[Matt Henderson]

Hi Matt

A polarising filter is likely to not perform well in low light conditions? What type of filter do you keep on your lens for most of the time to protect the lens itself? I was thinking a standard UV filter?

Cheers
Mike

I've got a UV filter on the lense of the SLR at all times. Hadn't really thought about the polarising one not working in low light but it makes sense.

[Marc Fauvet]

A polarising filter is likely to not perform well in low light conditions?

hi Mike !
the average polarizer will reduce light input by two f-stops, a 4x light reduction. (or loss of available light)
UV filters do protect the lens, so do lens covers... 

cheers,
marc

[Rob Brownfield]

Hi Mike,
I have a circular polarizing filter on my camera for probably 90% of the photos I take but my camera automatically adjusts the stops (+1 in my case). The polarizing filter helps bring out the blues in the sky, making then darker and clouds whiter, adds contrast to B&W pictures (which I mainly take) and reduces shine when taking images of cars, buildings (windows) and brings out greens in landscapes and helps reduce haze in photos etc. Its a very useful filter to have.

I then have a clear UV over that to protect it as it was not cheap!

[Matt Henderson]

A bit of a random one here. But how do polarising glasses work? Because with a circular polariser you turn the outer lense you get more or less polarisation but with glasses you can't do that? I did notice that when driving today if I tilted my head from side to side then the sky got more or less blue.

Matt

[Peter McCallum]

It filters light in one plane only, in glasses it should be (though its not always) in the horizontal plane. If you want to check take two pairs and place one lens of each  together and level then look through both. You should be able to see through them. Now rotate the front ones through 90 degrees and it should get darker until, when they are at 90, they should go completely black.

[Mike Barrio]

I have visions of Matt driving down the road today doing a bit of a Stevie Wonder head roll

[Matt Henderson]

You've seen me drive then?!?