Is there a difference between a best buy 20$ polarizer and a 400$ polarizer?

Question

i recently bought a polarizer for 20$

my friends is 100$ and he has a Canon xti, i have a xsi

his pictures are more colorful and better looking. is it because of the polarizer ?

by the way-- he has a different lens-- pretty much the same quality. his might be a tad better. but still. i have the better camera, how come my pics arent as good?

Answer 1

Yes most defenitly. One is probably plastic, the other glass or fiberglass. Either way anything with a $300 difference, is going to be a lot different.

Answer 2

Good polarizers will have multiple coatings that help to control flare.  Your $20 probably doesn't.  The quality of the glass used is also probably much better than a $20 one you picked up at Best Buy.

I think you've learned a good lesson. It's not so much the camera body that produces good images, but what is attached to it.  What lens was he using and what lens were you using?  Also, were ya'll getting similar exposure readings?  Honestly, the difference between the XTi and XSi is more ergonomic than in image quality.

You should have been using a circular polarizer.  Did you adjust it for the best polarization?  Also, polarizers only darken the sky (increasing your contrast) in the area that is 90 degrees from the sun.  Outside of that zone and you will see little to no polarization.

Finally... $400 for a polarizer seems just a little unnecessary.  A good circular polarizer will probably cost between $50 and $150 brand new depending on the size of the filter.

Answer 3

It all depends on your lens.  If your lens isn't top quality there's absolutely no point in buying a top quality filter.  The quality of your lens will have a far bigger impact than the filter. If you have a top of the range lens - then yes you should go for a higher quality filter to maximize the quality of your pictures; otherwise you would get far more benefit from putting the $380 towards a better lens

Answer 4

There is a "best buy" brand polarizer?

Probably the lens--but most likely how he used it. Have you used one before? Can you show us what your photo(s) look like? Upload one to http://www.flickr.com

Answer 5

the body doesnt matter as much as the lens, but a polarizer will give you better colors. also check your settings.

id laugh if my friend was saying that his polarizer was better because it was more expensive, i bought a used 5 dollar hoya circular polarizer and it makes me happy.

Answer 6

Yea, there's a big difference.