Polarizer frustration...

puredrifting

puredrifting

Major Contributor
Hi all:

Did a shoot in Sacramento last week. I went to use my trusty Cokin glass circular polarizer to put some blue back into my skies and noticed that the Cokin filter holder (P-Series) vignettes quite noticeably with the HVX-200. And it's not just at full wide angle like my DVX-100A does, it vignettes on the left hand side for about the first third of the zoom range.

So I am now convinced that I will have to retire my Cokin system with my HVX. The question is, how does one use a circular polarizer with the stock lens hood? Seems close to impossible to rotate a traditional polarizer with the stock hood in place, right? I really don't want to spring for a real matter box or sunshade. I cannot afford one and don't feel that they are a good value for the more EFP type of shooting that I usually do.

1. What is the best circular pola for the HVX and why? Is it the B&W? Do I need the thin pola to avoid any vignetting?

2. After attaching said polarizer to HVX, how do you rotate it? Leave the hood off and deal with the flare? You obviously cannot rotate the pola very easily with the hood in place. I am not sure how to handle this. I pretty much only use polarizers and NDs/ND grads. The rest of filtration seems to be better to do in post with Magic Bullet or the 55mm plug-ins.

I don't shoot outdoors very often but when I do, it would be nice to not have to explain the Cokin vignetting to the client as we shoot. Luckily the show was NTSC to we can frame and crop the vignetting out for NTSC, but this client may soon switch to HD delivery.

All the best,

Dan
 
You shouldn't have to adjust the CP much once it's on and set for the sun position, at least until lighting conditions change.

It's a bit of a hassle to use screw-in filters with the stock hood, but you can probably get away with just using the bayonnet mount and not using the set screw.
 
Well you're not going to be turning the polarizer while you are rolling so you take the hood off ,rotate to what you want, put hood back on and shoot. I guess you could get a lens microcloth to place in your hands and place it inside the hood to rotate the polatizer if you hate taking the hood off.

I have a B&W. Best? who knows. I have no issues. Thin or thick I don't think you'll get vignetting if its a screw on 82mm
 
I had the same vignetting with my Cokin pol, though for only the widest angles. Went for Hoya's Pro1 circ pol and 1a skylight (After having to grade out a horrible blue cast / flare over coastal footage shot on another cam). No problem with removing the hood to adjust the pol angle and replace.
Cheers
Dave
 
I use the schneider slim jim, and when i shoot artists painting trains outdoors, I have to rotate it practically every time I move because the angle changes. I keep the lens hood off in that case
 
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