Circular Polarizer doesn't appear to be working on my HF100.
 

A couple months ago I bought a Heliopan 37mm circ pol for my HF100. When I got it home I screwed it on and didn't really see much action when I was rotating the ring. I threw it in my camera bag and kind of forgot about it. I had a Hoya circ pol that I fitted onto a WA adapter that has served me pretty well. Tonight I put the Heliopan on my camera and I couldn't get the tiniest indication that it was cutting any glare at all. I put the Hoya on and I was able to completely cut the glare and also blackout a polarized screen on a device in my studio. The heliopan couldn't do either.

Is it possible that I have a defective circ pol or are there varying degrees of circular polarizers. There is a number 2.5 on the side of the heliopan.

Thanks, William

Heliopan is not a name associated with exceptional quality.

Hoya is.

I think the test you ran should answer any questions you might have.

If you have not had the Heliopan more than a few days to 10 days or so I would return it with copy of proof of purchase. Ask for a refund and if they won't do that I would simply tell them to toss it in the garbage where it belongs. If you've had it too long to return, toss it in the trash yourself.

when ordering filters if I want excellent quality I go for Hoya, my protective UV filters are all Hoya SMC multicoated which in my tests killed more glare than plain multicoated. If I do need economy I go for Tiffen, a company that has been around for a LONG time. I still get decent stuff from them at lower prices.

Bill:

Not to point out the obvious but in your post, you allude to "Tonight I put the Heliopan on my camera and I couldn't get the tiniest indication that it was cutting any glare at all". Polarizers really don't do much at night or on dimly lit interiors and are functioning more as an ND filter than as a polarizer in those situations.

Usually polarizers are used for daylight exteriors because for interiors, they generally lose your camera about two or more stops of light and few camcorders have two stops to spare when shooting interiors. Polarizers work at a 90 degree angle from a light source, whether that is the sun or other lighting so you won't see much, if any polarizing effect unless you are around a 90 degree angle from your primary light source.

Heliopan is a no-name. I second the Hoya recommendation, they just introduced a new line of polarizers at the PMA show last week that look to be amazingly tough and they only lose 1.5 stops of light versus the typical 2 to 2.5 stops most other polas lose.

It is possible that your Heliopan is just a lousy filter too. No, there are no degrees of circular polarizers, a circular polarizer is a circular polarizer.

Good luck,

Dan Brockett