Chiaro Labs, a brand best known for their UV filters, recently expanded their inventory with the launch of a line of circular polarizer (CPL) filters available exclusively at B&H. Available in 18 different thread sizes from 37 to 112mm, the new filters come in two build configurations, Core (aluminum) and Premium (brass).
Anyone unfamiliar with CPLs would do well to check out our comprehensive guide on circular polarizers. But in broad strokes: the filters “reduce reflections and glare by filtering out light that has become polarized due to reflection from a non-metallic surface,” generating the real-world effects of deepening blues in clear skies, enhancing clouds, and reducing glare, haze, and reflections in water and glass.
Polarizers are an essential tool for landscape photography, and that usage colored my approach to this review. Circular polarizers, as opposed to linear polarizers, are especially useful for their compatibility with autofocus lenses.
Both filters are well-made. The Premium option earns its name with a more robust feel in the hand and attractive gold lettering, while the Core option is lightweight without compromising in build quality. Both versions have a knurled ring, with the Premiums being more pronounced and easier to adjust, especially on a cold November afternoon on the South Brooklyn waterfront.
Schott optical glass is the material for both filters, with the Premium build getting B270 glass. The Premium filters have a higher-grade TrueHue optical film with 24 layers of anti-scratch, dust, oil, and water coating, with the Core filter taking Chiaro’s standard optical film and 16 coating layers.
While the Premium option delivers a shooting experience and build quality that justify its higher price point, image quality between the two is negligible, making the Core filter an attractive choice for budget-minded buyers. In a few of the images, the Core filter did yield a warmer cast to image, which is easy enough to correct but something to keep in mind.
It’s also worth noting that pronounced vignetting occurred when shooting at my lens’s widest angle and my camera’s smallest aperture, but this was more due to its configuration than the filter.
As the Chiaro is a high-transmission filter, the loss in exposure value is kept to a minimum, which in my usage fell between 2/3-stop and a full stop. It’s not exactly enough light loss to use in place of a neutral density filter, as for shooting wide open or slow shutter speeds, but would absolutely pair well with a graduated ND filter for some unique and specialized landscape photography.
The Chiaro CPL filters are an excellent solution for improved landscape photography, and are equally effective in situations that call for the reduction of glare. For more information about the filters, including additional features, specs, and highlights, be sure to check out the detailed product pages for the Chiaro Core and Premium Circular Polarizing Filters.
