UK Ford Focus - view through windscreen

[Paul Iddon]

I contacted Amazon and asked them about the dashcam. A nice person there said they would refund me it if I wished, so tonight I have decided to, after all this faffing around, change to a Nextbase camera. I was planning on the 412GW originally but went for this because it was a bit more discreet and the option of a CPL.

However, I can still probably use the CPL on the nextbase (with a bit of insulation tape or similar) to stick it over the lens.

My mate has the 412GW and I have sen his footage and it is better than mine. I still think it's the proximaty to the glass that is making it annoy me - I do photography and maybe it's my photographers eye seeing more than many might and being over critical.

Once I have the 412GW installed and recording, I will let you know Leopold, and maybe it will be better, but we'll see. The 412GW will have to stay cos I can't be bothered trying others. One vexed enough, 2 is my limit lol....

Chat soon m8. Thanks for sticking by my moaning messages. (And thanks other readers too)


Paul.

 

[Paul Iddon]

@Leopold

Here's the replacement - must be down to the windscreen proximity and where I can mount the 412GW.

Still room for tweaks as well...

Paul.

 

[Leopold]

Thanks for the update Paul! Great reflexes there with the girl and the ball - from your nervous system

On the other clip there are similar reflexes in certain light as we saw on the A119, maybe not as pronounced due to different placement. The picture quality is excellent for all practical purposes - and even from a photographer's viewpoint - so please stop worrying more about this!

All the best and thanks for being so persistent in solving what was not quite an optimal solution for you in the beginning.

 

[Leopold]

I'd like to continue this discussion just a tiny bit more, I find it puzzling that some users of the CPL filter are not getting the results I'm getting.

As I said a few posts before, as driver I wished I could have a clear view just like my A119 gets. So I ordered a few polarized sunglasses and yes, now I have a similar view. Great!

Then I made a few observations. On most cars (for instance Volvos) I see right through the vehicle's windows with the polarized glasses, reflections from the sky is almost totally cancelled out if viewed at a direct angle say from right behind or right in front. This is what I expected, no magic at all but it is a very profound effect. I see everything that is going on inside the car...

Thing is, when looking at the windshield on certain cars (most notably French newer cars but also others) I see a purple tint in the windshield and the reflections are not cancelled out at all with the polarized glasses (and not by A119 with CPL either). It is as if they have a layer of some kind that alters the normal polarization pattern, disabling the effect of polarizing filters.

Could this be the reason why the CPL filter does not work in certain cars? I guess this purplish layer in the windshield is there to block out IR radiation from the sun and keep the temp down.

 

[Paul Iddon]

I wonder if this goes some way to answering your question Leopold?

https://www.revantoptics.com/blog/why-youre-seeing-rainbows-in-car-windows/

 

[Leopold]

I guess it is a related phenomenon. For sure, I see those rainbow effects and dotted or striped windows with polarizes glasses. It is just that there are certain car models that have this distinct purple tint in the windshield and my polarized glasses cannot see through it like "normal" windshields. And if my polarized glasses have trouble looking into these cars due to all reflections, then a CPL lens would perhaps also have trouble looking out from such cars if the expectation is to cancel out reflections from the dashboard.

Perhaps a very different orientation of the CPL filter would work better in those car models? Someone needs to check this!

 

[SawMaster]

Orientation will not likely help as you can't polarize twice; that will only cut off all the light (or most of it) leaving the cam with nothing to capture and show.

Phil