Perhaps the most complex aspect of coating on plastic substrates is the tremendous variety and complexity of the materials available. Each has its own unique chemistry that interacts uniquely with the cleaning, preparation, and deposition processes employed, together defining the stress at the coating-substrate interface. This can constrain the optical performance of a coating required to pass specific environmental or MIL-SPEC testing. It also means that a coating that passes a given test on one type of plastic or polymer is not guaranteed to pass on another simply by using the same process, nor for every substrate shape or form.

You can have an effect when shooting a subject close to the horizon during the day when the sun is at the zenith, or shooting a subject close to the zenith in the morning and evening when the sun is close to the horizon.

Plastic opticsstock

One of the most common effects of PL filters is to "adjust reflections". Compare the examples of "reflections on the water" below. Without the filter, the reflection in the water makes it glow white. When using a PL filter, reflections are suppressed, and the true color of the sea can be captured more vividly. Not restricted to light reflection on water surface, PL filters can also suppress unwanted light reflections generated from other surfaces like glass, leaves, stones, buildings, ground, etc. However, PL filters have no effect on light reflections from metallic surfaces, like mirrors etc.

Most of the light reflected from the surface of an object, like water or glass, becomes polarized in one direction (fig.2).

The development of a deposition process and layer design must therefore treat the optical specifications, environmental requirements, substrate form, and choice of substrate material as linked parameters. A coating partner with extensive experience in coating a wide variety of plastic types and form factors can provide valuable advice early on in the design process to ensure the specification of manufacturable components with the best possible optical performance. Given the extended testing required for each component to prove environmental reliability prior to deployment, this consultation process with an experienced coating partner is a key risk mitigation step in the timeline of any major product or system development.

The polarizing film incorporated at the core of PL filters can be roughly categorized in two types: high-transmission type and normal type. A typical polarizing film darkens the shutter speed by about two stops when the filter is attached. In contrast, the polarizing film of the "high transmission type" is about 1-step down. The advantages of the high-transmission type are that it has little effect on the shutter speed and that it hardly darkens when you look through the viewfinder with SLR cameras. The high-transmission type is the best choice if you want to leave your filter on and never worry about light darkening.

Chemical exposure tests: Insect repellent Penetrating oil Antifreeze Carbon-removing compound Lubricating oil Rifle-bore cleaning compound Vacuum-pump oil

The front frame of the PL filter can be rotated to change the angle of the polarizing film, thus cutting light reflections according to your needs and shooting conditions (picture below).

Acrylic lens vs polycarbonate lens

Be sure to remove any lens protector filter before attaching a PL filter. The increased frame thickness of multiple filters overlapped can cause vignetting (dark shadows at the four corners of the image). Also, increasing the glass surface makes it easier for flare and ghosts to occur.

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The "water- and oil-repellent coating" strongly repels water and oil from the filter's surface. It allows even dirt or fingerprints to be easily wiped off. It also reduces the stress of shooting in waterside settings or in rainy weather. The completely different easiness of cleaning them with a lens cloth makes filters with a water- and oil-repellent coating a must-have.

A PL filter can enhance vivid colors and contrast by controlling light reflections. This kind of filter can suppress unwanted light reflections on water surfaces, glass surfaces, foliage, buildings, etc., thus making a blue sky more vivid and bringing out the original color of your shooting subjects. It's an indispensable filter for landscape photography all year round.

Plasticlenses vs polycarbonate

To pronounce the blue sky, the position of the sun is very important. The best position is when the sun is behind the back of the photographer, with the ankle at the photographer being 90° between the sun and the composition.

Even without active heating of the deposition chamber, there is a certain amount of inherent heat in the deposition process itself, requiring careful attention to coating rates to prevent damage. The throw distance in the chamber can help to control heat, as does the use of different material—some of the high-index layers are formulated using rare earths.

The relatively low melting point of most plastics requires the use of low-temperature deposition processes such as plasma ion-assisted deposition (plasma-IAD) or plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Deposition temperatures as low as 40°-50°C are not uncommon to prevent deformation or warping of the substrate, particularly for a softer material like acrylic. Plasma parameters are adjusted to fine-tune optical performance, as well as to modify surface properties and adjust coating stresses that can impact environmental performance.1

PL filters have almost no effect on cloudy or backlit skies, but it does still reduce surface reflections of subjects such as water, leaves and roads.

The deposition of optical coatings on plastic or polymer substrates brings several challenges. Plastic optics cannot withstand the typical 250°C coating temperatures used for glass, nor the extended exposure required to apply hundreds of optical layers for complex spectral profiles. Optical coatings on plastics are also more prone to delamination, peeling, and flaking if not properly applied—particularly when subjected to harsh environmental conditions. This can place optical and environmental performance at odds, as an increase in the number of layers to achieve the desired spectral profile can increase stress between the substrate and coating, particularly during temperature cycling.

* It is not possible to remove reflections when shooting directly in front of a glass or water surface. See "How to use PL filters" section for effective usage.

Most PL filters currently on the market are C-PL (Circular Polarizing) filters. In the past, PL filters were also defined "linear polarizing filters". As cameras with half-mirrors, which have the same properties as the polarizing film, came on the market, the interference between the camera's half-mirror and the polarizing film of the PL filter caused errors in light and distance measurement, so an improved version, the C-PL, was born.

Marine Depot Direct is a distributor of high quality stainless marine hardware & has been servicing the marine industry for the past 30 years.

Kenko offers several types of PL filters. They all do the same thing in terms of adjusting reflections, but they also have a range of added benefits such as water and oil repellent coatings and anti-reflective coatings to make your photography more comfortable and cleaner. The following are some of the main points to consider when choosing a PL filter.

Some filters are labeled as "thin frame" filters. If the filter frame is too thick, a sort of dark shadow appears on the four corners of the final image, especially when using a PL filter on a super wide-angle lens. This is called "vignetting". To prevent "vignetting", "thin frame" filters have been developed by reducing the frame thickness. Particularly with rotating frames, like in PL filters, which are principally a little bit thicker, we recommend choosing a more updated thin frame type.

Extensive pretreatment is not always necessary, however. Binder layers are an alternative to improve adhesion of metal coatings such as gold, while some advanced cyclic olefin copolymers like Zeonex and TOPAS provide excellent adhesion properties.

Most PL filters have this triangle mark ▲ on the frame: by rotating this mark upward, the direction of the slit-shaped polarizing film becomes horizontal. When the ▲ mark is upward, the reflection suppression effect is maximized, but may change depending on the direction in which light is reflected. It is thus necessary to rotate the filter to the proper angle while checking the effect through your camera finder or on your camera screen.

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The PL filter removes reflections from the water surface. This allows you to capture clear images of the ocean or a clear stream, and to create a sense of transparency.

Jan 17, 2009 — As the distance between the slits d is decreased, the angles of the maxima increase. Small distances correspond to a spread out interference ...

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By using a step-up ring, which is a convenient way to avoid buying multiple PL filters to match all your lenses. With a step-up ring, you can use the same filter on a variety of lenses. Match the filter to the diameter of your largest lens.

While deployment of coated plastic optics once meant choosing between optical performance and durability, advances in cleaning and deposition processes for polymer substrates have closed the gap. The majority of optical coatings available on glass can now be replicated on plastic, and with MIL-SPEC and ISO reliability. In the hands of an experienced coating provider, it is even possible to create a drop-in replacement for a glass component to reduce weight, cut cost, or allay safety issues associated with cracking and splintering in the field. With the capabilities and options in coated plastic optics increasing so significantly in the past decade, they're certainly worth another look.

Polycarbonate lenses

When rotating the front frame by 90° from the "max effect" position, light reflections can be captured in a more effective way compared to using no filters, increasing the variety you can express yourself.

PL filters are also useful for indoor photography of products, small objects and food, where they reduce unwanted reflections and enhance the color and texture of the image.

PL filters generally turn yellowish after 7 to 8 years*. This is because their polarizing film, which is the main core of these filters, ages with time. Shooting with a discolored filter results in turbid colors. We highly recommend to buy and replace your PL filter if the polarizing film starts deteriorating.

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By blackening the outer circumference of the filter glass, internal reflection is prevented to the utmost limit. It also reduces the occurrence of flare and ghosts when shooting with backlight.

Before shooting, hold the PL filter in front of your eyes and rotate the front frame, or change the filter's angle while holding it in your hand. If light reflections on your shooting subject change, or the sky above looks darker and brighter, the filter is being effective.

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PlasticOptical Lenses

By removing the shine that occurs on the surface of leaves, it brings out the true and vivid colors of autumn leaves and fresh greenery. When photographing flowers, it also helps to highlight the main flower by reducing unwanted leaf reflections.

Removing light reflections from water surface or leaves. The most effective way is to shoot with the filter placed at a 30-40° ankle to the ground level. No polarizing effect is produced if shooting from a frontal position, or against mirrors and metal surfaces.

Multiple filters can be used combined together to take even more impressive shots. For example, if you are photographing a water scene, such as a waterfall or stream, you can use a PL filter in combination with an ND (light reduction) filter to achieve vivid colors and a sense of movement. For more advanced photographers, PL filters can be used in combination with square filters for even more control over the light.

Once dismissed by serious optical engineers, plastic optics (also known as polymer optics) have come into their own in the last 10-20 years. The introduction of advanced optical polymers and improvements in fabrication techniques now allow designers to replace even high-end glass optical components with plastic at a fraction of the weight or price, facilitating use in medical, industrial, and defense and security applications (see Fig. 1). Advances in optical coating technology for plastics have been key to this transition, enabling the delivery of comparable optical performance and durability despite the use of a very different class of substrate material.

With PL filters you can either suppress or increase light reflections. If you can't decide which effect is best at the time of shooting, you can take pictures at different angles, with the PL effect at maximum, a little less, or minimum, and then carefully choose the best effect later.

A PL filter is a polarizing filter consisting of two glasses with a polarizing film sandwiched in between. This polarizing film comes in a fine slit shape, invisible to the naked eye, that cuts (absorbs) the light in a specific direction. Normally, light oscillates in all directions, but once passing through a polarizing filter, it gets "polarized" in one single direction (Fig.1).

Have you ever been disappointed that the photos you took were not as vivid and impressive as the beautiful scenery you wanted to capture? If so, a PL filter is what you need when capturing landscapes. With this filter you can manage any reflected light by turning the front frame of its double frame structure. You can also make the sea look clearer through suppressing unwanted reflections from water surfaces, or the blue of the sky deeper and more vivid by enhancing the contrast.

Plasticlens material

With RAW processing software, it's not that difficult to enhance a blue sky. However, it is extremely difficult to remove reflections. Even if you finalize your shot with some post-processing, it is most efficient with best results to control reflections with a PL filter while shooting.

Plasticlens vs glass lens

The C-PL has an additional "phase-contrast plate" (fig.3). When the light passes through the phase-contrast plate, it changes to a circularly rotating light, which is similar to normal light vibrating in all directions (fig.4). Therefore, it can avoid the interference of the half-mirror of the camera. To avoid interference with cameras' half mirrors and low pass filters, most of the PL filters currently on the market are in fact C-PL filters.

The frame of a PL filter with its product name written on is called "front frame", while the frame with no indications on is called "rear frame". To attach the PL filter, place the rear frame onto the lens and turn it clockwise.

Flare and ghosting can occur when light reflects off the filter glass surface. The anti-reflection coating suppresses unwanted reflections and provides a clearer image. The closer the percentage (%) of surface reflection is to 0, the better the coating quality. Among PL filters currently on the market, with a surface reflection of 0.3% or less, the Celeste is a top-class filter.

* Standard estimation only. Filters' life span depends on the frequency of use and storage conditions. Filters are particularly sensitive to heat and ultraviolet rays; make sure to store them properly.

These competing demands have forced coating providers to revamp their processes from start to finish, developing specialized cleaning, handling, design, and coating methods—often for each plastic type. As a result of this investment, optical coatings on plastic from experienced vendors are now capable of delivering similar optical performance as available on glass. From antireflection (AR), mirror, and indium tin oxide (ITO) coatings to filters, beamsplitters, and hot mirrors, coated plastic and polymer optics now regularly pass the most stringent MIL-SPEC and ISO testing schedules.

Components like lenses, prisms, and windows are typically cleaned ultrasonically using material-specific chemicals and surfactants, followed by a hot rinse in deionized water and a hot air-dry to avoid damage. Hand cleaning may also be used, and each coating vendor should draw on their experience to select the best detergent solution to correct specific cleaning or adhesion issues. Sheet materials require their own unique handling methods to avoid damage and ensure cleanliness prior to coating, as well as specialized fixtures.

A PL filter is a must-have in landscape photography, but it's not an all-purpose filter. Particularly when, after trying a shot with a PL filter on, the result doesn't fit in this certain scenery, it may be necessary to purposely refrain from using the filter. By keeping in mind that PL filters can "control" light reflections, different ways of expression can be achieved.

Hold the PL filter in front of your eyes and rotate the front frame. If reflective parts on your shooting subject or the sky become darker and brighter as you rotate, the filter is being effective. With CP-L filters, which come with a front frame and a rear frame, hold it so that the front frame faces the subject.

PL filters are not only used to get rid of unwanted light reflections. On the contrary, these filters can also be used to increase visible light reflections.

With PL filters, you can also make the rainbow look clearer by increasing light reflections. It is also effective for rainbow colors such as on iridescent clouds and ice.

Operating environment tests: 24-hour humidity exposure 10-day humidity exposure Temperature cycling: -62°C to +85°C Temperature shock: +23°C/-57°C/+71°C/+23°C Moderate abrasion Adhesion Salt solubility (not appropriate for metals) Salt fog (not appropriate for metals)

Creating a good-quality coated optic from a plastic substrate depends heavily on proper cleaning and handling of the parts prior to deposition. Many polymer materials scratch very easily when compared to glass and without proper cleaning, adhesion will be compromised.

Another typical effect of PL filters is to make the blue of the sky deeper and more vivid. When sun rays hit the molecules in the atmosphere, light scattering occurs. By restraining the effect of light scattering with a PL filter, the blue of the sky appears deeper, thus creating a higher contrast with colors from flowers, green leaves, autumn foliage, white snow, etc., for a much more impressive result.

If backlight occurs, the PL filter cannot make the sky blue. In this case, the best solution is a square half ND filter or a half blue filter. The lower half of the filter is transparent, so only the color of the sky will be darkened.

The PL filter can be turned to increase or decrease its effect by turning the front frame. If you do not grip the sides of the filter tightly, but turn the frame with the tip of your fingers, you can avoid accidentally removing the filter.

By conveniently checking the numbers on the front or back side of your camera lens, or the inside of your lens' cap (e.g.: 58mm, Φ58mm, Φ58). These numbers indicate the filter size for your lens.

When capturing a blue sky using a PL filter on a super wide-angle lens, some unevenness in form of a spotted sky with some darker and brighter areas may result on the final image. This is called "uneven polarization". To avoid it, change the shooting angle position, or restrain the PL effect accordingly. Also, alternatively to PL filters, other filters like square filters (half ND or half blue filters) are a good way to tone down the color of the sky.

Plasticlens manufacturer

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With C-PL filters, which come with a front and a rear side, make sure to hold the front frame toward the shooting subject.

Adhesion of optical coatings to plastics or polymers is not as strong as to glass. When compounded with differences in thermal expansion coefficients and thickness variations in the optic itself, it can limit the number of layers that can be deposited without compromising environmental performance. Pretreatment using low-pressure plasmas of argon (Ar), helium (He), or nitrogen (N2) has been shown to improve coating adhesion, stress compensation, and mechanical durability. Not only does this process serve to clean and micro-etch the surface in preparation for coating, but it can also offer crosslinking and surface-chemical functionalization.2

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PL filters are not meant to be used always with their maximized effect. For example, in waterside settings, such as waterfalls or mountain rivers, it might be better to leave some reflections to convey a more vibrant and lively sensation. Also, in case the blue of the sky gets too much dark, it might be better to reduce the polarizing effect.