DIY: Polarizing Filter

In photography --- both color and black-and-white, film and digital --- a polarized filter is useful to filter out light that polarizes perpendicularly to the axis of the camera lens. Among other things, this saturates the image and darkens background elements by eliminating unwanted reflections. Unfortunately, factory-made filters can be quite pricey. However, there are hundreds of everyday objects that have polarized components that can repurposed for a perfectly usable --- and budget-friendly --- camera filter.

Instructions

DIY Polarizing Filter

1




If a filter is cracked or broken, you can take out the inside and repurpose the frame.

Find a filter attachment that fits on your camera. The easiest way to do this is to repurpose an old, damaged filter, but you can also make your own. See Resource 1 for more information on doing it yourself.

2




Many sunglasses are polarized to keep out UV rays.

Find a piece of polarizing material that is unscratched and big enough to fit over your lens. Examples of materials that can be used for this purpose are 3-D glasses (see Resource 2 for a video of this approach), a LCD computer screen --- which has two sets of polarized screens in it, on either side of the LCD itself --- and a pair of clear (or colored) polarized sunglasses.

3

Trace the outline of your camera lens onto the polarized material with the pencil.

4

Cut the shape of the lens out of the polarized material with your box cutter. Be sure to cut it just a little big bigger than the lens.

5

Sand the edges of the filter until it is smooth.

6

Mount the filter to your filter mount with glue. Let dry. Use as desired.

---

In photography --- both color and black-and-white, film and digital --- a polarized filter is useful to filter out light that polarizes perpendicularly to the axis of the camera lens. Among other things, this saturates the image and darkens background elements by eliminating unwanted reflections. Unfortunately, factory-made filters can be quite pricey. However, there are hundreds of everyday objects that have polarized components that can repurposed for a perfectly usable --- and budget-friendly --- camera filter.

Instructions

DIY Polarizing Filter

1




If a filter is cracked or broken, you can take out the inside and repurpose the frame.

Find a filter attachment that fits on your camera. The easiest way to do this is to repurpose an old, damaged filter, but you can also make your own. See Resource 1 for more information on doing it yourself.

2




Many sunglasses are polarized to keep out UV rays.

Find a piece of polarizing material that is unscratched and big enough to fit over your lens. Examples of materials that can be used for this purpose are 3-D glasses (see Resource 2 for a video of this approach), a LCD computer screen --- which has two sets of polarized screens in it, on either side of the LCD itself --- and a pair of clear (or colored) polarized sunglasses.

3

Trace the outline of your camera lens onto the polarized material with the pencil.

4

Cut the shape of the lens out of the polarized material with your box cutter. Be sure to cut it just a little big bigger than the lens.

5

Sand the edges of the filter until it is smooth.

6

Mount the filter to your filter mount with glue. Let dry. Use as desired.

---

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