Arctic Polarizer Assessment: Winter Filter Take a look at

When PolarPro despatched me their new Arctic round polarizer, I used to be fairly excited. This new polarizer has been designed particularly for winter images in chilly, harsh circumstances.

As luck would have it, they despatched the filter to the precise particular person. I do know a factor or two about taking pictures in harsh winter circumstances, residing in Canada. A typical winter usually sees me out taking pictures in minus 26 levels Celsius. I’ve been on photographic assignments to the Arctic and shot in as little as minus 62 levels Celsius once in a while. Cold is my photographic collaborator.

So right here’s how this evaluate goes to work. I’ll reproduce what PolarPro has written concerning the PolarPro Arctic CP Filter on their web site and reply to every level, one after the other. I’ve a few PolarPro’s CP filters, together with the pretty new PolarPro 135 Series Chroma PL. It’s extremely good—there’s no colour solid in any respect—in order that’s the one I’ll use for a direct comparability. Here we go then.

• High Transmission Polarizer (45%) – Half a cease brighter than normal polarizers for low-light environments.
• Chroma Polarization Technology – Perfect colour rendition with zero colour shift.
• Short Throw Rotation (110 °) – Covers the total polarization vary, 5x quicker than conventional designs.
• Glove-Friendly Surface – Enlarged grip floor for clean changes in chilly circumstances.
• Lens Hood Compatible – Slim body design works seamlessly with lens hoods.
• Helix MagLock + Standard Thread Sizes – Available in quick-swap Helix MagLock or normal 49 mm, 67 mm, 77 mm, 82 mm, 86 mm, 95 mm thread sizes.
• Field-Tested in Greenland – Proven by Benjamin Hardman on a crusing voyage by means of Arctic ice fields.

The largest draw back to polarizers is that they price you between 1 to 2 stops of sunshine. To save a half cease of sunshine when taking pictures in low gentle could be helpful and is the one largest cause I’m within the Arctic CP.

We have well-below-freezing temperatures exterior proper now, and snow all over the place—good circumstances, then. I headed out and shot a gaggle of timber with no filter, after which placed on my Chroma PL. One cease of sunshine misplaced. Next, the Arctic CP, and one cease of sunshine misplaced. Hmm—no distinction. I attempted taking pictures largely snow, so very vivid, and bought the identical outcomes: each filters misplaced me one cease of sunshine. I attempted a shot with a darker scene and rather a lot much less snow. Same outcomes.

This isn’t any scientific bench take a look at; it’s me out photographing within the snow, which is what you’d be doing too, proper? Does it carry out otherwise on a sunny seashore with blue skies? No thought. It’s marketed as a filter for this climate, in order that’s the surroundings I’m testing it in.

When I in contrast the PolarPro CPL to the 135 Series Chroma PL earlier this yr, the outcomes have been just about the identical. If I did the nerdy pixel-peeper factor, I might argue the CPL has an oh-so-slight colour solid. To make clear, the Chroma PL had no colour solid. It was superb.

So how does the Arctic PL examine? I can’t see a distinction in any respect. And taking pictures snow is when a colour solid goes to be the obvious.

Here I stand, within the chilly, freezing to dying, for you, pricey reader—so that you higher be paying consideration. The brief throw of 110 ° was noticeable, and good. There have been exhausting stops at every finish of the rotation, not like the Chroma PL, the place there have been no exhausting stops; it simply stored rotating. One might argue, nevertheless, that except you’re going from horizontal to vertical taking pictures, you actually don’t have to be turning the filter a lot as soon as adjusted—particularly in snowy winter circumstances.

I’ve my Arctic gloves out with me, and my comfortable alpaca wool gloves too. Both pairs turned the Arctic CP somewhat simpler than the Chroma PL. Check.

Ah-ha—sure, the Arctic can be utilized with a lens hood. But so can the Chroma PL. Of course, this solely works in case your filter is identical dimension as your lens. Both of the filters on this take a look at are 82mm, as was my lens, so all good. 

These have been examined by Benjamin Hardman on a grueling Arctic journey. A crusing voyage by means of Greenland, huh? A Monty Python sketch involves thoughts: “Luxury! What I’d give to go on a sailing cruise through Greenland. We have to get up while it’s still dark, trudge through waist-deep snow in minus 50 degrees while keeping one eye peeled for polar bears.” I paraphrase, and jest. Benjamin has a superb physique of labor and has been on some fairly candy adventures; it’s price looking round his website.

Conclusion

I believe the query in your thoughts, and mine too, is whether or not the $150 Arctic CP filter is price shopping for as a substitute of the $140 135 Series Chroma PL, or PolarPro’s $140 common CPL filter. Is the additional $10 price it?

The reply is sure in concept, for that further half cease of sunshine alone—however there was no further half cease of sunshine. Both Arctic CP and 135 Series Chroma PL filters carried out precisely the identical. They each price me one cease of sunshine within the overcast, snowy circumstances I examined them in. I shot quite a lot of winter panorama scenes over a number of days, and a few occasions the Arctic CP picture did look very barely lighter than the Chroma PL. But half a cease? Not even shut.

If you wish to go deeper on panorama taking pictures and put up work past filter selection, Fstoppers’ Photographing the World: Landscape Photography and Post-Processing is a strong companion.

Positives

• I preferred that the Arctic CP filter had a really helpful brief rotation with exhausting stops.

• I preferred that it was somewhat extra grippy.

• I preferred that it was white—there’s no confusion about what you will have connected to your lens at a look.

• And it appears to be like relatively cool, too.

Negatives

• It didn’t ship that further half cease of sunshine, as promised.

• It would have been good if it have been made with brass as a substitute of aluminum—however this can be a criticism of most filters, not simply this one.

Bottom Line

Had the PolarPro Arctic CP given me that further half cease, this could simply price as a 9.5/10—possibly even a ten/10.

But it didn’t. Despite this, it’s an extremely good filter—among the best CP filters you should buy—so I can’t not give it an 8.5/10.

You should buy it here for $150 or purchase the 135 Series Chroma PL here for $10 much less.