Photogrammetry Kit- CPL, or Circular Polarizing Lens

I recently bought a CPL, or Circular Polarizing Lens, for my Photogrammetry shoots, and I wanted to write up if it was actually useful for photogrammetry.

the CPL is the middle lens, between the ND4 on the right and the UV on the left. 

Turns out its pretty useful, although you have to remember to set it properly for each photo- tedious but rewarding! It's not automatic, but it can result in much more accurate color representation in your photos by removing a significant portion of the reflected light.

Using the CPL correctly can significantly increase the base quality of your captured textures. 

Note that on the ivy the CPL still can't remove all reflecting angles, but it does significantly improve the capture. 

Using a CPL

The CPL screws onto the end of your regular camera lens. If you end up buying one, make sure you get one for the correct diameter lens you have. You can find out the diameter by checking for a "Ø" symbol, followed by a number on the end of your lens, for example Ø52.


The CPL rotates freely once it is attached to the lens. As you walk around your subject, make sure to rotate the CPL until the amount of reflection you see on shiny surfaces is at it's minimum. You have to keep adjusting the CPL's angle, because as you walk around and face different directions, the amount and angle of the reflected light also changes. Make sure you adjust it for each image.

Buying a CPL

You can find the CPL kit I bought at this link. It's for a 52mm lens. I bought a cheapie, but it works well and doesn't mess with my image quality. Be careful to read reviews, as a badly made lens can result in distorted images or blurriness. I don't know of any reason to go super high end with a CPL, but feel free to let me know if you splurged and don't regret it.