ScreenTech Polarizing Film 100 x 100 x 0.2 mm | Linear 0°/90° | Adhesive | Polarizer Filter Type ST-38-20S from Germany

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Just like atmospheric particles randomize light, so do reflective surfaces. Using a polarizing filter can increase color saturation in your images by reducing reflections from water, glass, leaves, and other non-metal surfaces. Additionally, using a polarizing filter helps you create deep blue skies in your images. Blue light waves are shorter than red and green waves, causing them to scatter more easily. Polarizing your view of the sky will prevent randomized blue light from coming into your lens, leaving you with the purest blue light possible. When photographing distant subjects such as mountains, a polarizing filter can also help in reducing atmospheric haze, as explained further down below. So if you are wondering how some photographers manage to get rich colors in their photographs, particularly when it comes to the sky, foliage, and distant subjects, you will find that they often heavily rely on polarizing filters. Although color can certainly be added to photographs in post-processing, the effect of a polarizing filter cannot be fully replicated in software, especially when it comes to reducing reflections and haze in a scene, making the filter indispensable for landscape photography. Maximum Degree of Polarization There are two types of polarizing filters available on the market today: linear and circular. These types do not refer to the shape of the polarizing filter, but rather to the way lightwaves are modified as they pass through the filter. Linear polarizers have a single polarizing layer and are known to cause mirrors to cross-polarize on SLR and DSLR cameras, resulting in metering and autofocus issues. Circular polarizers (also known as “CPL”), on the other hand, have a second quarter-wave layer that repolarizes the light, which makes it safe to use on any classic or modern digital camera. The only downside of a circular polarizer is reduced light transmission when compared to a linear polarizer.

For practical purposes, the separation between wires must be less than the wavelength of the incident radiation. In addition, the width of each wire should be small compared to the spacing between wires. Therefore, it is relatively easy to construct wire-grid polarizers for microwaves, far- infrared, and mid- infrared radiation. For far-infrared optics, the polarizer can be even made as free standing mesh, entirely without transmissive optics. In addition, advanced lithographic techniques can also build very tight pitch metallic grids (typ. 50‒100 nm), allowing for the polarization of visible or infrared light to a useful degree. Since the degree of polarization depends little on wavelength and angle of incidence, they are used for broad-band applications such as projection. I personally use and highly recommend the B+W 77mm High-Transmission MRC-Nano filter, because of its top-notch optics, small footprint, and very minimal light loss of 1-1.5 stops. Although I linked to the 77mm size, make sure to get one that matches your lens.Overall, a polarizing filter is a must-have tool in every photographer’s bag. One of the challenges of being a photographer is making the best of the light you have available to you. Polarizers give you the ability to control the light that comes through your lens, creating vibrant images that might otherwise look dull. Due to the popularity of DSLR cameras, the demand for linear polarizers plummeted over time, causing filter manufacturers to concentrate on primarily making circular polarizers – from cheap, poorly-coated filters, to high-quality multi-coated circular polarizers with superb light transmission qualities. Although linear polarizers are still available today and work just fine on modern mirrorless cameras, they are not recommended for use due to the unavailability of high-quality options. Filter Shapes

Certain crystals, due to the effects described by crystal optics, show dichroism, preferential absorption of light which is polarized in particular directions. They can therefore be used as linear polarizers. The best known crystal of this type is tourmaline. However, this crystal is seldom used as a polarizer, since the dichroic effect is strongly wavelength dependent and the crystal appears coloured. Herapathite is also dichroic, and is not strongly coloured, but is difficult to grow in large crystals.For waves with electric fields perpendicular to the wires, the electrons cannot move very far across the width of each wire. Therefore, little energy is reflected and the incident wave is able to pass through the grid. In this case the grid behaves like a dielectric material.