Anyone using a circular polorizer on Mavic 3?

[jephoto]

Hi gang

Witt my P3Pro I used a polorizer frquently. Mostly for stills.
On the P4 pro, less often, but still used often, but was more aware that in panos and when moving to different angles than my initial direction & setting, that maybe only part of the sky would be affected.
But I still liked how it cut reflections on foliage and increased saturation overall.
With my Mavic 3 (original) I don’t even have one yet.
Thinking about getting a Polar Pro circular polorizer. Again thinki my about cutting glare of foliage and landscapes. And being more willing to decide what shots I want to use it for initially and willing to land it and reset it if I decide I want to go on a dramatically different angle. Also, with the M3 batteries, I’ve got a lot of flexibility in a single session to do that where I did it with my earlier drones and shorter flight times.
Who of you have been using polarizers regularly on the M3 and what’s your opinion?

Thanks for the input.

 

[mavic3usa]

This is the one I have and since I just got it, only used it once but I can certainly tell the difference and notice the improvement.

CP Filter | Mavic 3 Pro

A circular polarizer filter is a creative's most sought-after camera accessory as it helps bring contrast and vivid, natural saturation to both photos and video. Normally, a CP is used for landscape compositions featuring water, snow, ice, blue skies, and foliage as it can help darken the sky...

www.polarpro.com

 

[jephoto]

Thanks. Polar Pro is what I’m looking at. Unfortunately, mine is the original Mavic three with the dual lens and the circular polarizer for that one at this point in time is $79. I may get it anyway, it is what it is…
Love a M3Pro , but not pulling in enough income with the drone at this point in time to justify another one or selling and switching up

 

[js47]

A CPL is absolutely required if you’re serious about photography, but pretty annoying with a drone honestly. I still use mine on most flights since I usually have a specific shot in mind.

I’d like to get a set of ND/PL for photographing waterfalls, but those are even harder to find for the OG Mavic 3 than regular CPLs.

I use the K&F Concept CPL, which I bought for about £20 on Amazon. Review of the K&F Concept (aka Kentfaith) CPL Filter

 

[mavic3usa]

PolarPro routinely has 20% discount codes available.

 

[JeffreyS]

Using a polarizer on a drone is tricky. First, drones typically have wide angle lenses and using a polarizer on an image that includes blue sky may result in an unpleasant gradation across the sky as the polarizer works stronger at a 90 degree angle to the light source and that angle changes across the sky with wide angle lenses. Second, polarizers are adjustable, as land based camera users know. Once the drone is flying you lose the ability to rotate it to find the desired sweet spot. I never use them on my drones.

 

[jephoto]

PolarPro routinely has 20% discount codes available.

That’s what prompted me to look today- but their current discount only applies to the M3P filters. Not for the orig M3 like mine…

 

[jephoto]

Using a polarizer on a drone is tricky. First, drones typically have wide angle lenses and using a polarizer on an image that includes blue sky may result in an unpleasant gradation across the sky as the polarizer works stronger at a 90 degree angle to the light source and that angle changes across the sky with wide angle lenses. Second, polarizers are adjustable, as land based camera users know. Once the drone is flying you lose the ability to rotate it to find the desired sweet spot. I never use them on my drones.

Which is why I stopped using them past couple years with my P4P v2.
But I love what they can do in the right conditions.

 

[mavic3usa]

That’s what prompted me to look today- but their current discount only applies to the M3P filters. Not for the orig M3 like mine…

Yeah it seems like that everywhere, price is consistently higher. This is all I can suggest:

Polar Pro Circular Polarizer Filter For DJI Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Cine | eBay

Polar Pro Circular Polarizer Filter For DJI Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Cine . Condition is New. Shipped with USPS Media Mail.

www.ebay.com

 

[jephoto]

Yeah it seems like that everywhere, price is consistently higher. This is all I can suggest:

Polar Pro Circular Polarizer Filter For DJI Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Cine | eBay

Polar Pro Circular Polarizer Filter For DJI Mavic 3/Mavic 3 Cine . Condition is New. Shipped with USPS Media Mail.

www.ebay.com

Thanks! I grabbed it.
Appreciated.

 

[nn666]

I have the polarpro cpl. It's amazing... would highly recommend it.

 

[mcde]

I have the polarpro vivid collection, they are lightweight and get the job done. However, as already described above, using a polarizer on a drone is tricky. Still, if you intend to shoot under specific light conditions these filters are required. For example I tend to shoot a lot of footage and photos in the summer in locations where the sunlight is very harsh and there are a lot of reflections and haze.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Hi gang

Witt my P3Pro I used a polorizer frquently. Mostly for stills.
On the P4 pro, less often, but still used often, but was more aware that in panos and when moving to different angles than my initial direction & setting, that maybe only part of the sky would be affected.
But I still liked how it cut reflections on foliage and increased saturation overall.
With my Mavic 3 (original) I don’t even have one yet.
Thinking about getting a Polar Pro circular polorizer. Again thinki my about cutting glare of foliage and landscapes. And being more willing to decide what shots I want to use it for initially and willing to land it and reset it if I decide I want to go on a dramatically different angle. Also, with the M3 batteries, I’ve got a lot of flexibility in a single session to do that where I did it with my earlier drones and shorter flight times.
Who of you have been using polarizers regularly on the M3 and what’s your opinion?

Thanks for the input.

Just don't use one when shooting 360° panos. You won't like the results!

 

[dji30t]

so how do you set up the polarizer before taking off?

 

[jephoto]

so how do you set up the polarizer before taking off?

Stand facing the general direction of your intended view, hold the polorizer up to your eye and rotate until you get the effect you want - deepening the blue sky and cutting glare or reflections.
Not necessary to go for maximum effect to get benefit. Then look at the ring surrounding the glass. The will be a Dot in on the ring that you can see is on top , bottom or at 90° to the left or right or what I do is I look at the lettering that will say “Polarpro circular polarizer.” And pick a letter that is either on the top, bottom or a side. Take note of its position.

Screw the polorizer onto your lens, and then adjust the ring until that Dot or letter is in the position that you saw for the best effect.
Go fly.

 

[NMB_FreeBird]

I just got the NEEWER ND CLPL 6 Pk filter for my Air 3 and starting to learn using them. Any input would be appreciated as well.

 

[Dogpilot]

I have always been a fan of polarizers in general. Circular polarizers are a result of linear polarizers made old autofocus system to have fits. Once a newer term is introduced, it becomes the higher standard, but I like the look of the older linear ones the best and use them in cases where I am focusing. Not really any linear ones out for drones. The big thing to realize, is when using the wide angle view, polarizers can cause banding in the sky. Light passing through the atmosphere gets an orientation. There is some caused by particles and some just by gasses and ice particles. The area with the strongest natural polarization is directional as a result. As it gets an orientation that has a great deal of induced natural polarization in the light, to an area with less visible effect, the sky darkens and lightens. In this transition zone you can see the border of the zone, not huge, but noticeable. Not really a problem in 40mm and above, but becomes noticeable below that in certain orientations.

Overall polarizers give a nice saturation effect on colors, reduce haze (which is scattered light in the near UV, shifted down towards blue and tend to be heavily polarized as a result). They do have the effect of an ND of 1.5 to 2.5 stops, depending on quality of the filter. In photo filters, Hoya makes the best and block the least light. Sadly they don't make drone filters. Shooting out of my aircraft, I always use polarizers. Reduces reflected glare and intervening haze. I don't use them in low light, as they do slow down the exposure, which in an aircraft zipping along at 180 mph, causes smear.

I use the PGYTECH ones, have used Freewell. I think all the POL filters for drone to be of the lower tier of quality. Honestly I think that they would be consider pure junk in the regular camera world. But at the limited resolution we work with in drones, probably not a huge issue overall (besides what is the alternative). For example a Hoya HD POL filter costs upwards of $125 at B&H in medium to smaller sizes. So just looking at the price, they must be made with lower quality glass with less attention paid to the polarizing film quality as well.

 

[Ralph thompson]

I use a circular polarizer most of the time when it sunny. It’s a great tool for certain scenes like photographing into the sun, water, leaves, especially wet leaves. Simply align the dots on a drone, this will work for most situations. If yr battling a side wind then it probably won’t be so effective. Photographers love the limitations of our equipment like vignetting with wide lens and polarizers, this is the fun of photography. They are just tools.

 

[TigersFan]

I bought my Mavic 3 Cine the first month they became available. Based on my experience with the Mavic 2 Pro, I bought the PGYTECH CPL Filter for DJI Mavic 3 Classic and put it on. I have never taken it off. I love the saturation of the blues and greens and the diminishing of water reflections. I fly over a marsh most of the time. There are more expensive CPLs but the PGYTECH does a great job. I should mention that i hardly ever use the top lens. I produce a lot of pictures (stills) and movies of the flights and they all benefit from the polarizer.

 

[JeffreyS]

Keep in mind that polarizer filters steal around 1.5 stops of light, forcing a longer shutter speed at a fixed aperture. For a hovering, jittery camera dangling off of tiny drones, that is NOT an advantage, but quite the opposite.