Heliopan 28mm Circular Polarizer Filter - SH-PMC (16 Layer Super Hard Multi-Coated)

It is essential for photographers to enhance image quality by controlling light and reflections, and the 28mm Circular Polarizer Filter with SH-PMC (16 Layer Super Hard Multi-Coated) technology offers a professional solution. This high-quality filter is color neutral, ensuring that it does not alter the hues captured in your photographs, whether you're shooting with black and white or color film.

In the realm of color photography, where colored filters can undesirably shift the colors in an image, a circular polarizer is indispensable for adjusting contrast and color saturation without compromising the photograph's integrity. Natural light, which is polarized and possesses high color purity, can become scattered when passing through the atmosphere, leading to a bluish-gray haze that affects all colors. This filter effectively reduces or eliminates that haze, allowing for clearer and more vibrant images.

When light reflects off non-metallic surfaces such as water, glass, or plastic at an angle of approximately 35½ degrees, it becomes polarized. By correctly orienting the circular polarizer filter, unwanted reflections are absorbed, revealing the true colors beneath. This makes water surfaces appear more transparent and enhances the definition of clouds against the sky.

The light loss associated with using this polarizer is between 1 and 1.5 F stops, which can be compensated for either manually or automatically, depending on your camera type. Constructed with a neutral color foil sandwiched between two plane-parallel glass discs, this filter allows light rays to pass through in only one plane. The calibrated rotating ring enables precise positioning to achieve the desired polarizing effect.

For SLR users, the effect of the filter can be directly observed through the viewfinder. Those using viewfinder type cameras can hold the polarizer before their eye and rotate it to see the effect before setting it on the lens using the calibrated rim provided on every HELIOPAN polarizing filter. If no effect is visible, it indicates that the current lighting conditions cannot be polarized, and using the filter may not be beneficial.

There are two main types of polarizers: linear and circular. Circular polarizers are necessary for camera systems with built-in light measuring systems that rely on light passing through a beam splitter, as the light is already partially polarized. Linear polarizers can disrupt focusing measurements in such systems. The circular polarizer includes a 1/4 wave plate that sets the polarized light in rotation, allowing it to pass through the measuring system without interference, ensuring accurate exposure and focus, particularly in AF cameras.

Circular polarizers are also recommended for use with auto-focus lenses in video cameras. To maintain the filter's integrity and performance, it is important to avoid overheating. With the 28mm Circular Polarizer Filter's SH-PMC coating, which features 16 layers of super hard multi-coating, photographers can expect enhanced durability and resistance to scratching, along with improved light transmission for exceptional image clarity.