Should you use a polarizing filter on a wide-angle lens?
Asked 11/9/2010
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I’m considering a polarizer for a 16mm wide-angle lens. I’ve read that circular polarizers can cause uneven darkening or saturation across the frame because polarization is strongest about 90° from the sun, and a very wide field of view can include many different angles at once. Is this really a significant problem in practice? When does it show up most, and are there ways to reduce or even use the effect creatively?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
15y ago
2 Answers
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It's something to be aware of, but as long as you're aware of it, you can often still use a polarizer.
I've a 10-22mm UWA and I'm quite happy that I spent the money to get a polarizer for it. A couple of suggestions for you:
- You can often hide the variation across the image by e.g. including clouds in skies for example
- When you've rotated your polarizer to get maximum effect, rotate it back slightly to back off the effect, and you can still get some of the benefit of a polarizer.
- Shoot portrait instead of landscape.
Couple of examples:
10mm:

12mm:

Originally by user1124. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user1124
15y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes—you can use a polarizer on a wide-angle lens, but you need to watch for uneven skies. The issue is real because polarization is strongest about 90° from the sun; with a very wide view, the center of the frame may be strongly affected while the edges are not, creating obvious dark or saturated patches.
It shows up most with clear blue sky, especially in landscape orientation and when shooting roughly 90° to the sun. It’s much less noticeable in overcast conditions, when little sky is in the frame, or when clouds help break up the sky.
Ways to reduce it:
- back off from maximum polarization by rotating the filter slightly
- shoot in portrait orientation instead of landscape
- compose with less uninterrupted blue sky
- use clouds or other elements to hide the variation
So a polarizer is not something you should “never” use on a wide-angle lens. It can still be very useful; just be aware of when the uneven effect is likely and adjust composition or filter strength accordingly.
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