Graduated filter for MA2

[howard.allum]

When shooting landscape or scenic shots with my DSLR, I often use a graduated filter. I live in a sunny country and it helps a lot with bright skies etc. In fact, even on cloudy days a graduated filter can make for more interesting, dramatic shots.
Is there such a thing available for my MA2 ? It would make for dramatic shots, both still and video, but I've seen no mention of them on FB or the forums.
There's loads of info about ND and polarising filters but no mention of graduated ones and I can't find one available from any of the drone equipment dealers. Anyone??

 

[Deleted member 103366]

Could you perhaps rework one of these to fit an Air 2 filter housing?
The other thing I have thought about was reworking a Lee filter, though weight might be an issue.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Freewell makes them.

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 FILTERS - LANDSCAPE SERIES - 3PACK

Unmatched Optics: Each of Freewell 4K Series optics are handcrafted precisely compatible to be used with Mavic Air 2 Drone. GimbalSafe: Freewell GimbalSafe technology ensures each filter frame goes through a rigorous lightweight test putting no negative effect on your drone gimbal. Coating...

www.freewellgear.com

 

[howard.allum]

Freewell makes them.

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 FILTERS - LANDSCAPE SERIES - 3PACK

Unmatched Optics: Each of Freewell 4K Series optics are handcrafted precisely compatible to be used with Mavic Air 2 Drone. GimbalSafe: Freewell GimbalSafe technology ensures each filter frame goes through a rigorous lightweight test putting no negative effect on your drone gimbal. Coating...

www.freewellgear.com

Found them on Amazon/UK. Brilliant! Thanks very much...

 

[GadgetGuy]

Found them on Amazon/UK. Brilliant! Thanks very much...

Excellent! They are game changers!

 

[Trippp]

Howard, what's a graduated filter, and how does it work? thanks, T

 

[Deleted member 103366]

A graduated flilter is 'coloured' in one portion and not in the other, in the context of this thread the 'colour' is "neutral density, ND?" and does not tint the portion of the image covered by the shading, it merely reduces the amount of light reaching the relevant part of the camera sensor.
You position the camera so that the shaded area of the filter covers the bright section of your view and as a result the it the exposure across the whole image is more balance, i.e. areas of the photo etc. that would be dark when shooting without the filter are lightened by the resulting exposure being longer.
With a normal camera SLR, DSLR etc. they are often a sheet of glass that slides in a holder, thereby allowing you to position the boundary between the shaded and non shaded areas to suit your needs without moving the camera. PLUS the "holder" can often be rotated to allow the filter's boundary to be aligned with an a tilted boundary between the light and dark areas of your potential photo.

You might like to have a look at the webpage

Neutral Density Grads

The boundary between the shaded and non shaded areas of the filter may be sharp (hard) or gradual (soft) and anything in between.

With a drone's version of the filter you would have to pitch the gimbal and, maybe, adjust the gimbal's roll.

 

[tlswift58]

When shooting landscape or scenic shots with my DSLR, I often use a graduated filter. I live in a sunny country and it helps a lot with bright skies etc. In fact, even on cloudy days a graduated filter can make for more interesting, dramatic shots.
Is there such a thing available for my MA2 ? It would make for dramatic shots, both still and video, but I've seen no mention of them on FB or the forums.
There's loads of info about ND and polarising filters but no mention of graduated ones and I can't find one available from any of the drone equipment dealers. Anyone??

How would you graduate the filter on a drone in flight? That really answers the question.

You'll have to stick with simple PL's and ND's and if what you have on seem too light, then bring the drone back to change out filters OR adjust your camera settings in manual to achieve what you may have gotten with a CPL type filter on a DSLR.

 

[tlswift58]

Freewell makes them.

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 FILTERS - LANDSCAPE SERIES - 3PACK

Unmatched Optics: Each of Freewell 4K Series optics are handcrafted precisely compatible to be used with Mavic Air 2 Drone. GimbalSafe: Freewell GimbalSafe technology ensures each filter frame goes through a rigorous lightweight test putting no negative effect on your drone gimbal. Coating...

www.freewellgear.com

Those unfortunately are like CPL's or circular ND's for a DSLR. They all, like all the ND's and PL's I've seen for a drone are static numbered. No way to turn the filter wheel on a CPL / ND type filter on a drone while in flight; that is possible on a DSLR based filter.

My Air2 FlyMore came with a set of ND's from DJI that do work pretty well. Yet, they are static in their settings; so if you need more light blockage, you have to land the drone, replace the filter, and take off again. That is, unless you have a drone that can hoist a human into the air along with the small drone; which would then not be needed as you could carry a DSLR with you and change the filter density on the FLY!

 

[tlswift58]

A graduated flilter is 'coloured' in one portion and not in the other, in the context of this thread the 'colour' is "neutral density, ND?" and does not tint the portion of the image covered by the shading, it merely reduces the amount of light reaching the relevant part of the camera sensor.
You position the camera so that the shaded area of the filter covers the bright section of your view and as a result the it the exposure across the whole image is more balance, i.e. areas of the photo etc. that would be dark when shooting without the filter are lightened by the resulting exposure being longer.
With a normal camera SLR, DSLR etc. they are often a sheet of glass that slides in a holder, thereby allowing you to position the boundary between the shaded and non shaded areas to suit your needs without moving the camera. PLUS the "holder" can often be rotated to allow the filter's boundary to be aligned with an a tilted boundary between the light and dark areas of your potential photo.

You might like to have a look at the webpage

Neutral Density Grads

The boundary between the shaded and non shaded areas of the filter may be sharp (hard) or gradual (soft) and anything in between.

With a drone's version of the filter you would have to pitch the gimbal and, maybe, adjust the gimbal's roll.

I've not seen any graduated filters for a drone - as how do you change the density setting like you can on a camera lens by turning the filter to the desired setting.

Not saying there may not be one - but even the ones people have posted by like Freewill or even the ones from DJI are all "static" and not changeable on the fly.

 

[Jagerbomb52]

DJI MAVIC AIR 2 FILTERS - HARD STOP VARIABLE ND - 2PACK

Unmatched Optics: Each of Freewell 4K Series optics are handcrafted precisely compatible to be used with Mavic Air 2 Drone. GimbalSafe: Freewell GimbalSafe technology ensures each filter frame goes through a rigorous lightweight test putting no negative effect on your drone gimbal. Coating...

www.freewellgear.com

Or

FREEWELL GEAR

www.freewellgear.com

I have the Mist edition for my air 2S and love them.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

as how do you change the density setting like you can on a camera lens by turning the filter to the desired setting.

If you are talking about variable density filters for a drone then, as far as I know, that is not applicable to graduated filters. These graduated filters for drones are fixed in that sense,

But there may be filters of differing densities avaiable but that would mean swapping filters if you wished to change the density.

 

[GadgetGuy]

Those unfortunately are like CPL's or circular ND's for a DSLR. They all, like all the ND's and PL's I've seen for a drone are static numbered. No way to turn the filter wheel on a CPL / ND type filter on a drone while in flight; that is possible on a DSLR based filter.

My Air2 FlyMore came with a set of ND's from DJI that do work pretty well. Yet, they are static in their settings; so if you need more light blockage, you have to land the drone, replace the filter, and take off again. That is, unless you have a drone that can hoist a human into the air along with the small drone; which would then not be needed as you could carry a DSLR with you and change the filter density on the FLY!

Not true! These are graduated ND filters where the filter is darker at the top than the bottom. They are designed to darken the sky while preserving illumination in the foreground. The filter orientation is horizontal at all times. You tilt the gimbal to place the filter horizon, and the upper darkening exactly where you want it in the field of view. The three filters are all based upon a 3 stop difference at the top vs. the bottom. The first one has no filtering on the bottom and is designed for still photography. The other two are designed for video where you want to target a specific shutter speed for the lower half of the frame. Watch the video in the link on the website.