Hyperfocal distance

[BillK]

That is fine if you are going to take a pic of an LCD monitor...
Doug

Unfortunately there wasn't enough light outside last evening to see any difference, so I tested it against my LCD monitor so that I had a point of reference when out in the field. Worked perfectly. Doesn't everyone
take pictures of their LCD monitor?

- Bill

 

[DougPaul]

Unfortunately there wasn't enough light outside last evening to see any difference, so I tested it against my LCD monitor so that I had a point of reference when out in the field. Worked perfectly. Doesn't everyone take pictures of their LCD monitor?

Just take a look at the sky with a mixture of blue and clouds. As you rotate the filter you will usually be able to see the effect.*

I have taken pics of my CRT monitor, but not my LCD monitor and not with a polarizing filter.

BTW, an LCD display uses a backlight, a back polarizer, a layer of liquid crystals (which rotate the polarization by an amount dependent upon the applied voltage), and a front polarizer. Because of the front polarizer, all light emitted by them is polarized.

You can also test a polarizer with the light off a glancing angle specular (shiny surface) reflection--it too is polarized and is why polarizing sunglasses cut glare.

The real fun occurs when the LCD displays in your car are oriented such that you cannot see them if you are wearing polarizing sunglasses...

* Since you should have gotten a circular polarizer for your DSLR, make sure you have the front side pointed at the scene. If you point the back side at the scene, nothing will happen.

Doug

 

[BillK]

I just took several shots using the new tripod. Some with the polarizer off, some with the polarizer on. The sun was fairly close to 45 degrees at the time and I tried to adjust the polarizer for maximum effects.

Polarizer Shots

 

[darren]

I think what Doug was getting at is that you can not use your LCD monitor as a reference. What might be the maximum effect position for the monitor will most likely not be the max effect position when you are out in the field. Chances are when you are out in the field the direction of polarization will be different that what is coming directly off your monitor. It will depend on your orientation to the sun and the orientation of the reflected light coming to you.

You need to rotate the filter in the field to find the position of max effect. If you can not easily see the position of max effect through the viewfinder then I would not use the filter. You are just dimming the viewfinder and making it harder to focus, and reducing your shutter speed and increasing the risk of camera shake.

BTW, max effect of a polarizer will be when the sun is 90 degrees to the lens - meaning the sun is directly off your left or right shoulder when you look through the camera.

- darren