Heliopan 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter

Before you capture your next photographic masterpiece, consider the transformative power of the 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter. This essential piece of camera equipment, known for its color neutrality, enhances your picture-taking capabilities, whether you're shooting in black and white or vibrant color.

Unlike colored filters used in color photography, which can alter the overall color palette of your image, a polarizing filter maintains the integrity of your colors while increasing contrast and color saturation. This is achieved by manipulating the way your camera interacts with natural light, which typically disperses in all directions in a wave form.

Sunlight, with its high color purity, becomes polarized as it passes through the atmosphere, resulting in a subtle gray haze over all colors. This effect can be significantly reduced or even eliminated with the use of our 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter.

When light falls at an angle of approximately 35½ onto reflective surfaces like water, glass, or plastic, it becomes reflected and polarized. A properly oriented polarizing filter absorbs these reflections, allowing the true colors to reach your film or sensor. This results in transparent water surfaces and more saturated clouds, enhancing the overall quality of your image.

The light loss associated with a polarizing filter ranges between 1 and 1.5 F stops. However, this can be manually or automatically corrected depending on your camera type.

Our 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter is constructed with a neutral color foil cemented between two plane parallel glass discs. This design allows light rays to pass only in one plane. The filter is mounted in a calibrated rotating ring, enabling you to easily set the desired position and effect.

With an SLR, you can see the result in the finder. For viewfinder type cameras, simply hold the polarizer in front of your eye and rotate it to see the desired effect. The calibrated rim on every 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter makes it easy to set the filter to the same position on the lens.

Please note, if no effect is visible, the available light conditions may not be polarizable, and the use of the filter may not be advisable.

There are two types of polarizers: linear and circular. The circular type is required for camera systems where the built-in light measuring system uses light that has passed through the mirror via a beam splitter. The circular polarizer has a second component, a 1/4 wave plate in its construction, which sets the polarized light in rotation and allows it to pass without interruption through the measuring system for accurate measurements.

Circular polarizers are also recommended for autofocus lenses in video cameras. To maintain the longevity of your 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter, avoid overheating.

In conclusion, the 86mm Linear Polarizer Filter is a versatile tool that can dramatically enhance your photography by increasing contrast, boosting color saturation, and reducing unwanted reflections.