Expert: Larry Maupin - 9/29/2006

Question
I have a Nikkon 4500 digital camera & just recently I bought a polarizer lens.  I used it for the first time at the beach this weekend, & the photos I took with the polarizer lens have black circles on the corners.  I have used other screw on lenses on top of the fixed lens of my camera, but I have never seen black circles before.  Any idea what I could be doing wrong?  Or is there something wrong with the lens?


Answer
Polarizing lenses are thicker than other lenses, so you are probably getting some vignetting of the corners. To prove this, take photos with and without the filter and compare the results. The solution is to use a thinner polarizer. They can be pricey - I paid $100 for mine - but they are worth it. Check B&H or other online provider or any good camera store.

Happy shooting!
Larry