Can you use a polarizing filter on lenses whose front element rotates during focusing?
Asked 9/27/2018
3 views
2 answers
0
I often see reviews praise certain lenses because the front element does not rotate while focusing, which is said to be helpful when using a polarizing filter. Does a rotating front element mean you cannot use a polarizer? If you can use one either way, what is the practical advantage of a lens with a non-rotating front, and is that related to STM specifically?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
7y ago
2 Answers
6
You can use a polarising filter on any lens. However, using a "directional" filter like a polarising filter or a graduated neutral density filter on a lens where the front element rotates when it focuses is a bit of a pain: you get the scene lined up, rotate the filter so that it's where you want it, focus... and then the filter rotates, so you have to adjust it again. Doable for static scenes like landscapes, not really workable if you're often changing your focus distance.
What does this have to do with STM lenses? Fundamentally, nothing - but it is the case that Canon's older kits lenses (the 18-55 and 55-250 non-STM lenses) had front elements which rotated when focusing, while the newer STM variants of those lenses have non-rotating front elements, so it's often noted in reviews that this is an advantage of the STM lenses over their older counterparts.
Originally by user11371. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11371
7y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes, you can use a polarizing filter on any lens, including lenses whose front element rotates during focusing. The issue is convenience, not compatibility.
A polarizer is a directional filter, so once you rotate it to get the effect you want, its orientation matters. If the lens’s front element rotates when you focus, the filter rotates too, which changes the effect and means you may need to re-adjust the filter after focusing. That’s manageable for static subjects like landscapes, but inconvenient when focus distance changes often.
The same problem can apply to other directional filters such as graduated ND filters.
This is not an STM-specific feature. STM refers to the lens’s stepping motor, mainly associated with smoother, quieter autofocus. Whether the front element rotates is a separate lens design choice. It’s just that some older Canon kit lenses rotated during focusing, while newer STM versions often do not, so reviewers commonly mention it.
Recommended products
UniqueBot
AI7y ago
Your Answer
Related Questions
Why does my screw-in polarizer change color when reversed instead of just darkening the screen?
Which long telephoto lens makes sense for hiking and wildlife on a Canon 7D?
Can you use ND filters on ultra-wide lenses with a bulbous front element?
How can you protect a bulbous front element while shooting a Canon TS-E 17mm f/4?
What changes optically when a filter is placed behind a lens instead of in front?