Are polarizer filters worth it?

[Heindrich1988]

I've been dithering over filters and lens for my Air 2 for days. As a total noob, there was quite a lot of information to absorb. I think ultimately, my decision comes down to whether polarizers are important or not. I've seen quite a lot of conflicting information. Some people swear by it, and say that if you're gonna use ND filters, you might as well use some that can work as PL filters too. Some say that it's too impractical to use on a drone, and you can achieve some of the effect in post-production anyway. What do you guys feel about the subject?

I have come up with two strategies depending on the answer:

A) Polarizers are important

PGY set: NDPL 8/16/32/64 (399 RMB = $59) * I am currently in China, so PGYTech is a bit cheaper than Freewell, I also much prefer the PGYTech magnetized filter case compared to the Freewell one.

Freewell Anamorphic lens ($40) * I will have to wait until it is officially released in China. I don't want to pay $20 for postage on a $40 item.

Total: $99

B) Polarizers are not important

Buying everything from Freewell so I get free delivery...

Variable ND 2 Pack: 2-5 stops & 6-9 stop filters. ($50) *If polarizers aren't important, I'd prefer VND over normal ones, just for the convenience. That 2-5 stop filter will be on my drone by default.

Anamorphic lens ($40)

Freewell ND8PL filter ($20) *Have to buy something else to reach the $100 free delivery requirement. Might as well get ONE filter at the most commonly used ND setting to have the option of using a polarizer.

Total: $110


Any thoughts and input much appreciated!

 

[THE CYBORG]

It all depends on what sort of shoots you do, stills they could be useful because you can set the polarizer for a specific shot but not so good for video as it will alter as you turn.

 

[Meta4]

B) Polarizers are not important

Polarisers are vastly over-rated for drone use and to use them properly is more trouble than they are worth.

To use them properly, you need to rotate the filter element to align relative to the angle of the sun.
That's fine while you have the drone facing in the direction for which it is properly aligned.
But you lose the effect as soon as you turn the drone in a different direction and you get horrible blotchy skies instead.

 

[Heindrich1988]

Polarisers are vastly over-rated for drone use and to use them properly is more trouble than they are worth.

To use them properly, you need to rotate the filter element to align relative to the angle of the sun.
That's fine while you have the drone facing in the direction for which it is properly aligned.
But you lose the effect as soon as you turn the drone in a different direction and you get horrible blotchy skies instead.

hmmm... in that case, maybe I shouldn't bother with any Polarizers at all.

I could just save some money and buy a PGYTech VND 2-5, that's about $25 in China including delivery. I''ll just get the Freewell Anamorphic lens alone when it's released in China. That saves about $45 from Option B above, by skipping on the ND8PL and VND 6-9.

 

[hiflyer201]

I've become a true believer in ND filters along with the 180 rule for video. the price is right on the VND2-5 but I'm questioning If it's really as handy as it seems. A 16 works 90% of the time and you can't tweak the variable with the battery on so except for price..why not just change out the filter. I have to think that a dedicated filter is better optically than a variable.
I've never had the patience for Polarizers. I don't even like the effect.

 

[Thomas B]

As above, polarizing filters are very “directional”, but if you want “that shot” over water (especially clear water) they are great, especially in the midday AZ sun.

 

[CareyL]

I video over water a lot and now always use a circular polarizer. lt has the added benefit of protecting the lens.

I've been dithering over filters and lens for my Air 2 for days. As a total noob, there was quite a lot of information to absorb. I think ultimately, my decision comes down to whether polarizers are important or not.
Any thoughts and input much appreciated!

 

[dronerdave]

They have a specific place in my equipment. But as mentioned they are a bit difficult to use. They can actually ruin a shot in some circumstances. But when used correctly such as cutting through glare off water, polarizers can produce unique pictures.

 

[Heindrich1988]

I've become a true believer in ND filters along with the 180 rule for video. the price is right on the VND2-5 but I'm questioning If it's really as handy as it seems. A 16 works 90% of the time and you can't tweak the variable with the battery on so except for price..why not just change out the filter. I have to think that a dedicated filter is better optically than a variable.
I've never had the patience for Polarizers. I don't even like the effect.

I got the Air 2 Fly More combo, which came with DJI's ND16, ND64 and ND256 filters. I've been trying the ND16 this week. I was surprised to see that whilst it was perfect about 1hr before sunset, it was too dark by 15mins to sunset. And today, about 2hrs before sunset, it was actually too bright to shoot with ND16.

The conclusion I arrived at was that I definitely need at least ND8 and ND32 in my arsenal. I have seen others mention that dedicated filters are typically better than VNDs... but the Freewell and PGYTech VNDs both have very good reviews, so I'm not sure if that's a traditionalist thing or if there's actually a difference?

Also, the way I understand it, polarizer NDs can work just like normal ones, if you set it as such. That's why I was looking at the PGYTech NDPL 8/16/32/64 set. It's 399 RMB ($59), vs 299 RMB ($45) for the same 4-pack without Polarizer. So, I figured it was just $14 extra for the option of using Polarizers if I want to.

 

[Thomas B]

Polarizing filters block light from all but the optimal direction for the filter if you get it compare it to plain ND back to back to see the differences especially in colors.. Still it is a good one to have in your arsenal.

 

[Heindrich1988]

They have a specific place in my equipment. But as mentioned they are a bit difficult to use. They can actually ruin a shot in some circumstances. But when used correctly such as cutting through glare off water, polarizers can produce unique pictures.

The message I think I'm getting is that whilst Polarizers have their uses, they aren't really the bread and butter of drone filters.

As a beginner, maybe I should probably just get used to shooting with basic ND filters before worrying about Polarizer settings.

Partly because I don't have a good range of ND filters at present, I've been mostly shooting on HDR mode, but I want to try shooting D-cinelike with correct ND filters and learning to colour-grade properly. Adding polarizer settings into the mix might just add complexity and confusion at this point. ? ?

 

[Platinum 4 ever]

I've been dithering over filters and lens for my Air 2 for days. As a total noob, there was quite a lot of information to absorb. I think ultimately, my decision comes down to whether polarizers are important or not. I've seen quite a lot of conflicting information. Some people swear by it, and say that if you're gonna use ND filters, you might as well use some that can work as PL filters too. Some say that it's too impractical to use on a drone, and you can achieve some of the effect in post-production anyway. What do you guys feel about the subject?

I have come up with two strategies depending on the answer:

A) Polarizers are important

PGY set: NDPL 8/16/32/64 (399 RMB = $59) * I am currently in China, so PGYTech is a bit cheaper than Freewell, I also much prefer the PGYTech magnetized filter case compared to the Freewell one.

Freewell Anamorphic lens ($40) * I will have to wait until it is officially released in China. I don't want to pay $20 for postage on a $40 item.

Total: $99

B) Polarizers are not important

Buying everything from Freewell so I get free delivery...

Variable ND 2 Pack: 2-5 stops & 6-9 stop filters. ($50) *If polarizers aren't important, I'd prefer VND over normal ones, just for the convenience. That 2-5 stop filter will be on my drone by default.

Anamorphic lens ($40)

Freewell ND8PL filter ($20) *Have to buy something else to reach the $100 free delivery requirement. Might as well get ONE filter at the most commonly used ND setting to have the option of using a polarizer.

Total: $110


Any thoughts and input much appreciated!

In the beginning of this hobby. I have looked into getting filters. After a little research. I thought that it was more trouble than what it was worth.

 

[Heindrich1988]

In the beginning of this hobby. I have looked into getting filters. After a little research. I thought that it was more trouble than what it was worth.

It depends on what you are shooting. For filming landscapes high up in the sky, like what I've been doing mostly, I also don't think it's necessarily worth it. The difference is minimal, and in my opinion, a little subjective.

However, if you fly a bit lower and/or shoot things moving at any speed, it really does make a big difference. I was convinced by a clip of a drone flying over some crop fields. Without ND filters, the crops looked unrealistically sharp, unnatural, and kind of detracted from the wider landscape. With the filters, the crops flew by the screen at a realistic blur, and the wider setting was framed beautifully and sharply in comparsion. i.e. cinematic.

 

[julius13]

I got the Air 2 Fly More combo, which came with DJI's ND16, ND64 and ND256 filters. I've been trying the ND16 this week. I was surprised to see that whilst it was perfect about 1hr before sunset, it was too dark by 15mins to sunset. And today, about 2hrs before sunset, it was actually too bright to shoot with ND16.

The conclusion I arrived at was that I definitely need at least ND8 and ND32 in my arsenal. I have seen others mention that dedicated filters are typically better than VNDs... but the Freewell and PGYTech VNDs both have very good reviews, so I'm not sure if that's a traditionalist thing or if there's actually a difference?

Also, the way I understand it, polarizer NDs can work just like normal ones, if you set it as such. That's why I was looking at the PGYTech NDPL 8/16/32/64 set. It's 399 RMB ($59), vs 299 RMB ($45) for the same 4-pack without Polarizer. So, I figured it was just $14 extra for the option of using Polarizers if I want to.

I have a set of Polar Pros for my M2Pro but have only used them on two occasions. It’s just easier to fix any polarization in post production, at least for me. I generally just stick with an ND8 or ND16. Also it comes down to budget and personal preferences but I use Polar Pros. I have a set of PGYTech for my P4Pros as well as Polar Pros and I see a noticeable difference.

 

[Maviac]

Polarisers are vastly over-rated for drone use and to use them properly is more trouble than they are worth.

To use them properly, you need to rotate the filter element to align relative to the angle of the sun.
That's fine while you have the drone facing in the direction for which it is properly aligned.
But you lose the effect as soon as you turn the drone in a different direction and you get horrible blotchy skies instead.

Agree 100%. I have some Freewells and never use them. Just too much bother. I will concede that there may be a one-in-a-hundred (or thousand) shot that might turn out slightly better with a polarizer, and I wouldn’t say you can get exactly the same result in post, but it’s just not worth it in my mind.

 

[Maviac]

Polarizing filters block light from all but the optimal direction for the filter if you get it compare it to plain ND back to back to see the differences especially in colors.. Still it is a good one to have in your arsenal.

Notwithstanding my prior post, I don’t necessarily disagree with this either. But it would be close to the bottom of my list for accessories (though I use them regularly for land photography).

 

[Thomas B]

Notwithstanding my prior post, I don’t necessarily disagree with this either. But it would be close to the bottom of my list for accessories (though I use them regularly for land photography).

agree that it’s special circumstances for sure. I don’t use my NDPLs much, but sometimes just seems to give a better look.