May. 2002
President's
Message
Photo FAQs
Photo FAQs
Eric Kissa
Q: How can I use a polarizing filter on my rangefinder camera?
A: The use of a polarizer with a rangefinder camera is possible but somewhat cumbersome. The effect of the polarizer cannot be seen through the lens and must be determined by viewing the scene through the filter. Rotate the filter in your hand to the desired degree of polarization. Note the position of the outer ring (Older polarizers had a handle or a dot on the outer ring. You may have to make a dot yourself.) Attach the polarizer to the lens and rotate the outer ring to the same position. As an example, if the dot is at a two o'clock position when the polarizer is handheld, rotate the outer ring of the mounted polarizer to the same (two o'clock) position. The rotation of the inner ring of the polarizer has no effect. Hence, the exact position of the inner ring on the lens is irrelevant.
Instead of detaching the polarizer from the lens and mounting it again, the procedure can be simplified by using two identically marked polarizers. One polarizer is for handheld viewing and the other one remains mounted on the lens. The TTL exposure meter of a Contax G, Bessa R, Hexar, or Leica M6TTL will correct the exposure for the loss of light caused by the polarizer. For other cameras the handheld meter reading has to be increased by about 1.5stops.
Q: Do the modern high speed films make it unnecessary to have a fast lens?
A:Not really. The narrow depth of field of large aperture (f/2.8 or larger) lenses is very useful for throwing backgrounds out of focus. The natural distance dependent sharpness is gradual. The appearance of the out-of-focus highlights is an important characteristic, the bouquet, of the lens. These depth-of-field dependent effects cannot be duplicated digitally. Another important feature of a large aperture lens is the faster autofocus.
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Send questions concerning photographic
equipment (cameras, lenses, accessories, filters), photographic techniques
(other than digital), and film, as well as information on international
photographic exhibitions, to: ekissa @aol.com.