Should I buy a filter?

[vapours]

How essential are they?

Im going to Fiji in 2 weeks and looking at buying a polarizer (my first filter), but am worried that I will use it once off and then be something that stays in my closet.

Is this the case for anybody? or are they a must use for anybody that is half-serious about their photography?

[mortijo]

I think you will be using it a lot. I do.
Have a nice trip.

John

[netfalls]

polarizer filter is also a protection for your lens

[Darren]

I think a polarizer is something everyone should have in their bag. I don't use it often, but often enough to have made it a good purchase.

However, I would not recommend using a polarizer for lens protection. Although I use nothing for such in most cases, when I am in a sandy area, I put on a UV filter. Polarizers are not good for that purpose; a polarizer causes you to lose about two stops of light, that is just too much.

[AdrianW]

I use a polarizing filter fairly often, there are cases when it's useful - cutting down reflections, and intensifying colours. There are times when it isn't, they don't do much on overcast days - except lose you vital light...

Make sure you get what's known as a "circular" polarizer, and NOT a linear one. Linear polarizers interfere with metering and auto-focus on modern cameras. Note: This doesn't refer to the shape of the filter, it's a property of the filter!

An easy way to test whether it's linear or circular (other than reading what it says on the edge of the filter) is to try it - if it works well from one side, but not the other then it's circular. If it behaves identically whichever way round you look through it, there's a high chance it's linear :) Particularly easy to test if you happen to have an LCD monitor nearby.

[Rhiannon]

Since I finally got a desent camera and now can use filter for the first time, I found this discussion very helpful.
I already bought a UV filter and the next step is a polarizer.

Now I know it should be a circular one, any suggestions on which mark or model which is the best?
I have a Canon EOS 300D.
All answers are welcome!

[Keitht]

"An easy way to test whether it's linear or circular (other than reading what it says on the edge of the filter) is to try it - if it works well from one side, but not the other then it's circular. If it behaves identically whichever way round you look through it, there's a high chance it's linear :) Particularly easy to test if you happen to have an LCD monitor nearby."

Thanks for the tip on how to check for circular/linear. I was pretty sure that the Cokin polariser I have was linear and your simply test proved it. Have you seen the price of circular polarisers ??

[PixelTerror]

I have bought a Cokin too and was almost certain it's a circular pola, reference is P164, so I'm surprised here, which model do you have Keith ?
Anyway, linear or circular, there's only one way to mount it on the filter holder, and my first tries last week end were promising.
I'm looking forward to trying it on snow photos, does anybody have experience ?

[AdrianW]

Keith, please don't remind me. I nearly had a heart attack when I wanted to buy the 82mm Moose Polarizer for my Sigma, the filter cost more than a quarter of cost of the lens!

That's nothing compared to the sinking feeling I had when I dropped it into the Katherine Gorge though. Thankfully I managed to scoop it out of the water just before it sank out of reach!

[bajan]

Everyone should have at least one filter - the UV filter. Not only does it cut through haze on a foggy day, just as important, protects the lens. The cost of the filter will be determined by its size: the bigger the diameter of the lens the higher the cost of the filter.