Get rid of that flat crystal glare!

[zephyrnoid]

Interesting thread but very old. Is no one shooting pics of watches anymore?

[zephyrnoid]

i had to use a pola filter recently as controlling the lighting on multiple watches proved too much for my usual repertoire . here's an un-retouched image using just the filter on the lens (no cross polarization)

Having trouble photographing your flat-crystal watch (such as Seiko, Tag Heuer and Rolex models)?

No problem! get yourself a circular polarizer filter and place it over your lens of choice. Slowly rotate it while watching through the viewfinder to make the crystal disappear!

You will loose 1 to 2 stops of light (depending on the filter) but they are Neutral density, so there is no color correction needed.

This trick also works on curved crystals and 'cyclops' magnifiers, but to a limited extent.

Also useful when you want to enhance the reflection for other effects.

NOTE: this trick is for use with SLR cameras only. It will work with non-TTL viewing, but it requires more trial and error. Not a big deal in this digital age, but just thought I'd mention it.

Have fun!