Nikon 70-200 f2.8 VRII - issue when using with polariser

trackdemon

trackdemon

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Steve Hall
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Afternoon folks, wondering if anyone has encountered the same problem I'm finding & if so what (if any) solution they came to. I generally use my 70-200 without polariser because I want the shutter & focus speed this helps deliver, as well as it not being necessary for every type of shot. I tried shooting with a polariser a couple of weeks ago and every shot looks strange, like they are slightly out of focus; this is a polariser that works perfectly on my 24-70. The 70-200 is perfectly sharp and accurate focusing without the polariser, but it just won't work with a CPL. Has anyone seen this kind of thing before?
 
I have seen cheap filters cause refractive errors (image doubling/softness) in certain lighting conditions. It can happen with various filters and any lens; but the primary key is that the filter is inexpensive with less effective coatings and lighting that requires better coatings.
 
I pondered the cheap filter issue up until the point I remembered it's a Hoya Pro1 ;)
 
THIRTYFIVEMILL said:
I remember reading about certain types of polarisers can cause lenses to struggle to focus. Worth researching.
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Linear polarizers can be a problem for an SLR because the pellicle mirror window (passes light to the AF sensor) is also a linear filter; if the polarizer and the pellicle window are not aligned then less/no light gets to the AF sensor... which is why the circular portion was/is added. Shouldn't be an issue w/ a CPL.
trackdemon said:
I pondered the cheap filter issue up until the point I remembered it's a Hoya Pro1 ;)
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Does it hinder AF in all lighting conditions? A diffused overcast should pose the least potential issues I would think.
 
I’ve never tried a polariser on a tele lens before, maybe they’re more succeptible to focus issues when using a polariser? I’ve no idea about this of course, but is the only reason why I can think that it works on your 24-70mm but not 70-200mm. Does it cause issues at both ends of the zoom or just the tele end?
 
sk66 said:
Linear polarizers can be a problem for an SLR because the pellicle mirror window (passes light to the AF sensor) is also a linear filter; if the polarizer and the pellicle window are not aligned then less/no light gets to the AF sensor... which is why the circular portion was/is added. Shouldn't be an issue w/ a CPL.

Does it hinder AF in all lighting conditions? A diffused overcast should pose the least potential issues I would think.
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Yup AF always compromised with the CPL but in good light this lens/body (D4) combo are plenty good enough. It's not an af issue, every image is off - it looks like out of focus but you'd expect it to be in focus *somewhere* even if the tracking was slow
 
snerkler said:
I’ve never tried a polariser on a tele lens before, maybe they’re more succeptible to focus issues when using a polariser? I’ve no idea about this of course, but is the only reason why I can think that it works on your 24-70mm but not 70-200mm. Does it cause issues at both ends of the zoom or just the tele end?
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I'll give it a test, the affected images were in the 150-200 range as I wanted the reach for these particular pics...
 
snerkler said:
I’ve never tried a polariser on a tele lens before, maybe they’re more succeptible to focus issues when using a polariser? I’ve no idea about this of course, but is the only reason why I can think that it works on your 24-70mm but not 70-200mm. Does it cause issues at both ends of the zoom or just the tele end?
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I've used them on 800mm lenses (drop-in cpl)... although they are of much more limited use on telephoto's due to the types of photography they are generally used for (sports/wildlife/etc).

trackdemon said:
it looks like out of focus but you'd expect it to be in focus *somewhere* even if the tracking was slow
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Yup, unless it was completely front/back focused... but that would be much more severe than just soft/OOF. IMO it pretty much has to be a filter/lens refraction interference type issue... I can't come up with another likely reason.

Does the camera believe it is in focus... i.e. it will take the picture in single shot mode with release priority set to focus (or focus confirmation light)?
 
trackdemon said:
I pondered the cheap filter issue up until the point I remembered it's a Hoya Pro1 ;)
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Would that be genuine or fake one?

200mm lenses are very fussy about filter quality but luckily you can just about get away with top quality ones. 400mm and you can totally forget about it
 
trackdemon said:
I pondered the cheap filter issue up until the point I remembered it's a Hoya Pro1 ;)
Click to expand...

Where did you purchase this Hoya Pro 1 filter? If you go through Amazon or E-bay, there is a decent chance at getting a cheap Chinese counterfeit. I've seen it happen many times. I use only higher quality B+W and Marumi's, and I have no image or focusing issues with any of my lenses. However, purchase them only from a reputable dealer. The market is fraught is with counterfeits.
 
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