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Best Polarizing Filters: Buying Guide & Reviews

Gobe Circular Polarizing

Even though there are people that only care about how the photo is concluded and given to the client, those that are professionals by heart never underestimate the value of using a lens filter and bringing to their clients better pictures than ever!

In this article, you will find some of the most amazing polarizing filters on the market nowadays, and they do the job perfectly!

A Quick Look at My Favorite Polarizing Filters

ImageProductFeaturesPrice
Best Budget
Amazon Basics Filter

Amazon Basics Filter

10
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Best for Nikorr Lenses
Nikon 2390

Nikon 2390

8.6
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Best Color Accuracy
Tiffen 82CP

Tiffen 82CP

8.5
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Best Runner Up
Gobe Circular Polarizing

Gobe Circular Polarizing

8.8
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Best Overall
B + W Circular Polarizer Kaesemann

B + W Circular Polarizer Kaesemann

8.6
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Key Takeaways

  • A photographer needs a lot of equipment, including lenses and excellent filters, because they constantly strive to produce better and better images.
  • Polarizing filters are crucial and significantly impact the quality of a photograph.
  • The B + W Circular Polarizer Kaesemann is undoubtedly the superb polarizing filter available; therefore, if I had the chance to buy one, that would be my top choice.
  • The Tiffen 82CP should be your choice if color fidelity is more important to you.
    Utilizing polarizing filters is the ideal approach to eliminate reflection in your photographs. this article

The Top 5 Best Polarizing Filters

5. Amazon Basics Filter – Best Budget

Amazon Basics Filter

What I Like

  • Affordable
  • Compatible
  • Includes multi-coating

What I Don’t Like

  • Flare performance could be better

Amazon always brings great products and whatever we need. It definitely couldn’t stay back when photographers need polarizing filters! Here goes the best budget pick because it is one of the cheapest filters when compared with different ones.

This is a circular polarizing filter, and it works with different lenses. As for the diameter, it is a 77mm one, but still, you can choose other ones. Those other choices are 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, and 82mm. The weight of the filter is 1.13 ounces and once placed on a lens it doesn’t move in any way.

This Amazon circular polarizer filter includes multi-coating, and that helps to fully reduce the reflection since it is a filter that is specially made for outdoor photography.

Why should you buy it?

This is the best budget pick because it is one of the cheapest filters when compared with different ones.

Check Price On Amazon


4. Nikon 2390 – Best for Nikorr Lenses

Nikon 2390

What I Like

  • Best for Nikkor lenses
  • Lightweight
  • Increases the contrast when shooting
  • Fully reduces reflections
  • It owns the adjustable ring

What I Don’t Like

  • Pricey

Nikon is one of the most prominent names in the photography world, and in order to complete the gear and have a full kit of what photographers need, they bring us the Nikon 2390, a circular polarizer filter that works perfectly with Nikorr lenses.

Nikon is one of the most prominent names in the photography world and to complete the gear and have a full kit of what photographers need, they bring us the Nikon 2390, a filter that works perfectly with Nikorr lenses.

The diameter of this Nikon filter is 52mm and it also lets you choose between some others. It offers you 58mm, 62mm, 67mm, 72mm, and 77mm. When it comes to the weight of this polarizing filter, it weighs 1.06 ounces which is a bit lighter than the one mentioned above. What deserves to be mentioned is that all choices based on the diameter differ when it comes to the price tag. It goes higher.

This polarizing filter is able to increase the contrast when shooting, and it fully reduces reflections even on non-metallic surfaces. A specialty that this polarizing filter brings is also the adjustable ring that allows us to use a range of effects.

Why should you buy it?

This filter fully reduces reflections even on non-metallic surfaces, which makes it worth a purchase.

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3. Tiffen 82CP – Best Color Accuracy

Tiffen 82CP

What I Like

  • Well built
  • Amazing picture accuracy
  • Fully eliminates glare

What I Don’t Like

  • A bit heavy

Tiffen’s job is to bring amazing and different filters to photographers worldwide, and let me mention that on this one, we have a high number of choices of diameters. However, this filter is known for the amazing color accuracy that it gives to the pictures.

Now on this one, we have a bigger diameter. It is a filter with an 82mm diameter and one of those that comes with so many other ones. It starts from the smallest one, which is 28mm and goes higher to 86mm. However, the one most used is the 82mm one that I chose. The Tiffen filter weighs 3.2 ounces.

Just as listed, this circular polarizer filter is able to help you capture some pictures with amazing accuracy. Every color comes just as it is supposed to be. Like the Amazon circular polarizer filter mentioned above, this circular polarizer filter is also super used outdoors. It is powerful enough to fully eliminate glare!

Why should you buy it?

This circular polarizer filter is able to help you capture some pictures with amazing accuracy, and that’s why you need to buy it.

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2. Gobe Circular Polarizing – Best Runner Up

Gobe Circular Polarizing

What I Like

  • Great built quality
  • Brings superb anti-reflection
  • Includes a 16-layer nano-coating

What I Don’t Like

  • Heavy

Gobe is a brand that deals with filters as well and it is definitely one of the well-known names in this industry. This polarizing filter that I chose is one of the most commonly used by photographers and it is definitely one of the best choices that one can do!

The diameter of this filter is bigger than you can imagine! It is 95mm and it is one of the biggest until now. Other choices that Gobe brings to us are 40mm, 46mm, 49mm, 52mm, 55mm, 58mm, 62mm, 72mm, 77mm, and 82mm. The weight of this filter is 2.12 ounces which right now is lighter than the Tiffen one but still heavier than the other ones mentioned.

Just as Gobe says, this filter brings a superb anti-reflection! Besides that, the filter includes optical glass and a 16-layer nano-coating. This filter does a perfect job when removing ghosting, and brings color balance. The coating also protects the glass from dirt or any scratch.

Why should you buy it?

 This filter brings superb anti-reflection, which makes sit one of the best options you can purchase.

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1. B + W Circular Polarizer Kaesemann – Best Overall

B W Circular Polarizer Kaesemann

What I Like

  • Amazing and sturdy built
  • Lightweight
  • Water-repellent
  • Reduces every possible reflection

What I Don’t Like

  • Nothing at all

If you consider different circular polarizer filter choices and read a lot about circular polarizing filters in general, you will definitely notice that B+W is a brand that stands as the best overall in any list! Well, here takes also the best overall place based on the amazing features that their filters own!

If you consider different fitter choices and read a lot about filters in general, you will definitely notice that B+W is a brand that stands as the best overall in any list! Well, here takes also the best overall place based on the amazing features that their filters own!

It’s really good at preventing polarized light, so you can avoid reflections and increase light transmission.

This camera filter is known for its 20 choices of diameter and still, I chose the most standard one! The diameter of this one is 55mm. If you want to know what the other choices are, I would like to mention only that it goes high up to 112mm. The weight of this polarizing filter is 1.6 ounces.

It is a very tough circular polarizer and can withstand anything. Most photographers say that it is one of those filters that can be used both indoors and outdoors, and it does a perfect job in both places. The glass that it has is water repellent, and it doesn’t get dirty. B+W created a circular polarizer that is powerful enough to reduce reflections, and bring amazing colors to any type of photography.

Why should you buy it?

 With this filter, you can avoid reflections and increase light transmission, and as such, it is listed as the best overall.

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FAQ About the Best Polarizing Filters

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When to use a polarizing filter?

As mentioned in the beginning, a polarizing filter is used to reduce reflections which already tells when to use it! A polarizing filter can be used or should be used in the middle of the day in which the brightness of the light that surrounds you or the subject that you are taking a picture of.

Once you see a lot of light, make sure to use one because it never disappoints!

How to choose a polarizing filter?

Every circular polarizer, even though they may come from different brands, they have a thing in common and it is the buying guide! Well here in polarizing filters we have some things that should be considered and basically, those things are the answer on how to choose a polarizing filter.

Diameter – filters come n different measurements and you should check out which one you need. Check for the symbol ⌀ and the number that is added next to it. That’s the diameter.
Resistance – Different filters mean different everything. Not every filter can resist everything that may come to your mind and don’t expect every filter to withstand weather conditions. That’s a thing that you should check out before buying one.
Glass Quality – Filters are made of glass, and while better image quality is associated with glass, utilizing low-quality glass might lower the quality of your images. You should know that some filters have coatings, which serve a variety of purposes such as retaining contrast, reducing glare, and preventing scratching.
Budget – Budget is a delicate side when a person is trying to buy anything. Some filters do know to hurt our ban account but still, you can also find lower prices and filters that do the job pretty well. However, it is better if you already have a price in mind.

What filter to use with each lens?

I already mentioned that you should check a symbol on the lens in order to find a filter. Still, all over the internet, you will find photographers that explain this issue easily and I am definitely one of them.

If you are using a telephoto lens the best filter diameter for it would be 67mm and a 77mm one.
If you are using a standard lens the best filter diameter for it would be a 77mm and an 82mm one.
If you are using a wide-angle lens the best filter diameter for it would be a 67mm, 77mm, and an 82mm one.

All the circular polarizers we mentioned in this article usually have different sizes, so you wont have to decide between many different circular polarizers.

As you can notice, wide-angle lenses have a variety of choices.

Final Words

Here you have it! Some of the best polarizing filters that you can find. They do the job pretty well and I am sure that you will be more than proud of them, of course, if you choose one.

I really hope that this article will help you find and choose the best polarizing filters for your camera lens!

Further Reading

Filters are needed and as I mentioned, there are different ones but the ones that confuse us more are the variable ND filters. I would gladly say that I have also written an article in which you can find some of the most amazing variable ND filters and in there you can find the differences between ND filters and polarizing filters.

Anyways, if you are searching for lenses, and you own Sony’s flagship, the Sony a600 camera, I have rounded up the greatest lenses for the Sony a6000 and in that article, you can find different types of lenses!

Have Fun!