photo more interesting and deep. A CPL filter will also remove reflections from wet stones and rocks allowing to capture their true colour without highlighted spots.
Capturing photos of foliage
Circular polarizing filters reduce glare and reflections also on the leaves. This enriches the colours of foliage, flowers and other vegetation. As a result, greens, yellows and reds become more vibrant and intense.
Photographing the sky
When shooting landscapes with the sky, a circular polarizer can be used to deepen the blue hues of the sky, making the sky more vibrant and clouds stand out.
Enhancing colours
A circular polarizing filter intensifies colours making them a bit darker and richer. The photos taken with it have a better contrast.
When NOT to use a polarizing filter
Even though a CPL filter is a really handy and useful tool in photography, in some situations it’s better to leave it off.
Keeping the reflections
Sometimes, you may want to include some reflections for artistic effect. For example, if you're aiming to capture reflections of coloured light, such as sunlight dancing on water, it's better to skip the polarizer. These reflections can add interest and depth to your images, and the filter will just ruin the artistic part.
Shooting in low light/at night
When shooting in low light or at night, the reflections usually are not a problem. On the contrary, you may need to add more light to capture the details of the scene. With the circular polarizing filter reducing the light by around 2 stops, you risk taking an underexposed image. It’s not a good idea to use a CPL filter in the blue hour either.
When shooting with the sun behind you
The polarization is most effective when the light source is at a 90-degree angle to your shooting direction, so if the sun is right behind you there won’t be much effect.
Shooting panoramas
When capturing panoramic scenes, using a circular polarizer can lead to uneven polarization and darkened parts of the image. If you want to maintain consistent brightness and colour saturation across the panorama, it's best not to use the filter.
Using wide-angle lenses
Similarly to the issue with shooting panoramas, wide-angle lenses do not allow for an even polarization. When using a CPL filter with this type of lens, you are most likely to get dark patches on the sky and vignetting.
Using polarizing filters in different types of photography
Now that you know what effects you can achieve with a circular polarizing filter, let’s see how they can help in different types of photography:
- Landscape photography: Rich blue skies, transparent water bodies with aquatic life, vibrant colours – that’s what CPL is used for.
- Architectural photography: Eliminate annoying reflections on glass buildings to capture clean and crisp shots of urban scenes.
- Product photography: Remove unwanted reflections from the products to show their true look. Particularly useful when shooting jewellery and watches.
- Car photography: By reducing glare and reflections from shiny surfaces with a CPL filter, you can capture the true colour and texture of the car.
- Outdoor portraits: Reduce glare from the skin and improve the overall contrast of the image.
Tips for effective use of circular polarizing filter
- Avoid over-polarization: Always check how the image looks like on the screen and adjust the filter before shooting. Too much polarization can make your skies look unnaturally dark.
- Adjust the filter: Lighting conditions can change rapidly, especially when shooting outdoors. Do not forget to adjust the CPL filter accordingly as you move from one scene to another or as the sun changes position throughout the day.
- Check the settings: A circular polarizing filter reduces the light entering the lens by around 2 stops. You may need to compensate for the correct exposure.
- Practice, practice and more practice: Experiment with different settings, scenes, and filter combinations to find what works best for your unique style.
Explore Kase polarizing filters
A CPL (circular polarising filter or polarising filter for short) is a very useful filter that removes reflections and glare from water and other reflective surfaces. The KaseFilters Square CPL helps to increase colour saturation, making them appear more powerful. Please note, this filter is part of the Kase Sky Eye series and does not have the impact resistant coating of the Wolverine filters. However, the excellent optical properties of the B270 glass are retained. Scope of delivery: 1x K150 polarising filter 150x150mm 1x storage case
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🪞 Kase K150P polarising filter 150 mm - Magnetic, precise & rotatable at any time The Kase K150P polarising filter (150 mm) is the ideal addition to the K150P filter holder with polarising filter insert. You mount it magnetically and rotate it flexibly - according to your requirements. 📸 For anyone who wants to reduce reflections and enhance colours - with maximum convenience! 🧲 Perfectly matched to your K150P system 🧩 Can be used magnetically in the K150P holder system 🔄 Freely rotatable in the filter holder - for optimum control over reflections and polarisation 🎯 Developed for a perfect fit - no wobbling, no play, maximum precision 🛡 High-quality coating for a long service life 💧 Multi-coated - oil and water-repellent, ideal for outdoor use 🧼 Easy to clean - even in wet or dusty weather 📦 Scope of delivery ✅ 1× K150P polarising filter (150 mm, magnetic)✅ 1× storage bag 💡 Your advantage: You get one for your K150P system that can be used at lightning speed and adjusted intuitively - for more dynamic range, clearer colours and better image effects.
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Our magnetic round filters from the KW Revolution series are made of the same tempered glass as our Wolverine rectangular filters and therefore have the same excellent imaging performance, extremely low color shift and high impact resistance. In photography, polarizing filters are often used to minimize light reflections or to increase the intensity of natural blue and green tones and also to increase the contrast range. With a twist of the CPL filter, you can continuously remove unwanted reflections and reflections on surfaces such as glass or water. This correction can usually no longer be implemented in post-processing due to the missing image information. The magnetic polarization filter comes with a matching magnetic adapter ring, which can also be used with our magnetic ND filters with the same diameter. Frame material: aluminum / magnetic strips Material glass: tempered optical glass Scope of delivery: 1x KW Revolution Magnetic CPL polarizing filter (silver frame) 1x magnetic adapter ring for screwing onto the lens 1x storage box
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A CPL (circular polarization filter or polar filter for short) is a very useful filter that removes reflections and reflections from water and other reflective surfaces. The Kases rectangular polarizing filter helps to increase color saturation so that they appear more powerful. Please note, this filter is part of our SkyEye series and does not have the impact-resistant coating of the Wolverine filters. However, the excellent optical properties of the B270 glass remain. Scope of delivery: 1x 150mm polarizing filter 1x storage bag
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The Kase Wolverine series filters have been praised in independent tests for their optical superiority. Their tempered glass construction promises both durability and peace of mind. These filters have virtually no color cast and ensure color capture is true to the scene. The optical quality guarantees no loss of sharpness. The special nano-metallic electro-coatings make the Kase Wolverine filters scratch-resistant, water-repellent, anti-reflective and easy to clean. This ensures problem-free use in practice, regardless of the recording conditions. The Kase Armor extends the benefits of the Wolverine series by providing additional protection for the filters, simplifying filter use and ensuring safe photography even in the harshest conditions. Included in the package: 1x 95mm magnetic polarizing filter CPL ARMOR series
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🪞 K100 SkyEye CPL rectangular polarising filter 100x100mm The K100 SkyEye CPL rectangular polarising filter is an indispensable tool for photographers who want to reduce distracting reflections and glare while achieving rich colours and strong contrasts. With its precise 100x100 mm design, it is compatible with standard 100 mm filter holders. ✨ Advantages of the CPL filter 🌊 Removes reflections and glare on water, glass and other reflective surfaces 🌿 Ensures richer colours and higher colour saturation 🌞 Optimises the contrast range for landscape and architectural photography 🔬 High-quality SkyEye series 🔎 Made from B270 optical glass with excellent image quality ⚠️ Please note: no impact-resistant Wolverine coating 🧼 Multi-coated for easy cleaning and protection against dirt 📷 Areas of application 🌄 Landscape photography - for vibrant skies and rich colours 🏙️ Architectural photography - clear glass facades without distracting reflections 🚤 Water and outdoor scenes - freedom from reflections for maximum depth of detail 📦 Scope of delivery 1x K100 SkyEye CPL rectangular polarising filter 100x100mm 1x storage bag
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