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CPL question

hedbonker

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When I use a CPL on my camera outside I typically frame my shot and then rotate the CPL while I am looking through the finder until I get my desired result. Simple. I just bought a Freewell CPL for my Air 3. I tested it today and it works fine but setting it might be a bit of a challenge. For my test I just looked through the CPL at the scene I was going to shoot with the drone and rotated the CPL to the spot I wanted and put it on the drone and did the shot.

This worked OK but I was wondering is this the typical way folks use the CPL on the drone? It would be a bit cumbersome to to hold the drone up and rotate the CPL while I look at the display on the remote to get the correct setting.

What do you folks do to set your CPL?
 
This worked OK but I was wondering is this the typical way folks use the CPL on the drone? It would be a bit cumbersome to to hold the drone up and rotate the CPL while I look at the display on the remote to get the correct setting.
Polarising filters are more trouble than they are worth for use with drones.
Most folks that use them are unaware of how to use them properly.
 
...a bit cumbersome to to hold the drone up and rotate the CPL while I look at the display on the remote
You don't need to have the CPL on the drone when figuring out the setting... just look through the filter directly when you pointing it in the same direction as you later will take the shoot, there adjust it until you have the strength you desire.
 
You don't need to have the CPL on the drone when figuring out the setting... just look through the filter directly when you pointing it in the same direction as you later will take the shoot, there adjust it until you have the strength you desire.
Yeah that seems to be the most reasonable approach. Thanks :)
 
As correctly stated, most people have no idea how to use a CPL and they are wasting their money. It was designed for manual rotation by the photographer, to get the desired look required for the angle of the sun to the subject.

You just can't do this while flying a drone. Now, if you had a system that could rotate that filter as you flew, then that would be great, and the use of a CPL would then be justified.

However, we have no such device, therefore, as has been suggested, work out the angle you will approach the subject matter and do a ground adjustment and hope it does not shift in flight. There is no easy way to adjust it, it is going to be fiddly and probably not worth the bother. It is more a sales gimmick, a CPL for drone use.
 
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As stated, setting the polarizing lens before flight is required. I use a CPL every time I fly over water, which is most of the time. Simply rotate the lens with drone level in hand but camera angled 45 degree down, now look at the water from above through the screen. When reflections disappear and visibility underwater improves..it's set. Go fly. Enjoy
 

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