Dilemma: Which ND filter set?

[Aerophile]

So like many of you, I'm mulling over which ND filters to get for my M3P. Looking for the optimal set, given my criteria:

• Looking for high quality filters that I won't have to worry about
• Light weight
• All things being equal, I prefer metal over plastic
• Want to include a CPL
• Want a useful range -- it seems some sets come with too many "light" filters that won't be very useful (eg 8, 16, 32)...but don't include the higher filters (1000, 2000). I want to have the full range for "every day" use as well as long exposures.

I've looked over the options from Freewell and Skyreat that I see on amazon. As best I can tell, there no single set that meets all these criteria. Do I need to buy 2 (or 3) sets to cover the full range of options?

Recommendations? Thanks!

 

[CanadaDrone]

I have the Skyreat aluminum-framed series and so far I have no complaints. Their set also includes a CPL, though CPLs are incredibly annoying to use on drones because if you want even footage you need to pre-plan your flight path, pre-set your polarization level, and the slightest deviation from a straight line path will give you uneven footage as it changes your angle to the sun. They are slightly less annoying to use for stills photography but not much haha. Not a bad thing to have in the bag though, if you don't mind the hassle.

The longest exposure you can get without losing image quality is maybe around 1s in perfect conditions, so you probably don't need the really heavy NDs for long exposures unless you're working in direct sunlight - your tolerances for what is acceptable may be different than mine though. On my Mavic 2 Pro for instance, the shortest shutter speed I managed that met my sharpness standards was about 1/13sec, so 1s might even be generous and the M3P moves around a lot more than the bigger Mavics. I don't have enough experience with the M3P yet to know what it's limits there are.

Don't worry too much about filter quality as long as you're buying from a reputable brand. Filters like these are quite easy to produce and are extremely high margin products. I would bet most of them probably come out of the same factory with different names on them as do most things sold on Amazon.

If you want the really heavy NDs you will need to buy them separately from what I have seen. They are quite cheap, so not a big deal in my opinion. Skreat does offer a separate ND1000 but I don't own it.

This was taken at 1/13sec and it was more than enough to achieve a pleasing blur on the water while keeping everything else nice and sharp:

 

[Flashheart]

So like many of you, I'm mulling over which ND filters to get for my M3P. Looking for the optimal set, given my criteria:

• Looking for high quality filters that I won't have to worry about
• Light weight
• All things being equal, I prefer metal over plastic
• Want to include a CPL
• Want a useful range -- it seems some sets come with too many "light" filters that won't be very useful (eg 8, 16, 32)...but don't include the higher filters (1000, 2000). I want to have the full range for "every day" use as well as long exposures.

I've looked over the options from Freewell and Skyreat that I see on amazon. As best I can tell, there no single set that meets all these criteria. Do I need to buy 2 (or 3) sets to cover the full range of options?

Recommendations? Thanks!

I prefer Freewell.
You need 2 sets. The all day pack and the long exposure pack which includes the ND256.
The perfect ND set would be 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256 and a separate CPL.
Consider getting plastic over metal. Metal is heavier and harder than plastic and repeated fitting of a metal ND risks eventually wearing away at the plastic ND attachment points on the camera.
Personally, I want a set of Freewell VNDs if they ever produce them.

 

[Vic Moss]

Whatever brand you get, when it comes to filters, you get what you pay for. Never buy cheap filters.

 

[chopperguy]

I have the Freewell All Day six pack set, very nice filters! I did order the CPL lens separately as it doesn't come with it.

 

[moldorf]

I have the Freewell All Day six pack set, very nice filters! I did order the CPL lens separately as it doesn't come with it.

I have both that Freewell kit and a Skyreat kit. I prefer the Freewell because I perceived there was a slight but noticeable color shift with the Skyreat.

 

[BroomRider]

"Back In The Day" when I used to do a lot of 35mm photography, I used a number of filters for different effects.

ND, PL, & UV. I understand the use & value of them, & almost always, used them stacked, as in, I could screw 1 down on top of another to combine effects or for various conditions... & regardless of whatever else I used, I always had a UV filter in the outermost position as a guard to help protect everything else.

Perhaps you can see where I'm going with this question.

Are there any filters for the M3P that can be stacked, to combine the various effects of each filter?

Such as, ND & PL, & maybe a UV on the outside of the other 2?

So far, I've seen a few that are a combo ND & PL 2in1, but that kind of limits that filter application, & it also means, having to buy more different filters if they can't be stacked.

Say, I want to use ND only... or PL only... or just follow my old practice of keeping a UV on the end to protect everything else... I'd have to pick & choose, or buy a bunch of them, each for different effects & situations.

Another question, I see metal (aluminum) vs plastic frame, & glass vs plastic lens... I'm thinking, durability vs weight...

Thoughts, insights, comments, recommendations, all are welcome. Thank you for your input!

 

[lensimages]

I would have thought that stacking filters onto your MP3 would cause your gimbal to overload, as a retired Pro Photographer I never used filters as a matter of course just the UV to protect the Len’s element. Any manipulation of images now can usually be achieved through software like Photoshop plus many others. I would think twice before overloading with filters, cheers Len