For my normal photography, I use an EOS50D - but I can't carry that around all the time, so I use a Nokia N95 Camera Phone to capture photos at those times when it's not convenient or appropriate (e.g. at work) to carry the DSLR and associated kit.
The N95 camera has it's limitations, but provided you work within the limitations (e.g. never use the digital zoom, and avoid low light), the 5 meg pixel camera and Zeiss lens do a good job. Today I tried the suggestion to use a polaroid sunglass lens as a polarising filter. It worked OK, but in some instances, I ran into some problems with the auto focus hunting, and the exposure going way off. This seems to occur at maxim polarising angle.
I suspect is is something to do with the difference between a circular polarising filter and a linear polarising filter, but I can't find a decent explanation of what the difference is, and whether a sunglass lens is a linear or a circular polariser. Camera stores always recommend circular polarisers for auto-focus cameras.
I tried using an old Hoya circular polariser held in front of the lens, and it worked without the problem, but you need three hands to do the job, so a simple sunglass polaroid lens is a much easier solution, if it can be made to work.
Does anyone know the answer ?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Nicole
Another thread on aquariums made me think of this cheap and easy tip that I saw online a while ago.
If your camera can't take filters (e.g. a P&S) then you can still use a polarizing filter with the help of a pair of polarized sunglasses. As long as the lenses are polarized this will work. When you want to take the picture, hold the sunglasses up in front of your lens so that you can't see the frames or anything else strange, then rotate the sunglasses in front of the camera until you get the look that you were hoping for (and if they're not a pair of sunglasses you wear, you can always pop the lens out and just keep that with your camera bag). This can produce a darker sky or cut out reflections the same way a normal polarizer would. You might feel a bit silly giving your camera sunglasses, but hey, this is coming from the same person who has walked around with their camera in a big ziplock bag  |