Is this what polorized lenses are for?

[Baconmaker]

Hello everyone, quick question for you about polorized lenses. I like shooting farm photos but a lot of the time the steel barn roofs are blown out. They are very reflective so even if the rest of the shot is properly exposed I have a hard time getting the roof to look right. Would a polorized lens help with this? If so, any recommendations for one that works with the Air 2s that isn't too crazy expensive?
Thanks!

 

[Tiger64]

A circular polarising lens would need to be set on the ground before the flight. You need to work out the angle you are going to shoot from and set as best you can because they work according to angle from Spain.you can't change it while in the air.
You could take 2 or more pics using Ev to expose correctly for various parts, then combine using hdr stack feature in editor or shoot in raw which captures more data and correct in post production.

 

[mschaffer66]

I like to take pictures using the 5 picture AEB then stack them. It seems to do a pretty good job of fixing issues like you are talking about.

 

[Baconmaker]

Thanks for the replies folks. I do use the AEB function but I don't find it always does the job.
If the sunlight is reflecting directly back into the camera it would seem to me that adjusting EV can't really fully fix that. Am I correct in thinking that a polorized lens physically filters this light out if it's set correctly?
Thanks for the replies!

 

[Jagerbomb52]

I always have liked Freewell filters. Their Bright Day 4pack is priced pretty good for the average person.

DJI Air 2S Filters Bright Day 4Pack

Compatible With DJI Air 2S In the Box ND8/PL, ND16/PL, ND32/PL, ND64/PL, Filter Case, Cleaning Cloth Unmatched Optics: Each of Freewell 4K Series optics is handcrafted and precisely compatible to be used with the DJI Air 2S Drone. GimbalSafe: Freewell GimbalSafe technology ensures each...

www.freewellgear.com

 

[retiredNH]

polarizers aren't that tricky. They work best in one direction that depends on where the light source is, in this case the sun. If you were to mount a polarizer on your drone, you might need a bit of trial and error to see what works best, both in rotating the polarizer and in positioning the drone, but I suspect you'll quickly figure out what works best.

Given their relatively low cost on Amazon, why not get a cheap one and try it out?

 

[mschaffer66]

So you mount the polarizer, I assume you twist it to adjust the direction somehow, take your drone up and see what it does? If it doesn't work, bring it back down, adjust, and go back up at the same angle to the target and try again?

Sorry, I'm kinda dumb about that stuff.

 

[Dan AISCF]

So you mount the polarizer, I assume you twist it to adjust the direction somehow, take your drone up and see what it does? If it doesn't work, bring it back down, adjust, and go back up at the same angle to the target and try again?

Sorry, I'm kinda dumb about that stuff.

Exactly. The polarizer sits over 1/2 the lens. Think of it as a pizza that is only cut in half. Remove a 1/2 and the part with pizza is the polarized section of the lens. As you twist the lens (it is made to do so), the polarizing half moves. So if you are shooting a shiny roof, you want to ensure the polarizing half covers the roof from what angle you are flying or have the camera pitched. That's where putting it on, checking the image, bringing the drone down, adjusting the filter, sending the drone back up, etc., comes into play. It takes some trial and error, however, after using it a few times, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly...

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

So it's obvious the OP wants to shoot at a particular angle from the air, and perhaps can't adjust the time of day (must be shot there and then).
Those would be the 2 parameters easiest to change to avoid reflections, shoot from an angle where the sun / reflection isn't a problem, or shoot from the angle you want at another time of day when the sun / reflection isn't a problem.

For photography, a C-PL (clear polariser) would be best, avoids altering the light coming into the camera for crisp shots, they are still around 1-1/2 stops, at least mine is.
Using a PL filter with ND properties will not help with reflections, but will change shutter speed on the fixed aperture camera models.

I rarely fit my C-PL, preferring to just shoot differently (direction usually) if a problem exists with reflections.

 

[Baconmaker]

These are great replies! Thanks for the help. I'll look for a clear poloriser and give it a shot.

 

[Meta4]

Exactly. The polarizer sits over 1/2 the lens. Think of it as a pizza that is only cut in half.

Not sure where you got that idea.
A polarising filter covers 100% of the lens.

 

[Meta4]

a lot of the time the steel barn roofs are blown out. They are very reflective so even if the rest of the shot is properly exposed I have a hard time getting the roof to look right.

Time of day, shooting angle relative to the sun, shooting when the sun is covered by cloud are simpler ways to deal with the issue.

 

[retiredNH]

Exactly. The polarizer sits over 1/2 the lens. Think of it as a pizza that is only cut in half. Remove a 1/2 and the part with pizza is the polarized section of the lens. As you twist the lens (it is made to do so), the polarizing half moves. So if you are shooting a shiny roof, you want to ensure the polarizing half covers the roof from what angle you are flying or have the camera pitched. That's where putting it on, checking the image, bringing the drone down, adjusting the filter, sending the drone back up, etc., comes into play. It takes some trial and error, however, after using it a few times, you'll get the hang of it pretty quickly...

The polarizer covers the whole lens, not half of it. There are partial neutral density filters made for regular photography and video that cover 1/2 the lens, but none for drones that I'm aware of.

Other than that, your reply is OK.

 

[retiredNH]

So it's obvious the OP wants to shoot at a particular angle from the air, and perhaps can't adjust the time of day (must be shot there and then).
Those would be the 2 parameters easiest to change to avoid reflections, shoot from an angle where the sun / reflection isn't a problem, or shoot from the angle you want at another time of day when the sun / reflection isn't a problem.

For photography, a C-PL (clear polariser) would be best, avoids altering the light coming into the camera for crisp shots, they are still around 1-1/2 stops, at least mine is.
Using a PL filter with ND properties will not help with reflections, but will change shutter speed on the fixed aperture camera models.

I rarely fit my C-PL, preferring to just shoot differently (direction usually) if a problem exists with reflections.

A c-pl is a circular polarizer, not a clear polerizer. The reason is somewhat technical, but has to do with the mirrors in SLR cameras. Drone cameras, like cell phone cameras or mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, don't need c-pl, but most of the ones you can buy these days are cpl.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

A c-pl is a circular polarizer, not a clear polerizer. The reason is somewhat technical, but has to do with the mirrors in SLR cameras. Drone cameras, like cell phone cameras or mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, don't need c-pl, but most of the ones you can buy these days are cpl.

What I mean is it doesn't have any ND properties, as well as polariser properties.
ND aren't any use for (in fact harm) taking regular photos, the only real excpetion if one wants longer shutter for blur type effect on water / car lights, etc.
C-PL and MC on lenses are definitely different, I think that's what you were mentioning modern lenses not needing PL ?
MC (multicoated) merely stops surface reflection on / off the lens, not reflections off things you are shooting, where a PL comes into play.

 

[retiredNH]

What I mean is it doesn't have any ND properties, as well as polariser properties.
ND aren't any use for (in fact harm) taking regular photos, the only real excpetion if one wants longer shutter for blur type effect on water / car lights, etc.
C-PL and MC on lenses are definitely different, I think that's what you were mentioning modern lenses not needing PL ?
MC (multicoated) merely stops surface reflection on / off the lens, not reflections off things you are shooting, where a PL comes into play.

I did not say modern lenses don't need polarizers. First, lenses have nothing to do with the topic. Second, there are two kinds of polarizers, linear ones and circular ones. Some kinds of cameras may work better with a circular than a linear. Most photography polarizers are circular, so the distinction doesn't much matter.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I did not say modern lenses don't need polarizers.

Drone cameras, like cell phone cameras or mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras, don't need c-pl, but most of the ones you can buy these days are cpl.

Sorry, I must have misinterpreted your initial reply.

No matter, PL filters are very hard to work with when using on a drone.
Perfect for a hand held camera, shooting from one angle, adjustable right there and then, and not constantly changing directions and shooting angles like a drone flight.

I just like working around that myself, clightly change the angle / direction, or the entore time of day if necessary.
The need just doesn't come up much, but I'm sure someone with a need can either work around it like I do, or fuss a bit with a PL to get things right.

Have a great day / night, as your time zone dictates.