What a CPL filter does
A CPL filter, short for circular polariser, cuts out light that has bounced off water, glass, wet roads and leaves. With one on, you can see into a river or a rock pool rather than the sky reflected on top of it, take a photo through a shop window or a car window without the reflections, and get a deeper blue sky and richer greens after rain. It does something an editing app cannot easily do afterwards: once a reflection has been recorded, there is nothing behind it left to bring back.
It suits anyone who photographs water, the coast, landscapes, cars or anything behind glass, and anyone who films outdoors on bright days.
The CPL filters here
- Clip-on CPL filters in a 52mm size, on a sprung clip that grips the edge of the phone and holds the filter over the camera. One has an aluminium frame and a multi-layer coating, and its 52mm thread also fits a camera lens of the same size.
- A magnetic system compatible with the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max: a case with a magnetic mount round the camera, and a CPL and a variable ND filter that click onto it. It comes as the CPL alone, the ND alone or both.
CPL filters also come with some clip-on macro lenses and lens kits, in macro phone lenses and phone lens kits, and a magnetic set of four for the iPhone 17 Pro and 17 Pro Max has a CPL among its filters: see ND filters.
How to use a CPL filter
The filter sits in a ring that turns. Fit it over the camera, then turn it slowly while you watch the screen: the glare and reflections fade and return as you go round. Stop where the picture looks best. The effect is strongest when the sun is off to one side of you, at right angles to where you are pointing, and almost nothing with the sun straight behind you.
A polariser costs light, around one and a half to two stops, so it suits daylight better than dim rooms. Keep the glass clean, since a fingerprint softens the picture and smears light round bright things.
A clip-on filter covers only one of the phone's cameras, so line it up over the one in use at your zoom, and slide it until there are no dark edges on the screen. The guide to clip-on lenses and filters explains how to find the right camera.
Questions people ask about CPL filters
Will a CPL filter fit my phone?
The clip-on filters grip most phones, as long as the clip reaches the camera; take off a thick case if it holds the filter away from the lens. The magnetic system fits only the iPhone models named on its page, in its own case.
Can I use a CPL filter for video?
Yes. It cuts glare in video just as in photos. Set it before you start recording, because turning it during a shot changes the picture as you go.
How long does delivery take?
Delivery is included in every price and tracked to your door. Each product page says when it usually arrives.
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