392
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #54,763 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★☆
Test of three polarizers: AmazonBasics, Tiffen, X2
I bought three circular polarizers: AmazonBasics ($13.99), Tiffen ($28.17), and Breakthrough Photography’s X2 ($89).
The first test throws out the AmazonBasics due to color problems (it turns everything brown). A weekend of ruined pictures with that filter confirmed this.
The Tiffen looks better than the X2. The polarization is stronger, and the X2 appears to be slightly brownish.
A weekend using the Tiffen returned slightly brownish pictures. Breakthrough Photography's website shows tests of the Tiffen and their X4 ($129). The Tiffen looks worse at long (red) wavelengths and the X4 looks worse at short (blue) wavelengths.
I usually leave my camera on AWB; this weekend I'll try other white balance settings. Also I'll pay more attention to the sun's position and leave the polarizer off when it's not doing anything. I suspect that the photographer's skill is more important than the differences between filters!
