Polarising gel sheets

If you're in Cardiff, as your screen name suggests, you could try Stage Lighting Services in Pentwyn.
They're theatre suppliers and hirers, not photography, and as far as filters/gels and so on are concerned they're primarily Lee dealers - but they're always happy to order Rosco filters for customers.

I've been dealing with them for years for theatre stuff (including gels), and have always been very happy with their service.

I've no idea how their price for what you want would compare with Teamwork, but if they are local it would at least save you delivery - and it would only take a brief phone call to find out anyway.

Here's their website: http://www.stagelightingservices.com/
 
Thanks! I'm just on the outskirts of Cardiff :)

Gave them a call and they don't supply any polarising gel sheets and had never heard of them before so couldn't help :(

When I watch Alex on Photigy he uses them saying they cost him around $30 so either here in the UK the price shoots right up or I haven't found the right supplier for them ?!
 
Oh, I'm very sorry to have sent you off on a wild goose chase, Gareth. :(

Whilst I'm not particularly surprised that SLS don't stock the stuff and didn't know about it (it's not something that's used in theatre lighting), they are Rosco dealers so I am a little surprised that that it sounds as though they didn't check the source.
I'm glad and relieved, however, that I didn't cost you more than a phone call.

Have you tried the larger UK photographic suppliers?
I haven't checked their sites for polarising gel but, if I were looking to buy some, I would at least try The Flash Centre and Calumet.

Failing that, you could go to Rosco themselves and ask who your closest supplier might be: https://www.rosco.com/UK/wtb/index.cfm?SellableItemID=

I know that Peter Mumford used to own and run a Rosco dealership in Cardiff, but that was years ago and, to the best of my knowledge, he's long stopped doing that to concentrate on his lighting design work.

Polarising gel/filter is a fairly specialist product ("niche" might be the trendier term... ;) ) but it's been used in photography for years.
Please let us know how you get on. It might well be useful for others here. :)
 
No wild goose chase, it's fine :) I'm sat here with my foot bust up in a support boot so it gave me something to do!

The Flash Centre don't list it on their site :(

I'll contact the manufacturer via the link you gave ;)
 
There's some listed on eBay, no idea whether they're the genuine article though.
 
I hadn't noticed how small they were, the biggest appears to be 15cm square.
 
cardiff_gareth said:
Thanks all :)

Using the Lee website they gave a local dealer that may be able to help:

http://www.panalux.biz/

So I've messaged them to see if they can help and the cost. I will report back when they get back to me :)
Click to expand...
I wouldn't hold your breath, panalux are the people who supply lighting to the movie industry, and are very much not set up for selling individual sheets of gel to be honest, their operations are more typically a lorry load of lighting - and even when you do want to give them a few grand of work, by email they can still be somewhat unresponsive.

Polarising gel is super niche, brand new and sadly v expensive, if procentre (above) do it then they might be a good bet, otherwise teamwork are a good company...
 
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I looked into this a few years ago, and like Phil, could only find really small pieces in the UK. I do have a couple of 15cm square pieces and they work ok with speedlights. However, I ended up using something else - LCD screens are a source of polarised light (a polarising filter polarises the light one way, and then an electronically controlled polarising layer polarises it the other way, to a varying degree for each pixel. Repeat for each colour - but I'm a bit hazy on how this is arranged tbh). Anyway: display a blank white something on the screen (white image, or a blank email...) and use the monitor as a soft LED light panel. You will need to turn up the brightness of the back-lights and as long as it's a fairly modern LED lit panel, the light shouldn't be too bad.

Here's a shot of a CD case I took using a Samsung 24" panel - the image is backlit by the screen, but no light enters the camera directly as I have a polarising filter over the lens set at exactly 90 degrees to the one inside the LCD screen. Only light that is re-scattered through the variable density of the plastic makes it through the filter on the lens:-
https://www.flickr.com/photos/owenlloyd/4906108282/in/album-72157624369237082/

Those cracks on the left are not visible (yet) to the naked eye. Glass and plastic manufacturers use polarised light like this to detect stress and fractures in the material, and this is another potential supply route.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Small-Pol...ass-PFILM01-/161041175213?hash=item257ecd52ad
http://www.warm-glass.co.uk/polarising-film-a5-p-301.html

Not any cheaper though :(

I had half an idea to mount the small pieces I have between thick cardboard (with a square cut out in the centre) to make a sort of frame big enough to tape to a 7 inch reflector dish but never got round to it.
 
Thanks Owen. I've contacted that eBay seller as they sell it as an A5 size and if they cut it to size before sending it I've asked if I purchased 2 items then could they not cut them down and send me one piece that's A4 in size. I'll measure the studio light reflector as the A5 might just do it but A4 would give me much more control.

I'll update with a reply if they do indeed reply to me.

@itsdavedotnet - No reply them the other company yet either!
 
It has in fact been available for many years - I first bought some at least 20 years ago, made by Rosco and sold, back then, by Jessops, in both full and half sheet sizes.
Just a word of warning, once you've sourced them - don't leave the modelling lamps on for any longer than strictly necessary. Once the gels get hot, they're ruined.
 
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