DJI mini 2 filters

[henry whu]

Hi there I was wondering what filter for the DJI mavic mini 2 I will be filming on the beach over the sea and on snow and everyday filming like over fields would I need nd or nd/pl filters for filming over things like water with reflection and to make the snow colour pop or a cpl filter or all of them for what I want to film.

Thank you

 

[bmcelya]

Hi there I was wondering what filter for the DJI mavic mini 2 I will be filming on the beach over the sea and on snow and everyday filming like over fields would I need nd or nd/pl filters for filming over things like water with reflection and to make the snow colour pop or a cpl filter or all of them for what I want to film.

Thank you

Re polarizer: The polarizer needs to be set up on the ground before flight to work. With the generally wide angle of a gimbal camera the skies will often be of different density unless a perfect 180 degrees off the sun. Tricky.

 

[henry whu]

Re polarizer: The polarizer needs to be set up on the ground before flight to work. With the generally wide angle of a gimbal camera the skies will often be of different density unless a perfect 180 degrees off the sun. Tricky.

Ok thanks so do you suggest I just get some nd/pl filters. But people say you need straight nd filters for not flying over reflective objects or will the nd/pl do both.

Thank you

 

[tlswift58]

Hi there I was wondering what filter for the DJI mavic mini 2 I will be filming on the beach over the sea and on snow and everyday filming like over fields would I need nd or nd/pl filters for filming over things like water with reflection and to make the snow colour pop or a cpl filter or all of them for what I want to film.

Thank you

All the above. Each filter has its own use in differing scenarios. Would suggest reading up on when each filter type is useful and many YouTube videos on subjects as well. Photographers either love or hate ND's - so there is that to take into account as well. Yet most pros rarely if ever use auto mode, which is where an ND can help a novice that will use auto rather than in manual mode. You'll want to learn manual mode for sure as auto can give harsh results sometimes.

I fly with a low ND that came with my FlyMore pak for my Air2 and get good results. Have never even tried the darker 2 in the pack; as see no need. In low light conditions, have to remember to remove it, as you will want all the light your camera will pick up. If you go manual camera mode, you can achieve close to same results that way, but a good CPL / UV filter will help in glare / etc that you can't get out in manual. Also a cheap lens protector as well.

 

[tlswift58]

Ok thanks so do you suggest I just get some nd/pl filters. But people say you need straight nd filters for not flying over reflective objects or will the nd/pl do both.

Thank you

ND's and PL / CPL / UV are all separate filters. Have never seen (not looked either) for a "combo" filter. ND's come in different shades of darkness, so a set of 3-4 (DJI / PolarPro / etc.)give you a good range to use. Since you are flying a drone, a CPL (circular) won't be of use like on a DSLR that you can adjust on with the lens in hand. Def suggest as a minimum a good UV / Haze filter simply for glare and as a lens protector. Cheap insurance, esp for land based photographers who would rather scratch / etc a $50 filter (then replace) than have to replace a $1,000 lens.

 

[henry whu]

ND's and PL / CPL / UV are all separate filters. Have never seen (not looked either) for a "combo" filter. ND's come in different shades of darkness, so a set of 3-4 (DJI / PolarPro / etc.)give you a good range to use. Since you are flying a drone, a CPL (circular) won't be of use like on a DSLR that you can adjust on with the lens in hand. Def suggest as a minimum a good UV / Haze filter simply for glare and as a lens protector. Cheap insurance, esp for land based photographers who would rather scratch / etc a $50 filter (then replace) than have to replace a $1,000 lens.

So you suggest some polariser filters an only them or some straight nd filters because I will be filming snow the sea and I don’t want there to be glare on the sea ?

 

[SethB]

Stills or video? Or both?

Using polarizing filters to control glare off the sea *can* provide *some* help, at the expense of fiddling around, because for the help they can provide a single setting of the rotation of the filter should be optimized for the particular direction/angle of the source and the angle of the reflection to the camera. Polarizers rarely provide 100% of what we might want, but can help, at the expense of lots of trial and error… if it matters!

ND filters are useful when you want particular shutter speeds to represent motion. Usually, just in video. Search is your friend, there are a hundred threads on this.

Typically, pilots want sharp stills, meaning no motion blur, so ND filters are rarely used.

Combo ND/polarizers are popular for manufacturers (why buy just 3 ND filters when you can get the whole set with pola too!) Their utility would be only for video where you need ND as well as polarization. But I’ve *never* used the polarizing filters I have… I’m typically always using ND for video, which means it may be on the drone when I want a still.

If exposure, shutter speed, gain/ISO, ND, and aperture are not familiar terms it would be very helpful to study up on the basics of exposure and exposure controls in stills and video. A little learning can greatly illuminate these choices!

***edit***
Oh look, the forum software has provided links to related threads if you scroll down a bit - you don’t even have to search!

 

[tlswift58]

So you suggest some polariser filters an only them or some straight nd filters because I will be filming snow the sea and I don’t want there to be glare on the sea ?

Own some of each - as each has a purpose. The PL or a UV / haze to keep on almost all the time simply for protection and some glare / haze / etc filtering. When flying in super bright / reflective situations - pop off the PL / UV filter and pop on an ND. They are not super expensive, so having them for the many different lighting conditions you will encounter is simply good to have. Testing them along with manual settings can help you dial it in for great photos / videos with little post processing.

 

[henry whu]

Own some of each - as each has a purpose. The PL or a UV / haze to keep on almost all the time simply for protection and some glare / haze / etc filtering. When flying in super bright / reflective situations - pop off the PL / UV filter and pop on an ND. They are not super expensive, so having them for the many different lighting conditions you will encounter is simply good to have. Testing them along with manual settings can help you dial it in for great photos / videos with little post processing.

Ok thank you very much

 

[henry whu]

Stills or video? Or both?

Using polarizing filters to control glare off the sea *can* provide *some* help, at the expense of fiddling around, because for the help they can provide a single setting of the rotation of the filter should be optimized for the particular direction/angle of the source and the angle of the reflection to the camera. Polarizers rarely provide 100% of what we might want, but can help, at the expense of lots of trial and error… if it matters!

ND filters are useful when you want particular shutter speeds to represent motion. Usually, just in video. Search is your friend, there are a hundred threads on this.

Typically, pilots want sharp stills, meaning no motion blur, so ND filters are rarely used.

Combo ND/polarizers are popular for manufacturers (why buy just 3 ND filters when you can get the whole set with pola too!) Their utility would be only for video where you need ND as well as polarization. But I’ve *never* used the polarizing filters I have… I’m typically always using ND for video, which means it may be on the drone when I want a still.

If exposure, shutter speed, gain/ISO, ND, and aperture are not familiar terms it would be very helpful to study up on the basics of exposure and exposure controls in stills and video. A little learning can greatly illuminate these choices!

***edit***
Oh look, the forum software has provided links to related threads if you scroll down a bit - you don’t even have to search!

Ok thank you I know about those terms so what would you suggest me buying nd/pl or just nd filters

 

[MS Coast]

I'd say that your best bet for controlling glare is to control the position of the drone relative to the sun and to your subject. If you're seeing glare, move to one side or move move more directly overhead the subject. Look at the examples in @Meta4's post #11 here:

Best Filter For Polarization or Being able to see in the ocean without glare

I have a Mavic Air 2 and I use it for flying over the water at the beach to look for fish and video them. I get a lot of glare from the sun though and I also can’t get nice colors from the fish that I am recording. What filter or settings should I use for these applications.

mavicpilots.com

ND filters are useful for allowing slower shutter speeds so that something gets blurred a bit. With video you might want blurring to make motion seem more natural. With photos, you might want to blur waves or moving water.

Polarizing filters must be adjusted for the specific angle between the lens and the sun. You can't adjust them in flight. If you set it for a specific shot it's going to be fine for that shot. But if you move the drone much or aim at a different subject, in another direction, the filter won't be set properly.

I think you'll find that most non-professional drone users never use polarizing filters and few use ND filters very often, and then mostly for video only.