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Curious how one uses polarized filters on a moving drove where the angle changes during flight?

ff22

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I think the subject explains my question but maybe I'm just too new to the drone world. But doesn't one generally rotate the filter to account for glare or sun position and angle? Do you have to keep bringing the drone down and adjusting accordingly?

Or am I missing something in my understanding - quite possible.
 
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No you're completely right, and that's exactly why I think polarized filters are largely wasted on drones. I don't know why anyone bothers with them :)
 
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No you're completely right, and that's exactly why I think polarized filters are largely wasted on drones. I don't know why anyone bothers with them :)

Totally agree, I don’t use any filters for photography, but videos you would use ND filters I think, I m not into the video side yet;)
 
I agree and having had both polarized are nice for photos provided you take the time to set everything up before hand or take a couple times to get the photos.

For video ND filters are a must imo. Keeping the shutter speed 2x of the frame rate really makes a difference when it comes to smoothing out video.
 
Thanks for the replies. What instigated the question was reading about ND filters in various threads and in YouTube videos and reviews. So looking at them, many "sets" come with the polarized filters and it seemed a waste of money to buy sets that included polarized filters. So trying to figure out which brand is best or, at least, not worst, trying to find them without polarized versions is the next task.

Thanks, again.
 
I think the subject explains my question but maybe I'm just too new to the drone world. But doesn't one generally rotate the filter to account for glare or sun position and angle? Do you have to keep bringing the drone down and adjusting accordingly?

Or am I missing something in my understanding - quite possible.
You guys are missing the point or do not understand how to use a polarizing filter and or an ND filter. Forget drones and think of a camera and a scene. A polarizing filter, linear or circular, can only work on the camera in your hand, when you point it in the direct that it will have an effect. Therefore, the filter will have a greater effect in a certain angle of direction to the sun, than in the other angle range of direction from where you are standing and your subject is placed in relation to the sun.

Therefore, in the very same way, the filter will show a greater or lesser effect in the image (either still or video) when you are flying or photographing the subject in one direct and position to the sun with the filter fitted but should you turn and fly in, say, the opposite direction, the filter will have a different effect on your image. Now, an ND filter affects the way the light comes through the camera lens and therefore, shows this affect no matter which way the camera is pointed during flight, it simply restricts the light falling on the sensor of the camera.

You can not compare an ND filter to a polarizing filter because these are two completely different filters and used for two completely different things. It is sort of like cooking dinner then adding water or sugar to the dinner. Both will alter the dinner but not in the same way and both are used for different purposes in your cooking, you just can't expect to compare them to each other and ask yourself which one is better. Hope you all now understand what you use a polarizing filter for and what you use an ND filter for. The only thing they have in common with each other is the fact that the word filter is used when naming them, but it ends there.
 
You guys are missing the point or do not understand how to use a polarizing filter and or an ND filter. Forget drones and think of a camera and a scene. A polarizing filter, linear or circular, can only work on the camera in your hand, when you point it in the direct that it will have an effect. Therefore, the filter will have a greater effect in a certain angle of direction to the sun, than in the other angle range of direction from where you are standing and your subject is placed in relation to the sun.

Therefore, in the very same way, the filter will show a greater or lesser effect in the image (either still or video) when you are flying or photographing the subject in one direct and position to the sun with the filter fitted but should you turn and fly in, say, the opposite direction, the filter will have a different effect on your image. Now, an ND filter affects the way the light comes through the camera lens and therefore, shows this affect no matter which way the camera is pointed during flight, it simply restricts the light falling on the sensor of the camera.

You can not compare an ND filter to a polarizing filter because these are two completely different filters and used for two completely different things. It is sort of like cooking dinner then adding water or sugar to the dinner. Both will alter the dinner but not in the same way and both are used for different purposes in your cooking, you just can't expect to compare them to each other and ask yourself which one is better. Hope you all now understand what you use a polarizing filter for and what you use an ND filter for. The only thing they have in common with each other is the fact that the word filter is used when naming them, but it ends there.
Cymru is spot on - theyre chalk and cheese - ND will darken and slow shutter but to you, at same exposure, you wont see a difference. The Circ POL actually changes what light is seen and not seen by the sensor

My set has both ND and circ pol - thing is the harsh bright afternoon/evening especially over water but just as much with the sky needs a bit of a drop in brightness to shoot with a slower shutter, i rarely have no filter on - only at almost sunset/just after is it dark enough to shoot without even a CP4/ND4 - and 16 is my goto in the late afternoon if im doing 2k/60 (120 shutter). For the average joe - (me) the added advantage of a little bit of polarising even if its not quite right so far has been better than none (fussy / extremely serious videographers may find the sky depth shift distracting) The circ polarisers are also of course able to darken the shot and slow the shutter and do that job too... i tend to try and hand aim the m2 in the glare direction - and get an average of either the water or the bluest sky - call it and run with it - so far on the polar pro it seems the best average is the line at 3 or 9oclock - but its not a scientific set of data... just my general observations. im used to shooting with a circ pol on my dslr in bright often glare ridden Perth WA Aus - and i also shoot swimming pools so cutting through the reflection is important, or at least needs to be controlled.

For those who really dont get what a polariser can do - ill attach some pics - both same pool shot at same time. We needed to get a shot of the tiling but the water glare on an overcast day was no good. The Polariser makes it seem like the water isnt there. Same applies to the beach when its bright white glimmers it just cuts it out of the shot and can make the scene alot gentler. The effect needs some control as some might say that pool looks empty and that doesnt convey wanting to have a swim - same with sunset - the reflection can some times set a scene if thats the desired shot. Just another tool - but i would take the POL over the plain ND if i could have only one. the extra pop on average you get is worth it. (the extra blue in the sky and definition of clouds, the extra green in the trees - worth it :)

Circ Pol 1.jpgCirc Pol 2.jpg
 
Cymru is spot on - theyre chalk and cheese - ND will darken and slow shutter but to you, at same exposure, you wont see a difference. The Circ POL actually changes what light is seen and not seen by the sensor

My set has both ND and circ pol - thing is the harsh bright afternoon/evening especially over water but just as much with the sky needs a bit of a drop in brightness to shoot with a slower shutter, i rarely have no filter on - only at almost sunset/just after is it dark enough to shoot without even a CP4/ND4 - and 16 is my goto in the late afternoon if im doing 2k/60 (120 shutter). For the average joe - (me) the added advantage of a little bit of polarising even if its not quite right so far has been better than none (fussy / extremely serious videographers may find the sky depth shift distracting) The circ polarisers are also of course able to darken the shot and slow the shutter and do that job too... i tend to try and hand aim the m2 in the glare direction - and get an average of either the water or the bluest sky - call it and run with it - so far on the polar pro it seems the best average is the line at 3 or 9oclock - but its not a scientific set of data... just my general observations. im used to shooting with a circ pol on my dslr in bright often glare ridden Perth WA Aus - and i also shoot swimming pools so cutting through the reflection is important, or at least needs to be controlled.

For those who really dont get what a polariser can do - ill attach some pics - both same pool shot at same time. We needed to get a shot of the tiling but the water glare on an overcast day was no good. The Polariser makes it seem like the water isnt there. Same applies to the beach when its bright white glimmers it just cuts it out of the shot and can make the scene alot gentler. The effect needs some control as some might say that pool looks empty and that doesnt convey wanting to have a swim - same with sunset - the reflection can some times set a scene if thats the desired shot. Just another tool - but i would take the POL over the plain ND if i could have only one. the extra pop on average you get is worth it. (the extra blue in the sky and definition of clouds, the extra green in the trees - worth it :)

View attachment 53997View attachment 53998
Thank you [emoji120]
 
Neo... You use a PL filter for the times when you need a PL filter. Therefore, to your question "are they worth it on a drone" absolutely but ony when you need to achieve the effect that a PL filter offers. A PL filter only has an affect on the scene when the sun is at a certain angle to the direction of flight in your drone. So, for example, if you needed to increase the intensity of the blueness of the sky or the ocean colour, such as in Hawaii (just as an example), and you are flying in the direction to the sun that would produce the required effect only a PL filter gives, then yes use it.

Or, maybe you needed to remove the reflection off a pool or car body or windscreen as you flew over any of those just mentioned, then you would need to use the PL filter, as long as the subject was placed in the correct position for your flight course and its relation to the sun. If you positioned, say the car, in a different section of the car park, to that which would lend the effect of the PL filter to its best advantage due to the position of the sun in the sky, then there would be no need to use a PL filter. Just move everything around a bit and you would see the affect that PL filter would have on your intended subject with regards to what the sun is doing in a reflection, for example.

The simplest way is to just get a cheap pair of polarized sunglasses and then walk in different direction and see what affect the glasses have on, for example the green leaves on a tree or the reflections off the windscreen of a car or the car's body. In one direction this would look great when the PL filtered removed these reflections but walk in a different direction and you would find the PL sunglasses had little to no affect on leaves or a windscreen of a car.

Therefore, if you are flying around in all different directions, and you have a PL filter fitted to your drone, its affect will vary from great to nothing at all as you flew in different directions. Therefore, learn what a PL does to your scene and note the direction of the sun to your flight path and your subject position and then move things around and see the difference. That way you will then be able to discern if your PL filter will help or offer nothing to a scene you may wish to film. I hoped that has helped you and not confused you even more.
 
I've been using these filters, as recently as yesterday: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GW5VXFS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All it takes is some planning for your shots. Yesterday I wanted to darken the blue sky around a lot of wispy high clouds, and I was going to be flying in a specific direction. All I had to do was hold the filter up to my eye (an ND16 in this case) and look in the direction I would be flying. I adjusted the filter as needed and then put it on the Mavic 2 Pro. It worked out well. This is a frame from a video:

Des Moines Skyline 2.jpg
 
I've been using these filters, as recently as yesterday: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07GW5VXFS/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

All it takes is some planning for your shots. Yesterday I wanted to darken the blue sky around a lot of wispy high clouds, and I was going to be flying in a specific direction. All I had to do was hold the filter up to my eye (an ND16 in this case) and look in the direction I would be flying. I adjusted the filter as needed and then put it on the Mavic 2 Pro. It worked out well. This is a frame from a video:

View attachment 54299
we have been discussing the PL filter, not the ND filter. You are using a ND filter recently, that ND will always darken what ever you point it at you don't need to worry about the sun's position at all, but it darkens everything. I hope you are not confusing your ND filter for what a PL filter does. Not the same thing as a PL filter. A PL filter will intensify colours, so will make a blue sky really pop and the clouds really white, a certain directions to the sun. You have darkened the sky with your ND filter but also darkened the ground too. You should use a graduated ND filter to get the effect you are after, which would darken the sky but leave the ground as it was.
 
I think the question was......A PL filter needs to be rotated to obtain the best effect. Since one cannot do it remotely when fling what value is it to a drone?
If it is of value, how do you set it before flying?
The question did not ask what the difference was, or even how to use ND filters, but all that is good info.
 
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You basically try to set the rotation which will give you the best results. If you are flying around a lot, pointing the aircraft in a lot of different directions to the sun, then yes, you will only get the best polarized effect in parts of the flight.

Polarizers, cut glare, even when not rotated to the best optical solution. They help amazingly on greens and reflections of sunlight, and of course as shown glare on wet surfaces. They also can remove/reduce reflections.

So best to try one for a short flight and move around in relation to sun, and see if feel it's worth it.

Polarizers also will most times lower your exposure 1 to 1.5 stops, in essence working like a ND filter. The exposure reduction will be the same no matter the rotation.

Paul C
 
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You can see the effect of the filter through your screen. So point the drone held in your hand, to the direction you wish to fly then rotate (if you have a rotating circular polarizing filter) the filter to see what effect you are seeing, then when you have that point, you leave the filter rotated in that direction. You can try pointing the drone in different directions and doing the same rotation of the PL filter so you get an idea of what things will look like in each of the directions you pointed to on the ground. They will be the same in the air. This way you can understand how the filter works and how it will work in the air when flying in that direction, this way you know where best to fly to obtain the best use out of the PL filter before you even take off.
 
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we have been discussing the PL filter, not the ND filter.

Yes, I know that. This is a polarizing ND filter. Many polarizing filters for drones are also ND filters.

I hope you are not confusing your ND filter for what a PL filter does. Not the same thing as a PL filter.

I'm not. I've been a professional photographer for 35 years.

You should use a graduated ND filter to get the effect you are after, which would darken the sky but leave the ground as it was.

No, that won't give me the effect I want. A graduated filter will darken the entire sky, including the clouds and, in the case of the photo I posted, it would also darken the tops of the two tallest builfings. A polarizer, properly adjusted, will reduce the light reflecting from haze in the sky, causing a light blue sky to darken to a deeper blue, increasing the contrast between a blue but hazy sky and white clouds, just as it has in the photo I posted.
 
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I think the question was......A PL filter needs to be rotated to obtain the best effect. Since one cannot do it remotely when fling what value is it to a drone?

I answered that in my post above. You plan your shot and adjust the filter on the ground for the direction you'll be flying in.

Is no one here aware there are polarizing ND filters? Follow the link in my post above.
 
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