Will this technique work for polarizing filter?

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Instead of shelling out $300 for the Rube Goldberg type Leica universal polarizer, why not just mount a regular polarizing filter and just rotate it until the meter shows that is has blocked the most light? That would represent the maximum effect of the filter. True, you couldn't "pre-visualize" the effect, but you can't "pre-visualize" most things on a rangefinder. Has anyone tried this?

-- Steve Rosenblum (stevierose@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002

Answers

The above post is assuming you are using a TTL camera. It obviously won't work for a Classic camera without a TTL meter.

-- Steve Rosenblum (stevierose@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.

won't work. filter factor is same in any position (usually 4x). and effect is a choice, not a min or max.

-- Charles (c.mason@uaf.edu), March 23, 2002.

Why not buy it oversized, turn it in front of your eye until you get the effect you want, and then just hold it in front of the camera?

-- Glenn Travis (leicaddict@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

I have tried this on my CLE, and the AE picked shutter speed will dip a half stop or so as you rotate the filter, but when I check the orientation visually, it often isn't quite at the right spot. What I did instead was to purchase two Heliopan filters, one in 39mm and one in 46mm-two common M sizes. The filters are numbered on the edge and calibrated the same, so I use the 46mm one as a viewer (or vice versa) and change the 39mm on the Leica to the same setting. This works well and I don't have to be taking the filter on and off. I bought both for about $80.00.

-- Andrew Schank (aschank@flash.net), March 23, 2002.

if you use a pro slr as well with 77mm filters (as many people here do), you can get a step up ring from 39-77 and 46-77 for $10 a piece and then cut a hole in the side of the step up ring so you can see the effect through the step up ring... i haven't wanted to use a polarizer on my M6 yet (I use it almost exclusively indoors), but i have thought about it, and if i wanted to use a polarizer on my M this is what i would do since i already own a 77mm polarizer.

-- Matthew Geddert (geddert@yahoo.com), March 23, 2002.


Hey, don't be a cheapskate. You want Leica, you gotta pay for it.

-- Willieumn (wmitch3400@hotmail.com), March 23, 2002.

Steve - We've used your suggestion for quite a few years, viz., turn the polarizer until the M6 metering sytem indicates the maximum apature setting necessary for the selected shutter speed. 90% of the time, it does the trick; however, be careful when you're doing this to darken the sky. You can overdo the effect.

Better still, get a cheap lineral polarizor, and compare it with your screw-in filter. Mark indices on both filters that indicate where the maximum filtration effect occurs. Then, you can twirl the cheap filter in your hand until you get the desired effect, then set the filter on your lens to the same angular position. It works!

-- George C. Berger (gberger@his.com), March 24, 2002.


You can buy the predecessor to the universal M polarizer, called the 13352 swingout polarizer for about $ 125 used. The 13352 is similar to the new one but works only for E39 lenses. Still, it is useable for many important lenses such as 50/2 Summicron-M, 35/2 Summicron, 35/3.5 & 2.8 Summarons, older 90/2.8 Elmarit/Tele-Elmarit, 90/4 Elmar- M, 135/4 Tele-Elmar (not a bad list!). I have one, and it works beautifully. This is a worthwhile investment if you use polarizers frequently.

-- Eliot (erosen@lij.edu), March 24, 2002.

The 13352 won't fit the current 50/2 (w pull-out hood). When I hike I take the 11817 and the thin TE (vs the current 50 and 90/2.8)and I agree the 13352 is a lot nicer than the "Universal".

-- Jay (infinitydt@aol.com), March 24, 2002.

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