Circular Circular Pola VS Rectangular Circular Pola

Pola VS Pola - Copy.jpg (574.67 KiB) Viewed 656 times

Circular Circular Polarizer VS Rectangular Circular Polarizer

Ok so that may be a mouthful, but in reality I am a bit confused.

I have been using circular circular polarizers for many years, but just recently bought the rectangular kind.

I set it inside the mattebox and expected it to work normally, by polarizing light according to the angle it is rotated.

It did not.

No matter how I rotated the mattebox, this rectangular circular pola did not show any effect, except for the 1.5 stops of light loss, of course. And a slight green/magenta tint.

Am I missing something?

Why is this rectangular kind even created and how it is supposed to be working?

Thanks for any advice.

Why is this rectangular kind even created and how it is supposed to be working?

This 2019 ASC article should answer your questions:

Understanding Polarizing Filters
https://theasc.com/blog/shot-craft/unde ... ng-filters

I have been using circular circular polarizers for many years, but just recently bought the rectangular kind.

If your camera doesn't require a circular polariser, linear polarisers are less expensive. Second hand, they can be dirt cheap. Because people don't know any better, nobody wants them anymore. As a user of the Lee100 filter system, I was able to purchase a 100mm x 100mm Lee linear polariser from a major online retailer, second hand, for US$30. Lee no longer makes this. For the Lee100 system, Lee sells a round circular polariser for which it charges US$310.

Thank you for this article, but I think you mis-understood the topic.

I am not asking anything about "linear polarizers".

I am asking about the "rectangular circular" polarizer, or in other words it is just a "circular polarizer" made in a rectangular shape.

I cannot get any effect out of it, no matter how much I rotate it.

The article discusses both kinds and how to use them.

Aaaaah now I got it!

I just had to turn the filter around. So when you have a "single polarizer" the orientation matters.

Its all good now

Thank you for this article, but I think you mis-understood the topic.

... it is just a "circular polarizer" made in a rectangular shape.

I cannot get any effect out of it, no matter how much I rotate it.

Aaaaah now I got it!

I just had to turn the filter around. So when you have a "single polarizer" the orientation matters.

Its all good now

Yes, the ASC article has an entire paragraph on this, which is why I suggested you read it:

If you’re using a circular polarizer, it’s crucial that you secure the filter with the wave-retarder facing the lens; if you place the circular polarizer backwards, it will have no polarizing effect at all. If it’s a round-shaped circular polarizer with threading, then the manufacturer has already oriented the filter correctly for you — it can only connect to the lens in one direction. A non-threaded filter, however, can be oriented either way. There should be a marking on the filter to the effect of “this side out.” Pay attention to that instruction! That labeling also makes for an easy way to tell if a polarizer is circular or linear.