Panasonic Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. Lens with Circular Polarizer Filter Kit (Black)

Characterized by its slender profile, the black Lumix G 20mm f/1.7 II ASPH. from Panasonic is a compact, slightly wide 40mm equivalent prime for Micro Four Thirds mirrorless cameras. Its bright f/1.7 maximum aperture offers notable control focus for working with shallow depth of field techniques and also benefits working in difficult lighting conditions. The optical design incorporates a pair of aspherical elements to suppress spherical aberrations and distortion for high sharpness and accurate rendering, and individual elements have also been multi-coated to control surface reflections and flare for improved contrast in strong lighting conditions.

The Hoya 46mm NXT Circular Polarizer Filter helps to reduce reflections and glare by filtering out light that has become polarized due to reflection from a non-metallic surface. The light from the sun naturally becomes partially polarized due to reflecting off electrons in air molecules, causing the light to scatter into what appears as haze. A polarizing filter arranges, and filters, this directionally polarized light perpendicularly to the reflected light, allowing for the absorption of much of this light. This results in a noticeable reduction of glare and reflections from non-metallic surfaces and an increase in the saturation of skies and foliage.

A circular polarizer only differs from a linear polarizer in that it contains a quarter wave plane in addition to the linear polarizing filter. The addition of this quarter wave plane is to circularly polarize the linearly polarized light for the use of auto focus and exposure functions. Due to how the light is broken down and filtered with a linear polarizer, auto focus and exposure accuracy become skewed during use. When the light becomes circularly polarized, it permits the use of these functions.

This filter is non-coated. Hoya NXT filters have over 97% average light transmission, and are constructed from heat-resistant, high-transparency optical glass.