DIY. Magnetic CPL lens filter for Street Guardian SG9665GC

[niko]

You may find my step by step DIY project from HERE

 

[Mtz]

Hi Niko,

My 3 minutes job is like this and for sure is not falling down at least right after the job. I used some grey dual tape from Lidl and I know is good based on my previous experiences.




I have the CPL filter from my Mini 0806.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[jokiin]

Hi Niko,

My 3 minutes job is like this and for sure is not falling down at least right after the job. I used some grey dual tape from Lidl and I know is good based on my previous experiences.

View attachment 12912 View attachment 12913 View attachment 12914 View attachment 12915
View attachment 12916 View attachment 12917

I have the CPL filter from my Mini 0806.

enjoy,
Mtz

how is the result?

 

[Mtz]

As DIY job I like it. As testing on the road I cannot test because car engine problems.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[niko]

Hi Niko,

My 3 minutes job is like this and for sure is not falling down at least right after the job. I used some grey dual tape from Lidl and I know is good based on my previous experiences.

View attachment 12912 View attachment 12913 View attachment 12914 View attachment 12915
View attachment 12916 View attachment 12917

I have the CPL filter from my Mini 0806.

enjoy,
Mtz

Yes, I tried this a long time ago, but as I mentioned in my 1st post of DIY section, due to 0806 cpl filter being much wider and thicker with original factory CPL glass housing, I was not able to adjust lens vertical angle high enough even with thicker base-mount when mounted. Hope you know what I mean. Top part of CPL "hits" windshield and best ratio I got 25% sky vs road 75% road, which is not what me personally like. I wish to have at least 50 / 50 or best is 40 sky, 60 road. Of course can add 5mm thick "adaptor" base-mount, but that does not solve my other "requirements".
Also as I mentioned, I wanted to have it to be adjustable and removable. With permanent stick-on via double-sided tape it is not possible.
And finally I wanted something very discrete, ultra slim, low profile that does not sticks out from main unit body in order to keep that stealth-look which SG has originally.

I know I might have too ambitious "requirements" about that supa-stealth, supa-slim thing, ... thats who I am.

But of course I do agree: different people - different perceptions. Everyone choses whats best for him personally.

 

[jokiin]

As DIY job I like it. As testing on the road I cannot test because car engine problems.

enjoy,
Mtz

interested in your results once you can test

 

[Mtz]

OK.

Top part of CPL "hits" windshield and best ratio I got 25% sky vs road 75% road, which is not what me personally like.

The 0806 CPL lens have inside a ring around the CPL film. But I cannot take it out because I am afraid to not destroy the lens.

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[Mtz]

No need to test in the car. The result is not OK because of vignetting. The tape is adding some distance, but even without it is still some little vignetting. Maybe if the camera lens were a little more out from the case the problem disappear.

Sorry!

enjoy,
Mtz

 

[niko]

No need to test in the car. The result is not OK because of vignetting. The tape is adding some distance, but even without it is still some little vignetting. Maybe if the camera lens were a little more out from the case the problem disappear.
View attachment 12918
Sorry!

enjoy,
Mtz

Yeah, about vignetting I mentioned in DIY section:

https://dashcamtalk.com/forum/threa...r-street-guardian-sg9665gc.10942/#post-140081

Even if removing cpl glass from its frame and stick it with double sided tape, it also not fully work for me with thin unit base-mount. With thicker one was fine.

But we all test n try to finding a best practical solution.

 

[Whyayeman]

I used a slide in type photographic polarizing filter made the same shape as the lens housing. Gave plenty of room to use double sided tape to fit without vignetting. Works very well eliminating reflections, saturating colours and letting you see into oncoming vehicles BUT unless a vehicle was directly in front of me I could not read the registration plate. Readability dropped from 90-95% of the time to about 30% of the time. After experimenting for a few days without improvement I have now removed it, as for me, the readability of the registration plate much more important than the removal of a little bit of reflection.

 

[niko]

I used a slide in type photographic polarizing filter made the same shape as the lens housing. Gave plenty of room to use double sided tape to fit without vignetting. Works very well eliminating reflections, saturating colours and letting you see into oncoming vehicles BUT unless a vehicle was directly in front of me I could not read the registration plate. Readability dropped from 90-95% of the time to about 30% of the time. After experimenting for a few days without improvement I have now removed it, as for me, the readability of the registration plate much more important than the removal of a little bit of reflection.

With or without CPL there is not win-win or win-lose situations, it's all depends on individual circumstances, but yeah, most CPL filters shifts F-stop to 1 step up, there is nothing to do, thats is photography law.

 

[jokiin]

would be nice not to have reflections but ultimately when you remove reflections you also remove detail

 

[wozzzzza]

yep, and as people have mentioned before, were not shooting a block buster movie, were shooting proof of incidents if they happen.