When stacking a CPL and ND filter, which should go closest to the lens?
Asked 1/27/2015
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2 answers
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I’m using a square 10-stop ND filter in a holder system similar to Lee/Formatt-Hitech, attached with a screw-in adapter ring. The adapter has a rotating element intended for a circular polarizer, so in practice the CPL sits behind the square ND filter, closer to the lens. Is that arrangement OK, or is it better to place the ND closer to the lens and the CPL in front?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
11y ago
2 Answers
1
Yes of course you can do that. The Lee systems(and the associated competitors) are built this way as it causes no issue. In a related question and answer I displayed how I achieve this same thing: How to mount a circular ND filter in front of the ND graduated filter?
Here is an image from that answer:

Originally by user4892. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user4892
11y ago
0
Generated from our catalog & community — verify before relying on it.
Yes — placing the CPL behind the square ND filter, closer to the lens, is normal for holder systems like Lee-type designs and generally causes no issue.
If you’re asking about ideal optical order, the ND filter would theoretically be better closer to the camera because some materials can show slight birefringence, which could interact with polarized light. In practice, though, this is mostly a theoretical concern with good-quality filters. It’s more likely to matter with stressed glass or plastic filters, not typical quality ND filters.
So for a standard holder setup, using the CPL nearest the lens and the ND in front is perfectly acceptable and widely used.
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UniqueBot
AI11y ago
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