Dissapointed with image quality

[Meta4]

i personally prefer to keep it one stop from full open, if possible, and keep ND8 filter on at all times

Are you talking about shooting stills?
If so that would seem a poor choice. when you have a shutter speed that goes to 1/8000th.
There is no reason a photographer would want to cut 87% of the available light with an ND8 filter.
You are just making things difficult for yourself before you start.
Unless you have a particular reason to want to force a slower shutter speed, it makes no sense to use ND filters on your drone camera.

 

[paulatkin73]

Are you talking about shooting stills?
If so that would seem a poor choice. when you have a shutter speed that goes to 1/8000th.
There is no reason a photographer would want to cut 87% of the available light with an ND8 filter.
You are just making things difficult for yourself before you start.
Unless you have a particular reason to want to force a slower shutter speed, it makes no sense to use ND filters on your drone camera.

With nd8 you have from 1/180 to 1/400 shutter on sunny days. I do not to swap filters for mixed video- photo flights. It works for me fine.
Also, nd8 is just a 2 stops down filter. Not an issue.

 

[Meta4]

Also, nd8 is just a 2 stops down filter. Not an issue.

It's actually giving away 3 stops.
But if you want to do that, that's your choice.
Most photographers wouldn't be wanting to throw away 87% of the available light.

 

[parkgt]

It's actually giving away 3 stops.
But if you want to do that, that's your choice.
Most photographers wouldn't be wanting to throw away 87% of the available light.

You only use the amount of light necessary to properly expose the image. ND just require a slower shutter compared to without.

Fast shutter speed don't allow as much light as slow shutters but I don't see much argument being made for slow shutter speeds.

NDs may have other potential downsides but having enough available light is not much of a concern in my opinion.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Could you give some more information about the time of the day you took the pics? To me it looks that there was relativly "hard" light, bright sun

That was my first thought too, not sure but looks like morning (or possibly afternoon, not sure of location) with dune shadows, but a bit later than golden hour . . .
Blue and golden hours are great for the beach sunrises too and would be a great advantage for those shots.

Obviously the OPs mention of fixing blurred image, you'd shoot without ND filter, fastest shutter.

 

[Meta4]

NDs may have other potential downsides but having enough available light is not much of a concern in my opinion.

You must do all your shooting on bright sunny days and have never had to consider movement in your photographic subjects.

 

[parkgt]

You must do all your shooting on bright sunny days and have never had to consider movement in your photographic subjects.

ND4 and ND8 provide plenty of light to stop movement with an available f2.8. I think most here are smart enough to take off the NDs in really dim light. I have shot with an ND4 after sundown.

 

[Meta4]

ND4 and ND8 provide plenty of light to stop movement with an available f2.8.

Really? That might be true on a bright sunny day ...... but ..
Here's an example of a moving subject shot at 1/120 at f2.8 & ISO 200.

The ship is making 17 knots (20 mph or 31 km/h).
At 1/120th it's only just fast enough to get an acceptable result.
How's that going to come out at 1/30th (ND4) or 1/15th (ND8)?

I think most here are smart enough to take off the NDs in really dim light.

Going by the responses here, I'm not so sure about that.
And there are many beginner photographers trying to learn things here and getting incorrect ideas.

I have shot with an ND4 after sundown.

Maybe you just shoot buildings.
Many have to contend with moving subjects or trees blown by the wind etc.

Leaving the ND filter on your camera when shooting stills isn't going to do anything to help your photography (beyond the much over-mentioned wispy waterfalls and car light trails.
Unless you have a particular reason to want to force a slower shutter speed, it makes no sense to use ND filters on your drone camera.