Circular Polariser for wildlife...

[Deleted Member 5045]

I've recently started using a circular polariser for a lot of my nature and city shots, which I've found to be pretty handy and effective. I wanted to know if you use one for wildlife stuff? I'm thinking it will help a lot with highlights on the birds etc.

I'm just trying to work out how beneficial it will be to get one of these for my Sony 200-600mm.

 

[MrFotoFool]

I do not use one for wildlife, only for landscape. The problem is you have to rotate the filter every time you change the direction your camera is pointed. Unless your wildlife is staying in more or less the same spot the entire shoot, it becomes cumbersome. On the 200-600 you would also need to remove the lens hood to rotate the filter. Plus it makes the image darker which means you will have to slow the shutter speed or increase the ISO. Since wildlife often requires the fastest setting available, I would not darken the image with a filter (especially on a lens that only goes to f5.6-6.3).

 

[Slug]

I do not use one for wildlife, only for landscape. The problem is you have to rotate the filter every time you change the direction your camera is pointed. Unless your wildlife is staying in more or less the same spot the entire shoot, it becomes cumbersome. On the 200-600 you would also need to remove the lens hood to rotate the filter. Plus it makes the image darker which means you will have to slow the shutter speed or increase the ISO. Since wildlife often requires the fastest setting available, I would not darken the image with a filter (especially on a lens that only goes to f5.6-6.3).

I agree.

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

I guess the two primary reasons for using a polarising filter is to enhance primary colours (greens and blues specifically),
and reduce glare particularily when shooting water surfaces where glare will either detract from your subject(duck/swan
etc) or detail under the water surface is important.....for landscapes etc

Colour enhancement can be achieved easily in post processing, but if you are shooting water fowl as your primary
photographic subjects, in bright sun, my view would be that it is probably better to have a polarising filter than not......

 

[Slug]

Pretty impractical on the 600 but easier to adjust on the 100-400.

 

[Deleted Member 5003]

The other factor to consider is that when using a polarizing filter, for maximum effect it is best to be shooting perpendicular to the position of the sun….

Another practical consideration…

 

[Deleted Member 5045]

Cheers for the responses guys. I actually just wasn't sure, was thinking maybe everyone was using them and it was just an unspoken rule or something.

I hate having a lens hood on and never use them, so physically adjusting a polariser wouldn't be a problem, but I guess the adjustment itself even if it's convenient is just another thing to do when time is limited in these situations.

The factor I didn't consider is the light reduction a polariser will bring, which is definitely something I can't afford to have with the setup I am running. I think this alone answers my question as to whether using one in general is feasible or not.

I might grab one though for shooting birds that are out in the open water where the ISO would be sitting quite low anyway.

Thanks so much for everyone's input.