Before you decide which circular polarizer you want to buy, you should figure out what you’re looking for in a circular polarizer.
Four important things to keep in mind when shopping for a circular polarizer are: the size of the frame, whether the circular polarizer casts color on your images, whether the circular polarizer uses a hydrophobic coating, and the type of glass used.
If your circular polarizer features a thick rim, then the chances of vignetting on the edges of your photo drastically increase, so slim circular polarizers are best.
You also don’t want your circular polarizer to add any colors to your photos - you’re looking for hyper-neutral results instead.
Finally, the top circular polarizers should use a hydrophobic coating to keep water at bay, and higher transmission glass, to prevent light restriction. After all, you don’t want to be constantly wiping water off the filter, nor do you want it to influence the exposure.
For the purpose of this article, we picked three budget-friendly circular polarizers that are each under $100.
Kenko Nyumon Slim Circular Polarizer
At the top of my list is the circular polarizer I currently have in my bag, the Kenko Nyumon Circular Polarizer.
This filter ticks all the boxes when it comes to features you want in a polarizing filter.
It’s made of precision Asahi optical glass that maximizes the quality of the image. This type of glass is similar to what’s used to make the elements in a lens, so you know it’s of a very high quality.
The slim housing minimizes the chances of vignetting while the eight layers of anti-reflective coatings reduce ghosting and reflections.
Likewise, the coatings on both sides of the filter help repel environmental conditions like water, dust, and oils from your fingers.
These filters also have minimal effect on the exposure - about 1.5 stops.
In other words, I’ve found this filter to not only be a durable and effective filter, but it’s also extremely budget friendly at just $43.00 for a 37mm version on up to about $53.00 for an 82mm version.
Pros of the Kenko Nyumon Circular Polarizer:
- Excellent price
- High-quality glass
- Eight layers of coatings
Cons of the Kenko Nyumon Circular Polarizer:
- Threads can be a little difficult to screw onto the lens
Get more details on the Kenko Nyumon Circular Polarizer
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Originally posted on PhotographyTalk.com
