1. What’s a CPL Filter?
A CPL filter — a circular polarizer/linear — is a glass attachment that reduces the glare from reflected surfaces.
How does it help? Polarized light comes from light that has been reflected off of something. It can come from the light reflecting off an alpine lake, reflections from a coffee shop window, or even light reflecting off moisture and pollution in the atmosphere. Polarized light is made up of scattered rays and is something you don’t want in your shot. The CPL Phone Filter filters out this polarized light, leaving you with an awesome image you can’t replicate post-production. Your final image has bluer skies, greener trees, and super-sharp clarity.
Of course, I work for Moment and believe we make top-quality products. I’m constantly astounded by the perfectionistic tendencies our gear team commits to and the many hours of hard-earned beers it takes to get there. However, I’m a very non-technical photographer; I avoid unnecessary gadgets and gizmos, filters included. I sighed in disbelief when asked to create photographs with our new CPL. Nonetheless, I accepted the challenge and bribed my best friend, Eunice Beck, to gander around Arizona’s famous Canyon Lake for sunset. We packed our to-go coffees and tea, strapped our beloved cameras around our necks, and drove an hour East to a place where reflective surfaces and sunny skies were over the atmosphere.
Upon initial reaction, I didn’t quite understand the point of such a tool. I threaded the filter on my lens before looking at the LED screen and noticed crisp detail in the water and skies (DUH, Natalie, where you’re supposed to!), but I wasn’t taken aback. However, I immediately gasped once I removed the filter, kept the same camera settings, and saw the difference between having it on and not at all. The skies without the CPL were vastly overexposed, had little to no detail, I could barely make out the actual color of the sky, and the foreground’s shadows were muddier than desired. The AntiGlare CPL filter made it so that the image’s dynamic range was much crisper and clearer than what your eyes can see, almost like having an iPhone's classic, juicy dynamic range. See below for a side-by-side difference.
- Premium fused silica optical glass for supreme clarity
- Advanced 16-layer optical coatings
- Knurled grip texture for more control and easy removal from lenses
- Stacks with fixed NDs, Moment Cinebloom, or UV Filters
- Smooth rotation ring for precise polarization adjustment
- Available for standard camera lens sizes 58mm - 82mm