Nikon C-PL405 40.5mm Slip-In Circular Polarizing Filter

2021-12-29T06:53:22

For me this is an absolutely necessary and useful accessory for my 500mm f/4E VR FL! It?s not always needed, in fact I use it only about 5-10% of the time. But when you need it, it?s so nice to have and absolutely is useful. It cuts down on reflections that are on everything from water and tree leaves to car windows, etc! You can?t replicate the effects of this CPL-405 in post processing or photoshop. I live near the ocean and I photograph surfing, wildlife and other subjects that are on or near water. Having the option to cut down or eliminate reflections is absolutely useful and sometimes imperative! Plus the added color or saturation is also great, especially on partly cloudy or overcast days. I?ve photographed a few surfing contests when it was overcast and the light was dull, and this helped boost the colors and contrast of the water and the surfers jerseys! So while this is not something you?ll always need or use?it is so nice to have when you do need it or when it is useful. Do not kid yourself by thinking you will never need this or that it?s not worth the price. Once you have used one of these, you?ll see I am right and you?ll thank me later. Yes they are expensive and yes not everyone owns one of these. But what?s right is not always popular and vice versa. You?re looking at an accessory for a $11,000-$13,000 USD lens, so don?t cheap out and just buy one. You?ll eventually come across a scenario where this is needed and you?ll see how it can definitely improve image quality. You bought an FL super-tele for a reason, for its top of the line image quality, so make sure you have one of these! You do lose about 1-1.3 stops of light, but it does not seem to effect autofocus or subject isolation/ background blur. But if you are in low light and you need a faster shutter speed, you will want to stop or not be using this. But in good lighting, it has a positive effect in the situations or scenarios where it will be helpful. Reflections are everywhere and often not very pleasant looking, so when you need or want to cut down on reflections or glare, use this! I?ve also used mine when photographing wildfires, since I?m a newspaper photographer in Southern California, I cover plenty of fires. This seems to also help with cutting down on some of the haze or smoke. Dehaze in Lightroom also helps, but this is a good start, that you can?t add later in post!

PATRICK S.

2018-06-20T19:00:14

Nice option for the large lens, but expensive for what is not often used

Robert W.

2017-12-28T20:20:28

This is the essential POL filter for several newer telephoto lenses with the 40.5mm slip-in holder slot; no substitutes are available. Optically this polarizer filter it seemed fine for me. But perhaps because this filter should never be touched by anything when you swap it for the UV filter normally in that slip-in slot, Nikon did not seem to apply any scratch-resistant or anti-dust coatings. So, it seems very easy to collect some dust, or to smudge, mar or scratch this polarizing filter. And in my clumsy hands, it seems very difficult to clean without making things worse. To exacerbate that issue, it appears Nikon basically glued or trapped the filter ring onto the holder so it cannot be easily replaced if needed. Seems a design flaw of a choice to me, so handle very, very carefully and always use a protective sleeve or bag for this filter when not installed in the lens. Nikon used to sell the 52mm version of this filter holder separately (without any filter) that fit some of the older telephoto lenses [not compatible with this newer 500mm E FL lens], so you could screw-in your own polarizing filter or have a spare holder if you used specialty filters, but I cannot find the compatible spare holder that will fit the newer 40.5mm filters yet, except with the pre-installed POL filter that you cannot unscrew.

JAN P.

2017-12-06T08:11:29

Nicely made. I have not used it extensively yet.

MARK C.

2015-08-03T21:00:00

I use it with the 400mm f/4 and the 600mm f/4. It does what it is supposed to do and does it well.

WARREN S.