Using a circular polarising filter

Beav

Beav

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Do you car photographers leave your polariser filters on all the time? (Thinking protection and enhanced saturation)

What are your thoughts on using one for indoor car shows like Autosport international at the NEC? I know they help with reflections but it's obviously darker as well indoors. Ile be using the filter on a 24-105L lens with a Canon 6D MKi. I've never used a polarising filter for indoor car stuff as I've been using a Canon 60D with a 10-20mm sigma f4-5.6. with the loss in light from the filter the lens would be way to slow and the body wouldn't cope with the high ISO either.

Thanks,
Beav
 
There are polarisers with less light loss, like Hoya HD and B+W HTC.
 
Beav said:
I got the Hoya PRO1
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Hoya Pro1 is one of the darker toned variety. The difference is about half a stop, say 1.2 vs 1.7ish, which is handy to have but not really a deal breaker. The best filters also have easy-clean outer coatings.

For cars at shows, a polariser will get rid of some reflections completely, but not touch others at all. For example, in a standard kind of three-quarters front view, if you can kill reflections off the bonnet, reflections off the doors will remain and vice versa. Polarisers may also reveal a chequered pattern on toughened glass sometimes used for side windows, but not on laminated windscreens. Polarisers can be helpful, but they're not a magic wand.

It's also worth noting that reflections are vital to reveal the shape and if you get rid of them all, as some try to do in photoshop, the car looks very dull and more like a lump of putty. You need to know your angles with polarisers and with reflections it's Brewster's Angle which boils down to about 35-40 degrees from the surface, then rotate the filter for best effect.
 
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HoppyUK said:
Hoya Pro1 is one of the darker toned variety. The difference is about half a stop, say 1.2 vs 1.7ish, which is handy to have but not really a deal breaker. The best filters also have easy-clean outer coatings.

For cars at shows, a polariser will get rid of some reflections completely, but not touch others at all. For example, if you can kill reflections off the bonnet, reflections off the doors will remain and vice versa. You need to know your angles with polarisers and with reflections it's Brewster's Angle which boils down to about 35-40 degrees from the surface, then rotate the filter for best effect.
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Yup, ive seen someone take two photos rotating the filter then blend in Photoshop after
 
Beav said:
Yup, ive seen someone take two photos rotating the filter then blend in Photoshop after
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That's what I do if I'm taking 'proper' car photos rather than just cars and coffee type photos.

If you can get away with using a tripod, that is exactly what I would be doing with a slow shutter speed.
 
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